Betting lines, game preview, and prediction for Ohio State vs. Northwestern

The Ohio State-Northwestern game will not be played on the shore of Lake Michigan, which would be the most beautiful place for a college football game, but…

Ohio State only needs to finish this up so they can move on to the more important games. Surprisingly, almost everything will depend on Ohio State’s home game against Indiana.

Then there is Michigan, the only game that really matters to a lot of Buckeye fans (if you needed me to tell you what that was, there was a problem).

Ohio State can still play in a bowl game, but it needs to win two of its last three games. Now, going to Michigan is not a must-win game, and beating Illinois at home is doable, but beating Ohio State would make the season.

Ohio State vs Northwestern: How to Watch and Game Preview

Date: Saturday, November 16, 2024
Game Time: 12:00 pm ET
How to Watch: Big Ten Network
Venue: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
Teams: Northwestern (4-5), Ohio State (8-1)

Why Ohio State Will Win

Northwestern is not able to move the chains well enough.

It is bad on third downs, there is no way to pass down the field, and the running game is not strong enough to take over for long periods of time.

The Ohio State defense is second in the country in scoring defense, just behind Army. They also allow the fewest first downs and the fewest total defense points. Only the best teams score more than 17 points against them.

Northwestern only makes this interesting by making people make mistakes, and

Why Northwestern Will Win

It’s possible.

The Wildcats might not be able to do anything offensively against anyone but Purdue and Eastern Illinois, but they rocked Maryland thanks to four takeaways and came up with multiple takeaways in three other games.

They have to just hang around. They need a big special teams play, the Buckeyes – who turned it over multiple times in four of the last seven games – have to melt down, and …

Ohio State vs Northwestern: Who Will Win?

Is it possible to get winds of a gazillion miles per hour and bad weather like in the 2022 game?

It would have to be a surprise if Ohio State lost. Northwestern is not good enough to win, if that makes any sense.

Ohio State will be tired of all the drama early in the second half and score three times in a row to put this game out of reach. The Wildcats will be brave in Wrigley.