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For the first time in the Ryan Day era at Ohio State, the Buckeyes have lost back-to-back games. At the same time, this is the first time the Buckeyes have dropped three games in a single season since that forgettable 2011 season.
Now what?
Ohio State can’t just pack it up and go home; there are still games to be played. Northwestern is next on the schedule, and the Wildcats aren’t going to go easily. Can the Buckeyes get off the schnide, or will we see a few things we haven’t seen in a long, long time?
Time For Ohio State To Get Back To Winning
Feed The Beast
Folks are jumping off the Jeremiah Smith Heisman train, and for good reason. Without Julian Sayin, Smith has produced, but not to the otherworldly level we have grown accustomed. Even then, it’s on Luke Fahey to figure out where number four is and to throw it to him.
Against Oregon, Smith went nearly two full quarters without a target. In that time, the Buckeyes’ offense was stagnant. Ohio State needs Smith to get going to win, either by him going Superman or by opening things up for the run game.
There has been plenty of discourse surrounding Fahey and the quarterback position. Tavien St. Clair was a five-star recruit, but evidently isn’t ready for the big time. Whether that is due to poor practice habits or that the relationship is tarnished is for anyone to guess (or say with the utmost certainty to feign authority on the topic), but it’s frustrating; that’s for sure.
Stop The Bleeding
On defense, what in the world is going on? Sure, losing all that talent to the NFL was going to hurt, but giving up 41 to Oregon, as Dylan Raiola said, he was “seeing seams all over the place” in film, is not great!
Earl Little Jr. might be the best player on the defense right now (though Jay Timmons has an argument). There is absolutely no pass rush. Ohio State has 11 sacks as a team, led by Kenyatta Jackson Jr. As of right now, there are two players at the FBS level with more than 11 sacks. By the end of the season, there will be more individuals with more sacks than Ohio State as a team if it doesn’t change the trend.
Ohio State is averaging only 1.2 sacks per game this season.
Since Ohio State began tracking sacks in 1981, the Buckeyes have never averaged fewer than 1.7 sacks per game in a season.https://t.co/33Uf0nT3tSpic.twitter.com/CjOn1yTFIm
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) November 11, 2026
Overall, Ohio State is allowing 287 yards and 18.3 points per game. Over the last three games, those numbers are 367 yards and 28.7 points per game.
This isn’t the defense Ohio State expects. While the offenses in the final two weeks shouldn’t put much fear into Matt Patricia, Northwestern could sneak up on him.
The Task At Hand
Northwestern was the feel-good story of the year for weeks. After nearly upending Indiana on the road, the Wildcats got out to a 6-1 record. Then, it ran into a couple of good teams. Not to mention the fact that Northwestern will have to play 11 consecutive weeks thanks to a ridiculously early bye.
Aidan Chiles has been leading the offense, but he’s out for this game. Nicco Marchiol isn’t Chiles, but he shouldn’t be overlooked, especially with Chip Kelly calling the shots. On the ground, Caleb Komolafe is a formidable back with 643 yards and five scores on the year.
Northwestern’s defense is not as exciting. On the season, it has allowed 365 yards and 19.3 points per game. There are paths to victory for the Buckeyes if they put the pressure on by exploiting this defense. Up front, keep an eye out for Braydon Brus and his 13.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. The linebacker has been everywhere for the Wildcats.
The Current Path
As of now, hopes of the College Football Playoff are pretty thin. It seems like getting in as an at-large is about as likely as getting Urban Meyer to say, “JT was short.”
However, there is a path. It’s an unclear path, but a path nonetheless.
According to ESPN, Ohio State has a 56% chance to make the CFP if it wins out, but doesn’t make the Big Ten Championship. To us, that seems a bit rich, especially when USC and Oregon sit ahead with head-to-head beatdowns. Ohio State needs to win the Big Ten.
In order to do that, it has to win out, plus:
- UCLA wins out
- Indiana loses once more
- Oregon loses once more
There are a handful of other options, but this is the easiest. If UCLA loses once, it isn’t the end of the world…unless it’s to USC.
Indiana has USC, at Washington, and Purdue. Ohio State has the head-to-head over Indiana, so if both have two losses, Ohio State wins.
Oregon has Michigan, at Michigan State, and Washington. Oregon has the head-to-head over Ohio State, so it needs that third loss. We can usually count on a head-scratching loss by Dan Lanning, but that might’ve already happened in that loss to Illinois.
USC has at Indiana, Maryland, and at UCLA. USC has the head-to-head over Ohio State, so it needs a third loss. This is likely, given that schedule. Plus, if UCLA wins out, it means it handed USC that third loss. It’d be a win-win for Ohio State.
For good measure, if Wisconsin can lose again, it’ll help. It didn’t play Ohio State this year. Illinois did and has two losses, but one of those was Ohio State.
It’s not looking great, but Ohio State needs to take care of what it can, and that means beating Northwestern.
The Bottom Line on Ohio State vs. Northwestern
Where: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
History: Ohio State 66-14-1 Northwestern
Last Matchup: Ohio State won, 31-7, in 2024
Last Northwestern Win: 33-27, in 2004
Date and Time: November 14, 2026, 12:00 p.m. EST
How to Watch: Fox
Spread: Ohio State -13.5; O/U 44.5 (via FanDuel)
Prediction: Well, we were waaaayyyy off base with our prediction last week…again. This week, the Buckeyes are a larger favorite. If there is a loss on the schedule that would be comparable to Michigan, it would be Northwestern because it would show that the wheels are completely off the wagon. Either way, let’s say Ohio State gets back into the win column with a 24-6 win.
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- Increased Role Expected for Washington RB Jayden Limar
- Four Things Working Well for Penn State’s Offense
- College Football Sunday Summary; Hitting the Bumps in the Road
Main Image: Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/ohio-state-must-stop-bleeding-200030170.html
