Ohio State is back at home Saturday with plenty to clean up after back-to-back losses to USC and Oregon pushed the Buckeyes to 6-3 and sent them down to No. 20 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings. Now comes Northwestern, another 6-3 team, and a game that feels important for both sides as Ohio State tries to stop the slide at the Shoe.
Northwestern arrives after a 24-10 loss to Iowa, its second straight defeat following the loss to Oregon the week before. The Wildcats are 6-3 overall and 3-3 in Big Ten play, and they’ll bring a new quarterback look into Columbus after Nicco Marchiol made his first start against Iowa. He finished 24 of 32 for 181 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 52 yards.
For Ohio State, the defensive standard has to rise fast after giving up 41 points to Oregon. The Buckeyes have little margin left, and Saturday’s noon kickoff on FOX gives them a chance to steady things before the season slips any further.
The weekend isn’t just about Columbus, either. There’s a loaded slate across the country with Missouri at Georgia, USC at Indiana, Michigan at Oregon, Utah at Arizona and Texas at LSU all in play. Those results could ripple through the national picture, and Ohio State’s own path will be watched closely as the Big Ten race and playoff conversation keep shifting.
The latest rankings already reflect the chaos. Georgia moved to No. 1, Ohio State dropped to No. 20, and Utah, Alabama, UCLA and Notre Dame rounded out the top five.
Ohio State’s men’s basketball team also had work to do Monday night, surviving Marshall 84-74 in a game that got far closer than it should have. The Buckeyes were up 18 at halftime, then gave up 47 points in the second half before hanging on. John Mobley Jr. led Ohio State with 19 points.
That test was only the start of a tougher stretch. Friday night brings a trip to UConn, and the Huskies are already 3-0 with a win over Michigan on their résumé after an 85-77 victory in Boston.
In Other News...
Ohio State Suddenly Has A Receiver Problem Before Northwestern
The quarterback situation already had enough attention heading into Ohio States matchup with Northwestern, with both teams set to be without their starters under center because of injuries. But the Buckeyes may be dealing with a wider offensive shortage than expected, since three of their top six wide receivers are listed as questionable, adding another layer of uncertainty to a game that already looked like it would require some adjustment.
Brandon Inniss, Phillip Bell and Brock Boyd are all in question, while running back JaKobi Jackson and tight end Max LeBlanc remain sidelined. Northwestern is also shorthanded, with eight players out including starting quarterback Aidan Chiles and cornerback Josh Fussell, so this could turn into a game defined less by star power than by which side handles the attrition better and finds enough reliable options to function on offense. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States Week 10 Spiral Says Plenty About This Teams Ceiling
Ohio States Week 10 slide has turned into more than a bad stretch, it has become a clear reminder of how thin the margin is when the offense loses its rhythm. With three losses on the books and the Buckeyes trying to navigate life without quarterback Julian Sayin, the conversation around the program has shifted from weekly fixes to bigger questions about how high this team can actually climb in the Big Ten race.
The latest conference pecking order reflects that uncertainty, with Ohio State sitting eighth after Week 10 while other league contenders continue to build momentum around it. For a program that expects to be in the thick of every major postseason discussion, the current spiral says plenty about the ceiling this version of the Buckeyes can reach unless the pieces start coming together soon. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States 2027 Running Back Picture Just Got More Interesting
Ohio States 2027 running back board picked up a notable addition when Daylon Gordon, a four-star prospect from Wylie, Texas, committed to the Buckeyes after previously being pledged to Texas State. Gordon arrives with a Power 4 offer sheet and gives Ohio State another talented name to build around as the class starts to take shape.
Even with Gordon on board, the Buckeyes are not treating the position as settled. They are still pursuing more running backs for the 2027 class, which keeps the room competitive and leaves open the possibility that this group could grow into one of the more interesting pieces of the cycle. [Read more 🡒]