Ohio State's last 2 games were worse than Northwestern's. The Buckeyes lost 30-18 at USC, then came home and blew an early 2-touchdown lead to Oregon. The Ducks scored 38 straight points and led 38-14 early in the fourth quarter before the 41-28 final. A fake punt early in the second quarter flipped that game, and the defense never stopped the bleeding. A month ago this team won 31-14 at Iowa and 19-15 at Indiana. The question is which version shows up after 2 straight weeks of getting pushed around.
That makes this a measuring-stick game for both lines of scrimmage. Iowa's front got home 6 times against Northwestern and won every short-yardage snap. Oregon's offense ran through Ohio State's defense for 3 quarters. If Northwestern can't get 1 yard when it needs 1 yard, the Buckeyes get the get-right game they need. If the Wildcats can stay on schedule and get Chiles back, they have the kind of offense that hung 42 on Rutgers and 45 on Ball State in October.
The forecast is a cold, mostly sunny November day in Columbus: around 40 degrees, a 12 mph wind and almost no chance of rain. That's real football weather, but it shouldn't wreck anybody's game plan. The more important number is the 4-game stretch for Ohio State. A third straight loss would end any playoff talk and turn the rest of November into a fight over what kind of bowl the Buckeyes end up in. Northwestern won 24-21 at Michigan State and gave Oregon a 34-26 game on the road. That's enough proof that the Wildcats won't be scared of the building.
Ohio State has the talent edge and has the most to play for. Northwestern has the more fixable problems: a quarterback who might come back and a short-yardage offense that had one bad night. Watch the first quarter. The Buckeyes jumped on Oregon early too, so a fast start proves nothing. What matters is whether they can hold onto a lead this time.
