Turns out, collecting another pair of gold pants will have to wait until 2021 but Ryan Day's squad can claim another Big Ten title provided it dispatches of Northwestern tomorrow afternoon in Indianapolis.
A win would also virtually assure the Buckeyes a spot in the College Football Playoff, keeping alive the dream of capturing a national title amid a tumultuous time in our nation's history.
To get your mind right ahead of tomorrow's clash, 11W staffers Ramzy Nasrallah, Kevin Harrish and David Wertheim take their seats at this week's roundtable.
Ohio State might be used to extended layoffs by now but any concerns with the Buckeyes looking rusty against Northwestern or will they come out smoking?
Ramzy: I don’t know if rusty is the right word. I see Ohio State running a set of plays with precision and to perfection because all they’ve done is practice them against themselves for most of the season. Where I’d get concerned is how they’ll respond to changing things up on the fly if they see a few curveballs and have to deviate from the blueprint. I’m interested to see how they respond offensively to Northwestern’s tendency to go for the strip or the interception, which could either create big plays for the Buckeyes or turnovers for the Wildcats.
Kevin: I think they're more than used to it at this point, so I wouldn't expect any rust. I think the difference, in this case, is that a long layoff just means more practice without any of the bad things that typically come with extended time off. It's not like these guys are using the time to go out drinking or sit on the couch and eat Arby's for hours. It's just a regular week of practice, but with no game on Saturday.
More than that, I think it's getting to the point where these guys want nothing more than to play a damn game. So I think they'll be motivated and ready out the gates.
David: I thought that the Buckeyes were going to be rusty against Michigan State after a few weeks off and missing 25 players. Instead, they won by 40 points. I don't think the Buckeyes will win this game by 40, but I do think that getting most of those players back plus their head coach will spark some energy.
Saturday's game pits the Big Ten's No. 2 passing offense (281 ypg) led by Justin Fields against the No. 2 pass defense (192 ypg). Will who wins this matchup determine who wins the game? What kind of day do you expect from Fields and his receiving corps?
David: Northwestern can't run the ball and I'm pretty confident that they won't be able to outscore Ohio State. There have been some rumblings of a certain wide receiver potentially missing the game due to COVID-19, but the backups at the position are two five-stars and a couple four-stars. Justin Fields is Justin Fields, and while Ohio State may have to try to do a little more on the ground this game, that worked out for them quite nicely against Michigan State. Ohio State has superior athletes everywhere. I'm not sure Northwestern can stop it for four quarters.
Kevin: Northwestern's defense is legit this year and is probably the most talented Wildcat defense the Buckeyes have faced in recent years. I think it's definitely going to be more of a challenge than the average team Ohio State plays this year and might even be a better defense than any playoff contender. All that said, I think the key here is that Ohio State has actually played a comparable defense (at least statistically) against Indiana, and dropped 35 points on it. But Northwestern has seen nothing like this Ohio State offense since... last year's Ohio State offense?
This is a strength-on-strength matchup, but Ohio State's strength is decidedly stronger. I ain't worried.
Ramzy: I’m going to bet against the team that allowed Rocky Lombardi to throw for 165 and two scores and rush for another 65 when it overcommitted to his vaunted passing game. If the Buckeyes fail to score on more than two drives it will be disappointing.
Assuming a victory leads to a playoff bid, any concerns that playing only six games will put Ohio State at a significant disadvantage when you think about how players and teams typically develop and improve over the course of a normal season? Why or why not?
Ramzy: Yes. I wrote about that this week. Whomever they play in the postseason will have twice as many games’ worth of development. It’s not a freshness advantage (hi Dabo, you dummy) it’s a reps deficit and it’s nearly as big of a disadvantage as having to play with a 3rd string quarterback starting for the first time. Which means it’s not ideal, but it can be overcome.
David: I don't think it will put Ohio State at a significant disadvantage compared to what this team would play in a normal season. This Buckeyes team is made up of a lot of veterans who have been around a long time and have largely plateaued. I don't think Marcus Hooker would be any better than he is now playing against Illinois or Michigan. For teams with younger players, more games are always better, but these Ohio State starters have been around the program a long time and I don't think a few more games would move the needle that much.
Kevin: I think that is a legit concern, especially in the secondary. Ohio State will have played only two games since Indiana sliced apart its secondary last month, and both of them will have come against pretty atrocious passing attacks. It certainly would have been nice to play a full slate to allow any adjustments to take shape, but the Buckeyes aren't going to have that luxury.
Turning to the national landscape, Dabo’s been trolling Ohio State hard just in case his Tigers fall to Notre Dame again, putting their playoff chances in a precarious spot. Who wins? Would you prefer Clemson lose and be eliminated or see them win in hopes the Buckeyes get a shot at a playoff rematch?
Kevin: Here's my thing – I honestly think the committee might put two-loss Clemson in the playoff ahead of a Texas A&M team that already got waxed against Alabama this year, especially if it's another close loss. As for the game, I honestly think Notre Dame is going to win again, but I don't really care about the outcome. Either way, Ohio State's going to have a chance to defenestrate one of my favorite enemies in college football's biggest stage, and that makes my soul happy.
Ramzy: As much as I’d like to cleanse myself of Ohio State losses to Clemson, I think there would be something uniquely satisfying about Dabo being left out and whining about it with Trevor Lawrence on his way out the door.
David: Get Clemson out of here. Dabo is a cornball who uses a religious cover to try and mask his true self. I'm rooting for Notre Dame all the way. As I'm sure most people in Cincinnati are. Also, it would just be nice to see something different. As long as Ohio State is still in.
Oddsmakers installed Ohio State as a 20-point favorite over the Wildcats. Will the Buckeyes cover? Give us your final score and defensive MVP.
David: Per tradition, Ohio State will not cover. I think they will still win relatively comfortably. I'll go with 37-20 Buckeyes, Tuf Borland returns from COVID to play his home-state team and does so very well.
Ramzy: Ohio State 42, Northwestern 13. Buckeyes cover and Haskell Garrett is your defensive MVP.
Kevin: I've got Ohio State winning in a blowout, 49-7. Northwestern's offense is cheeks and its defense isn't going to keep the Buckeyes at bay for long. My defensive MVP is Haskell Garrett, after he was burglarized by the All-Big Ten teams this week.
