Ohio State (6-3) football hosts Northwestern Saturday at noon. The big news is that the football Buckeyes are reeling. Right now, they are 10.5-point favorites in this game, but they have lost two games in a row and three games overall. Their goals of winning both the conference and national championship are likely gone. It will be fascinating to see how the Buckeyes will respond to the losses. Now they must start a freshman at the important quarterback position.
That is, by far, not the only big story in this game. Other big stories include Ohio State (6-3) football firing their special teams coach and the return of Chip Kelly to Ohio Stadium. He was the offensive coordinator for the Buckeyes in 2024. In the interim, he was the head coach of the Raiders. He is now the offensive coordinator at Northwestern. Chip Kelly and Ryan Day know each other; do you think his reception at Ohio Stadium?
Ohio State (6-3) Football Hosts Northwestern, also 6-3, Preview
One of the fascinating stories is Ohio State (6-3) football hosts Northwestern Saturday at Noon in Ohio Stadium. will be the reaction of Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. He was clearly frustrated in the game against Oregon. His Heisman Trophy campaign hangs in the balance. Here are 5 other stories of interest in this game.
Chip Kelly Returns
This game between Ohio State (6-3) Football and Northwestern is fascinating. One of the biggest storylines is the return of Northwestern offensive coordinator Chip Kelly to Ohio Stadium. Chip Kelly was the offensive coordinator at Ohio State in 2024. He knows and recruited many of the starters on the Buckeye offense.
There is also a strong link between Ohio State (6-3) football head coach Ryan Day and head coach Chip Kelly at the University of New Hampshie. Later, Day would be his offensive coordinator for Kelly there. Later, he became the head coach there, and ended up with the Buckeyes. He hired Kelly as his offensive coordinator.
Fired Special Teams Coach
As many people know, Ohio State (6-3) football fired its special teams coach, Rob Discher. It just broke today that Robbie Keys will replace him. Keys has worked with Ohio State’s special teams as a member of the Buckeyes’ extended coaching staff since 2022. The special teams have been bad that entire time, so it would be reasonable to think that the special teams at Ohio State will not improve much.
Northwestern Quarterback Questionable
Northwestern has a very good quarterback, but he comes into the game questionable with an upper body injury. Adian Chilles has gone 139-for-202 on passing attempts for 1,898 yards. He has thrown for 13 touchdowns and has just one interception. He is also a talented runner; he has 86 carries for 274 yards and 10 scores on the ground. This would be a big loss for the Wildcats, just like Julian Sayin is a huge loss for the Buckeyes.
If Adian Chiles cannot play, it will be West Virginia transfer Nicco Marchiol. He will be making his second straight start. In the last game, a 24-10 loss to the Hawkeyes, he went 24-for-32 on passes thrown for 181 yards and a touchdown. He is not quite the dual threat that Chiles is.
Northwestern Offensive and Defensive Weapons
It wouls be easy to think of Northwestern as a pushover for the Buckeyes. They are not, and Ohio State could easily lose this game. Caleb Komolafe is the top running back for the Wildcats. He is seventh in the conference with 643 yards on 111 carries with five touchdowns. He also has 19 catches for 169 yards. At wide receiver, Griffin Wilde is fourth in the conference with 813 yards receiving and 49 catches, and five touchdowns. On defense, Northwestern also has two standouts, both linebackers. Braydon Brus and Oklahoma transfer Kobie McKinzie lead Northwestern in tackles with 75 and 63, respectively.
Northwestern Coach David Braun
When Pat Fitzgerald was fired as Northwestern head coach, David Braun took over on an interim basis. Braun took over for good in July 2023. He earned the Big Ten Coach of the Year award and signed a contract extension in September that will keep him as the Wildcats’ head coach through 2031. He is 25-22 overall and 6-3 this year.
Conclusion: A Crucial Game
This is a crucial game for Ohio State. They have, uncharacteristically, lost two games in a row and three games overall, for the first time since 2011. Several players, most notably Jeremiah Snith, expressed outward frustration when Ohio State was drilled last Saturday at home by Oregon. How will they respond?
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