David Braun isn’t interested in selling Northwestern on the idea of a moral victory in Columbus.
Yes, Ohio State is walking into Week 11 looking vulnerable after back-to-back losses to Oregon and USC, and yes, the Buckeyes are doing it with a winless starting true freshman quarterback after losing Julian Sayin to a season-ending injury. Braun sees all of that. He just doesn’t want his team getting lost in the noise of what the trip to Ohio Stadium means on paper.
“We understand we’re going into a hostile environment. We understand the quality of opponent that we’re playing, but we can’t get caught up in this "It’s Ohio (State)."
No, be objective, evaluate the tape, understand our opponent, and then attack and focus on us. This team has proven that we can go into hostile environments against some of the best in the country and compete,” Braun said this week.
He made the next part just as clear.
“But we’re not here just to compete. We’re here to win games. And can we have a week of preparation that’s reflective of a team that’s prepared to go into Columbus, compete at a really high level, and find a way to come home with a win?”
Northwestern has its own problems to sort through, starting with the absence of Aidan Chiles. Even so, the Wildcats are looking at 6-3 from a very different angle than Ohio State’s side of the ledger, where the mood in Central Ohio is far more uneasy.
Braun’s respect for the Buckeyes came through in his comments, but he also left room to suggest this is not the same Ohio State team everyone has been used to seeing. That much is obvious to anyone heading into “the Shoe” on Saturday.
Jeremiah Smith is one of the biggest names in the matchup, but the Buckeyes receiver hasn’t had a two-touchdown game since Sayin went down. He also hasn’t built the same connection with Luke Fahey, and that has changed the way he looks in this offense.
For Northwestern, the challenge is straightforward and brutal: the secondary is banged up, and it has to do enough against Smith to keep the game within reach for an offense led by backup quarterback Nicco Marchiol. More likely, the Wildcats’ best path is to get after the quarterback.
That’s easier said than done. Northwestern has lived in the lower tier of Big Ten pass rushes so far, but Ohio State’s protection has not been nearly as sturdy as expected. The Buckeyes’ offensive line was supposed to be one of the nation’s best, yet injuries and inconsistency have kept it from living up to that billing.
If linebackers Kobie McKinzie and Braydon Brus can help slow the Buckeyes on the ground, Northwestern believes it can at least give itself a real shot with Fahey handling the ball. Saturday could end up being the kind of day that flips the season for Ohio State, or it could become a rough one for the coaching staff.
Braun’s confidence is one thing. Whether it carries over to his players is another. And on the other side, Ohio State has plenty to prove too.
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 🡒]