Saturday Blitz
Fansided

Ohio State Football: 3 Predictions vs Northwestern in Big Ten title game

By Chris Peterson

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Justin Fields (1) gives a thumbs up to the sideline during the second quarter of the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020.Ohio State Buckeyes Football Faces The Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Justin Fields (1) gives a thumbs up to the sideline during the second quarter of the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020.Ohio State Buckeyes Football Faces The Rutgers Scarlet Knights /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 3
Next

Ohio State football will try to win another Big Ten championship Saturday, as well as impress the committee for the College Football Playoff.

As weird as this season has been, it’s been especially strange for the Ohio State football team as the Buckeyes have only played two games since Nov. 7.

So when the regular season came to a close, Ohio State had just five wins to its credit, which originally would not have gotten the Buckeyes into the title game.

But the Big Ten adjusted the rules, because Ohio State, even at 5-1, would have got into the title game thanks to its win over Indiana and now, 14th-ranked Northwestern awaits.

The Wildcats are 6-1 and their only blemish was a home loss to Michigan State. Northwestern also beat Iowa and Wisconsin on its way to winning the Big Ten West.

It will be a rematch of the 2018 Big Ten title game and you can expect Northwestern to be ready to go. The Wildcats are led by their defense, which allows just 14 points per game.

However, the offense ranks 90th in scoring offense. Still, Pat Fitzgerald always has his team ready for a fight and the Wildcats aren’t going to make it easy on the Buckeyes.

So, with that in mind, here are three bold predictions for Ohio State vs Northwestern.

Northwestern will force a mistake by Fields early

Obviously, Northwestern doesn’t stand out for its talent, but the Wildcats do have the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in Brandon Joseph, who picked off five passes this season. As a team, Northwestern notched 12 interceptions in seven games.

Beyond that, Northwestern has been stout against the pass, allowing opposing teams just gain just 191 yards per game and complete 51 percent of their attempts.

Obviously, Justin Fields and Ohio State is a different animal. A few weeks ago, Fields tossed three interceptions against Indiana and after not playing for a couple weeks and feeling the pressure to run up the score, he presses a little and tosses at least one pick Saturday.

Home/Ohio State Buckeyes