The Buckeyes bounced back from a concerning low point into a determined, imposing team, and a sneak peek of what was to come. For now, a relatively unconcerning game against 1-8 Purdue. And it's a home game, far from the reaches of Purdue Pete's wretched voodoo magic. 

Going Into Week 11

• OL Solved? - Ohio State felt good about its restructured OL coming out of the PSU game. It played pretty well overall, but it was the magnificent 10 straight run plays from their own 1-yard line to pick up four first downs and grind out 5:31 of clock that really sold us. If you thought they found the solution moving forward, Ryan Day agrees. 
• Making Waves - The optimism bled beyond Buckeye Nation, too. Along with 10 million other viewers, the CFP committee took note of Ohio State's consistency and ranked them #2, understandably behind Oregon, but ahead of Georgia, several soon-to-be victims, and then-9-0 Miami. 
• Fight 'Til the End - Ohio State notched not one, but two more goal line stands against Penn State. We're up to four on the season and it's starting to look like a trend. 
• Team Pulse - The Oregon game caused many to question Denzel Burke, but to him, that's just a thing of the past; he's solely focused on the goals at stake. Burke was not alone in his unwavering confidence; it seems the whole defense knew they were capable of greatness despite what anyone else outside thought. Jeremiah Smith is bulldozing the record book but still isn't satisfied. The OL is playing to prove the doubters wrong. 
• Across the Field - Not a lot of positive to say about the Boilermakers. Their punter is one of the few bright spots, but aside from flashing occasionally offensively and some solid halves of defense, they don't do much well consistently. He predicts a 52-10 Buckeye victory. 
• Game Preview - Ryan Day is outwardly expressing respect for Purdue's team, saying they play better football than their record indicates. Knowles discusses how the defense has been reengineered in the wake of the Oregon loss, utilizing more creative pressures and stunts on the defensive front while also disguising coverages better. Watch out for their standouts in safety Dylan Thineman and tight end Max Klare; they look like guys OSU would want on their team. 
• Last Call - 11W will be watching for continued development on the OL, what Knowles will show on defense against an overmatched opponent, if OSU puts this game to bed early, and if we'll get to preview Julian Sayin and other young talent. 

Week 11 vs Purdue in 40 Minutes

Open Threads: Q1 | Q2 | Halftime | Q3 | Q4   
Note: The purpose of posting these open threads is to gauge what we were thinking, both positively and negatively, at the time. While the handwringing is funny to look back on, it is not intended to hang individual posters over their comments in the moment.

Coming Out of Week 11

• Game Summary - As expected, OSU handily defeated Purdue, 45-0. JJ Smith casually breaks two school records and Jack Sawyer returns JTT's forced fumble 11 yards for a touchdown. Caden Curry even blocked a punt! The defense experimented with an atypical defensive look and personnel that allowed Purdue to drive to the 3-yard line before missing a 21-yard field goal to preserve the shutout. Ryan Day was pleased with the mentality and intensity from the jump, avoiding a letdown game after an emotional Penn State win. 
• Three Key Stats - Special teams were an area Ryan Day wanted to see improvement in and today, they delivered. Caden Curry blocked a punt, the program's first since 2022. Not to be outdone, the defense also delivered the second shutout of the season, a feat Ohio State had not done since 2014. They limited Purdue to only 206 total yards of offense. The previously maligned pass rush also managed to rack up four more sacks this day.
• Care/Don't Care - Treveyon Henderson keeps showing how dangerous he is when healthy. What's also crazy is how Judkins is also dangerous but in different ways. This tandem was something special. 
• Stock Up/Stock Down - The Jack position was put on display and results left much to be desired. After letting Purdue drive 70 yards in 7 plays, which the math whizzes will astutely recognize averages to a first down per play, I'm pretty sure this was permanently shelved for the rest of the season. Watching it back, there were certainly some execution failures that allowed Purdue to move so freely, but I felt some fundamental concerns with just how... open the defensive front was. That said, there are plenty of defenses out there running a 3-man fronts to great effect, but this specific attempt sure seemed to allow a lot of successful plays up the middle. 

Up Next: @ Northwestern at Wrigley Field