Just as it has been in every season since 2013, the Ohio State Buckeyes are in the driver’s seat to get to the Big Ten Championship with just over a month to go. At 7-0 overall and 4-0 in the Big Ten, the Buckeyes stand atop the Big Ten standings with Indiana (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten). The Hoosiers technically have the lead, but they haven’t had their second bye just yet, so it’ll even out. Behind the Buckeyes and Hoosiers, Oregon, Iowa, Michigan, and USC enter Week 10 with one loss in conference play. It’s just as everyone predicted heading into the season!
Oddly enough, of the five opponents left on the Buckeyes’ schedule, only Michigan is still alive in the hunt. The path is clear to get to Indianapolis. The Buckeyes can win out and clinch a spot. There is one mulligan allowed for the Buckeyes, but those four one-loss teams will have had to have lost once more, of course. With only one head-to-head matchup against that group, it could get squirrelly if Ryan Day’s squad trips.
Let’s take a quick look at what’s ahead for the top-ranked Buckeyes as they look to return to Indianapolis for the first time since 2020. The four-year drought is the first since 2010-2013 and just the second since we walked on the moon. There was a six-year gap between 1987 and 1992 without a share of the title. It could be counting chickens too soon, but the road ahead, on paper, looks smooth.
Five Games Stand Between the Buckeyes and Indianapolis
Vs. Penn State
In the preseason, Penn State‘s trip to Columbus was circled in bright red Sharpie. The Nittany Lions were one of the national title favorites, and it looked like they were employing the same strategy that worked well for Michigan and Ohio State’s title runs. Now, the November 1st matchup has lost every bit of luster it once had. While the Buckeyes have kept up their side of the bargain and enter the play unbeaten, Penn State is currently in a free fall.
After opening the season with three out-of-conference wins, in which Penn State won by a cumulative score of 132-17. Then, the Nittany Lions lost in overtime to Oregon. While that loss was not the end of the world because the Ducks are still a very good team, it was the subsequent three games that sealed Penn State’s fate.
Penn State then lost to UCLA, Northwestern, and Iowa. Star quarterback Drew Allar was not playing up to expectations, but his season was cut short due to an injury in the loss to Northwestern. That loss was doubly awful as James Franklin was let go shortly thereafter.
Penn State has only one win over Ohio State since 2012, and it was off a blocked field goal. The pseudo-rivalry has been closer than that, of course. It looked like this matchup was going to be another top-five, one-score battle. Instead, it’ll be a footnote.
At Purdue
Exhale, Buckeye fans, the Spoilermakes can’t hurt you…or can they? Since 2000, the one program not named Michigan that has had the most success against the Buckeyes is Purdue. In 16 matchups (including 2010), Purdue has five victories, all at home. The most recent Boilermaker win was in that 49-20 beatdown in West Lafayette in 2018.
In 2023, Ohio State traveled to Purdue and seemingly exorcised those demons, 41-7.
While the Boilermakers did not enter the year with title aspirations as Penn State did, 2-6 after eight games is disappointing.
The offense, led by Ryan Browne and Devin Mockobee, is 101st in the country in scoring and 70th in total offense. After beating Ball State and Southern Illinois, Purdue has dropped six in a row. Last week, the Boilermakers lost a pillow fight with Rutgers, 27-24, and will travel to Michigan before Ohio State comes to town.
Vs. UCLA
It shouldn’t get much more difficult the following week as UCLA comes to town. The Bruins also fired their coach after an 0-3 start. After a short-lived run of upsets over Penn State, Michigan State, and Maryland, Indiana smacked UCLA back down to Earth with a 56-6 drubbing last weekend.
That three-game win streak was fun while it lasted. It was fun to watch the players carry offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel on their shoulders after derailing Penn State’s season.
But, unfortunately for UCLA, reality brought it back. The Bruins are among the worst in the country on both sides of the ball. Nico Iamaleava was the splash transfer after his exit from Tennessee. He has repaid the investment with 183.5 yards per game and just 10 touchdowns.
UCLA won the most recent matchup with the Buckeyes in 2001, and the two share a 4-4-1 split in the all-time series. Ohio State is 2-1-1 at home in the series, however.
Vs. Rutgers
Rutgers has never beaten Ohio State, and it’s not likely to change this year.
The Scarlet Knights opened up the season with three out-of-conference wins over two MAC programs and an FCS team. Then, the Big Ten reminded Rutgers of its place. Four straight losses to Iowa, Minnesota, Washington, and Oregon have defined the season. Last week, Rutgers did beat Purdue, but that’s not anything to write home about.
Thanks to those three non-conference wins, Rutgers is 50th in the country in scoring. In Big Ten play, however, Rutgers is scoring 22.4 points per game. Defensively, the Scarlet Knights are allowing 37.4 points per game in conference play.
Athan Kaliakmanis is not afraid to air it out, as expected. He leads the Big Ten with 2,223 yards with 12 touchdowns to just five interceptions. His running back, Antwan Raymond, leads the Big Ten with 149 carries, and he’s amassed 731 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Ohio State will look to replicate with Oregon did to Rutgers. The Ducks exploded for 56 points off 750 yards on offense.
At That Team Up North
The Game. Ohio State vs Michigan needs no introduction. This year is no different.
If football were played on paper, Ohio State and Day would be much closer to taking over the all-time series with Michigan. Obviously, it’s not. While the 2021-2023 games are shrouded in questions of “what if Michigan hadn’t cheated,” last year was 100% legit. The “lunatic fringe” was calling for Day’s job after four losses in a row, but he responded with a run through the CFP for a title.
There are concerns that Day may revert back to his old ways when these two face off. However, in longtime Ohio State beat writer Bill Rabinowitz’s book “Buckeye Brotherhood,” the team really pushed back. They called him and the coaching staff out for a terrible game plan. Considering the idea was to “beat them at their own game” by running the ball endlessly right at two first-round defensive tackles, the team was right to be frustrated.
Has Day learned from his mistakes? There are 33 days until The Game. Time will tell.
A loss to Michigan isn’t a death knell to the Buckeyes’ Big Ten or CFP dreams. However, on paper, Ohio State should be able to take care of business. Michigan has not looked impressive to this point and will lean on its defense again.
Day hasn’t won the Big Ten since 2020, so he’s absolutely hungry to get back to Indianapolis. The Buckeyes have three goals each year, and he’s only accomplished four out of a possible 17.
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