Ohio State’s trip to face Northwestern on Saturday carries a lot of familiar faces and a few urgent questions.
For the Wildcats, the passing game runs through Griffin Wilde. He has been Northwestern’s main weapon through nine games, piling up 49 catches for 813 yards and five touchdowns.
That follows a 2025 season in which he hauled in 71 passes for 880 yards and eight scores. Wilde has already posted four 100-yard games this year, and with Aidan Chiles sidelined, he gives backup quarterback Nicco Marchiol a reliable option as the former West Virginia quarterback tries to find a rhythm against an Ohio State secondary that has been inconsistent at times this season.
Northwestern also has a backfield threat who can flip a game in a hurry. Joseph Himon II may not be the feature runner, but he has been the Wildcats’ most explosive option on the ground, averaging more than eight yards per carry while gaining 411 yards on just 49 attempts.
He has also been dangerous as a receiver, scoring four touchdowns on nine catches, including three receiving scores in the win over Colorado. Even with his recent rushing numbers tapering off, his 162-yard effort against Penn State on only 10 carries showed he can still dent a tough Big Ten defense.
Himon is 76 rushing yards away from surpassing his 2015 total.
On the other side of the ball, Robert Fitzgerald anchors the Northwestern secondary. The safety followed up a 2025 season with 114 tackles by recording 56 stops this year, along with three interceptions and a fumble recovery.
After missing a couple of games in October, he returned last week against Iowa and picked off a pass in the loss. That gives him interceptions in each of the last three games he has played, and he’ll be facing a quarterback making just his third collegiate start.
For Ohio State, the first priority is simple: don’t hand Northwestern extra chances. The Wildcats have thrown one interception or fewer this season, and their +12 turnover margin shows how well they protect the football and punish mistakes.
The Buckeyes have not forced many turnovers this year, so giving the ball away on Saturday would be a bad fit against a team that can turn mistakes into points. That matters even more with an inexperienced quarterback under center.
The Buckeyes also need to get Jeremiah Smith rolling early. Ohio State has started to push his Heisman case this week, and the numbers back it up: 69 catches, 1,200 yards and 14 receiving touchdowns through nine games in 2026.
He had his first 100-yard game since the one against Iowa last week, but the recent stretch has not been as smooth. Since Julian Sayin’s injury, Smith has not had the same impact, with some of that tied to the growing timing between Smith and Luke Fahey and some of it tied to offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s play-calling.
Ohio State needs its best receiver to take over this one.
The bigger offensive ask is for the Buckeyes to loosen up. The current approach has not been working, and the difference between Sayin and Fahey makes that harder to ignore.
Right now, it looks like Ohio State is trying to force Fahey into Sayin’s offense instead of building around what Fahey does best. The Buckeyes need something less predictable, more flexible, and a little more willing to break from the script.
Saturday also brings a couple of return visits. Hunter Welcing transferred from Northwestern to Ohio State during the offseason after spending seven years in college football.
He caught 28 passes for 296 yards and two touchdowns last year, but has only one catch for four yards this season, coming against Illinois. Given how much Ohio State likes to use its tight ends, especially near the goal line, he could see more action against his former team.
Dominic Kirks will also be back in Ohio Stadium, this time on the Northwestern side. The Cleveland native began his career at Ohio State, where he was part of the 2024 recruiting class and recorded two tackles in limited action before entering the transfer portal after two seasons. At Northwestern, he has become part of the defensive line rotation and has posted 11 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble.
And then there’s Chip Kelly, who will be calling plays for Northwestern on Saturday. He appears lower on the list only because of the overlap with his Ohio State and Oregon ties, but he remains part of the story in this matchup.
In Other News...
Ohio State Finally Made A Change Fans Saw Coming
Ohio State made the kind of midseason move fans had been expecting after a string of special teams breakdowns kept showing up at the worst possible moments. Robby Discher was fired after nine games, with the Buckeyes issues on that phase of the game becoming harder to ignore as penalties and momentum-swinging mistakes piled up in recent losses.
Ryan Day said there had simply been too many detrimental plays to keep things as they were, and the staff is now reshuffling responsibilities to finish the season. Senior analyst Rob Keys will oversee special teams the rest of the way, with other coaches taking on specific units, a sign that Ohio State is trying to steady one of the most frustrating parts of its operation before it costs them again. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States Backup Quarterback Problem Just Got More Complicated
Justyn Martins role at Ohio State has become one of those quiet depth-chart stories that can suddenly matter a lot more than anyone expected. The fifth-year senior has not played this season, but with Julian Sayin sidelined, Martin is now listed as the third-string quarterback, and Ryan Day has already made it clear he likes what he has seen from him in practice. For a team that always has to be ready at quarterback, that kind of behind-the-scenes trust can carry real weight.
Martin has kept working alongside Luke Fahey and Tavien St. Clair, staying in the mix while the Buckeyes sort through their options. He has spoken confidently about the group and noted that Sayin remains supportive during his recovery, which only adds another layer to a situation that is still unfolding. For now, Martin is waiting for a chance that has not come yet, but the fact that Day is even floating game usage suggests Ohio States backup picture is far from settled. [Read more 🡒]
Chip Kelly Is Suddenly Back In Ohio State's Offensive Picture
Chip Kellys name is back in the mix around Ohio State, and not just as a nostalgic footnote. The former Buckeyes assistant, now at Northwestern, has surfaced in conversations about offensive play-caller openings, with his past tie to the program giving the idea immediate credibility. For a staff that is always under the microscope, any movement on the offensive side tends to draw attention quickly, especially when it involves a coach with Kellys rsum and familiarity with the Ohio State environment.
The broader picture is still fluid, though, because Nebraska is also being linked to Kelly and may try to sell him on the stature of the job rather than a simple financial pitch. For Ohio State, the possibility seems tied to whether current staff changes open a path, which is why the chatter feels more like a developing subplot than a settled pursuit. Even so, the fact that Kelly is being discussed in that context says plenty about how quickly the Buckeyes offensive landscape can shift. [Read more 🡒]