COLUMBUS, Ohio – Friday’s game will mark 13 days since the Buckeyes secured a dominant victory over Michigan State, and Ohio State will look to continue to build upon their first-half momentum against Northwestern. The intrigue of this game comes more from the context than the opponent. Northwestern has struggled in 2019, losing four of their five games.
The Wildcats have been able to hang tough with Wisconsin and Stanford, but their offense has only been able to score over 15 points one time this year. Despite the overwhelming advantage they have on paper, the Buckeyes will still look to answer a few questions when they take the field for their seventh game.
Will Ohio State's offense continue to hum along following the open week?
Entering the game against Northwestern, the only thing that could prevent the Ohio State offense from lighting up the scoreboard was the off week. The Buckeyes, who are currently the fourth-best scoring offense in the country, were red hot through their first six games, averaging 49.3 points per game.
After the open week, it is yet to be seen if the Ohio State offense can pick up where it left off. The rushing game was averaging a dominant 289 rushing yards per contest, and the passing game was adding another 246 yards a game.
The balance and productivity are expectations that this team has set, and the continuation of the offense’s success against a well-coached Northwestern defense will be another step in the maturation of the 2019 offense. Northwestern is allowing only 19.8 points a game, so the Buckeyes will definitely need to be executing at a high level in order to look as impressive as they have so far this season.
Will the defense continue to have success in stopping the run.
Ohio State’s run defense has been one of the best in the country, and the renewed discipline and sound tackling have prevented the chunk plays on the ground that were a staple last season. The Buckeyes are allowing only 82 rushing yards a game, and they have been consistently forcing opponents into uncomfortable third down distances because of this.
In order for the defense to continue having as much success as it has had, this trend needs to continue. The pass defense has benefited from the rush defense’s success, as Buckeyes have intercepted eight balls and held opposing quarterbacks to below a 55-percent completion percentage.
Rush defense is all about discipline and toughness, so it will be interesting to see if Ohio State is able to maintain its edge through the open week. Jonathan Taylor awaits the Buckeyes next week, so forming bad habits now could be costly.
Can Justin Fields continue to take care of the football?
Most people probably expected Justin Fields’s offensive success to a degree. People knew about his tremendous running ability and his arm that can make every throw on the field, but the 26 total touchdowns are arguably not the most impressive statistic from Fields this season.
The true sophomore has shown a tremendous amount of poise and maturity, and Fields has thrown only one interception on the year. The pick came in the Michigan State game, and even Ryan Day admitted that he had called the wrong play against the defense the Spartans were playing.
In order for the Buckeyes to continue winning games by a comfortable margin, Fields will need to continue to take care of the ball. He has been able to limit the momentum-shifting plays so far this season, but the season is only half over. Fields will need to continue his good habits against Northwestern.
Will the first half dominance continue?
Not only has Ohio State won its games by an average margin of victory of 40.5 points, but they have been putting opponents away early and often. At halftime, the Buckeyes have an average lead of over 28 points, putting the game out of reach for their opponents.
Outside of the Florida Atlantic and Nebraska games, the offense has not been explosive in the first quarter, however. Of the 66 first quarter points the Buckeyes have this year, 42 of the points came in the games mentioned earlier. The defense, on the other hand, has been ready from the opening kickoff, surrendering only two field goals in the opening quarter all season.
The second quarter has been friendly to the Buckeyes this year, as they are outscoring opponents 134-20 in the quarter. Removing the scoreless second quarter against Florida Atlantic, the Buckeyes are averaging almost 27 points in the quarter on the season. A continuation of this explosive trend could be more than enough to help the Buckeyes put away any of their opponents.
Can the Buckeyes play a strong four quarters?
Ohio State has played 24 quarters this season, and the Buckeyes have only been outscored in two of those quarters. Both of the instances came in the opening game against Florida Atlantic, and Ryan Day immediately challenged his team to continue their dominance for four quarters going forward.
His team has done just that since the game against Florida Atlantic. The depth has stepped up for the Buckeyes in garbage time, and the starters have continued playing with an edge even when the game is a blowout.
The Northwestern game will likely get out of hand if the Buckeyes are focused and executing at a high level. It will be interesting to see if they start to peek ahead to Wisconsin once the game is out of hand or keep the focus and edge that made them the most impressive team in the country through the first six games.
