Ohio State heads into Saturday’s matchup with Northwestern in a spot it hasn’t wanted to be in: trying to stop the slide after back-to-back losses and a third defeat on the season. The Buckeyes’ Big Ten title hopes and their shot at the College Football Playoff are both hanging by a thread, and the path forward is simple enough on paper - win the final three games, starting at home against the Wildcats.
That’s the assignment, but nothing has come easy for Ohio State lately. Still, a victory over Northwestern would at least give the Buckeyes something to build on as they try to steady themselves down the stretch.
BetMGM lists the odds for Ohio State’s Week 11 game against Northwestern as of Nov. 11.
Phil Harrison’s prediction for Buckeyes Wire is Ohio State 28, Northwestern 17. The call is that the Buckeyes finally get back on track after a few weeks of sorting things out with Julian Sayin sidelined.
Harrison expects Ohio State to take lessons from the Oregon game, get the ball more consistently to Jeremiah Smith, and show a defense that comes out more aggressively with designed pressure packages. The result, according to that outlook, is a fairly comfortable win, even if there are still some rough patches along the way.
The Buckeyes’ season has still been strong overall, even with the recent stumble. Ohio State opened with a 56-3 win over Ball State on Sept. 5, followed by a 24-23 loss at Texas on Sept.
- The Buckeyes then rolled through Kent State, Illinois, Iowa and Maryland before edging Indiana 19-15 on Oct.
- After an open week, the slide began with a 30-18 loss at USC on Oct. 31 and continued with a 41-28 defeat at Oregon on Nov.
Now comes Northwestern on Nov. 14 at noon ET on FOX. After that, Ohio State goes to Nebraska on Nov. 21 before closing the regular season at home against Michigan on Nov. 28, also at noon ET on FOX.
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 🡒]