This season, Ohio State hits the road for the third time as they square off with the Purdue Boilermakers. Kickoff from West Lafayette, Indiana, is set for 12 pm ET, streaming only on Peacock.

Although the Boilermakers are 2-4, they are coming off a hard-fought game against Iowa. They also have a history of defeating Ohio State coaches at least once in West Lafayette. The most recent and memorable loss was in 2018 under Urban Meyer, as they hung 49 on the Buckeyes. They also beat a Luke Fickell-led team in 2011 and a Jim Tressel group in 2009. This will be Ryan Day’s first crack at the Boilermakers on the road, leading to a narrative he could also lose. However, I think this is highly unlikely.

A LOOK AT THE BOILERMAKERS:

Purdue ranks 73rd in total offense and 79th in total defense, which points to their below-average performances on both sides of the ball.

On offense, they are led by a transfer QB, Hudson Card, who came over from Texas after three seasons. He has thrown for just under 1,500 yards passing and six touchdowns, but also has five interceptions. He has modest numbers, throwing to average wide receiver talent in Deion Burks, Abdur-Rahmaan Yahseen, and TJ Sheffield, his top 3 targets.

At running back, much like the Buckeyes, it’s a split backfield. Devin Mockobee is more of the bell cow with 87 carries that have led to 372 yards and four touchdowns. His counterpart, Tyrone Tracy Jr., has only 50 carries but has converted that to 296 yards and five touchdowns.

This is one of the lesser talented groups Ohio State has faced offensively. It should be a perfect opportunity to see more pressure from the defensive group overall and a number of 14 or less on the home team scoreboard.

On defense, the Boilermakers are statistically the 2nd worst in the Big Ten. Only Illinois sits lower. There isn’t much to be said in the way of positives about the group. Besides looking to free safety, Dillon Thieneman to make plenty of tackles and add to his interception total. The 3rd leading tackler, who isn’t a linebacker, in the Big Ten has the looks of a star in the making.

BUCKEYE EXPECTATIONS:

Simply put, Purdue isn’t a good team, and Ohio State needs to exploit that ahead of its much-anticipated matchup with Penn State. I believe there are three big things coaches and fans alike need to see on Saturday.

1. McCord to Start Fast

It has been a noticeable trend that Kyle McCord eases into games through the first five weeks. His first quarters and halves have been particularly shaky, especially last week against Maryland. With a stingy defense in the Nittany Lions lurking a week from now and shorter games with the clock changes, every possession matters. McCord has shown that he is a dawg and can dial in and make throws. He needs to make sure he’s in that mindset from the first snap if we can see that consistency from the rip, the offense will get going quicker and more efficiently.

2. Run Game

This is a multi-faceted talking point that has many parties concerned. First off, Ohio State needs TreVeyon Henderson on the field. After Day made it clear they plan to red-shirt Hayden, Henderson is by far the highest-ceiling back. Before missing this past week with an undisclosed injury, he has been shifty and as quick as ever. If he is out, the Buckeyes need to scheme better for Miyan and Chip, understanding that they are gap scheme runners more than zone runners.

However, I think the biggest concern hasn’t been the jumbling of backs but this offensive line. It appears to be a combination of both failure to execute, leading to beating themselves, and potentially lack of talent. Yes, this is a very new combo on the line with talent lost to the draft. However, I think there has been a trend in recent years of a study decline in the run game push by the line, which has been masked by the effectiveness of their pass blocking and the passing success. Week in and week out, as pointed out very eloquently by Joel Klatt this past Saturday, they fail to get to the 2nd level. Whether that’s getting stuck on double teams, failing to get an initial push, and then jumping to the next group. This leads to long 2nd and 3rd downs and the backs having to do all the work for minimal yards.

There has to be some significant improvement and consistency seen this week against Purdue from the run game and offensive line. If not, I think there should be some major concern ahead of Penn State. Concern that is valid and has already begun to take hold amongst many.

3. Defensive Intensity

Knowles group has improved so much since last season. They have yet to allow a play over 40 yards, their bane against Georgia and Michigan. It appears he has the Silver Bullets back in action.

However, I think this solid play needs to carry over against a bad team ahead of an elite team. I also think we need to see the flying around from every member. This defensive line needs to be more tenacious and get home more frequently. This is a perfect opportunity to remain consistent, step it up, and show even more to boost confidence.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

At the end of the day, I believe that Ryan Day and the Buckeyes will avoid an upset in West Lafayette. Hopefully, they do that convincingly while also quelling some major concerns about the run game and consistency from start to finish.

Prediction: Ohio State 45, Purdue 13