The Ohio State Buckeyes are back at home and under the lights as they will host a struggling UCLA Bruins side.

The top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes are back at home for a two-game home stand that will be the last two times that the team plays in the Shoe in the regular season, and probably the year. Similar to the last few weeks, the Scarlet and Gray will face a struggling team expected to handle business with minimal issues.

Ohio State is still the top-ranked team in the country after improving to 9-0 overall and 6-0 in conference play with its 34-10 victory at Purdue last weekend. Remaining healthy and getting everyone involved will be two points of emphasis in the next few games before the big one to end the regular season.

The Bruins are 3-6 overall and 3-3 in conference play after dropping their last two games, a narrow 28-21 loss to Nebraska and a 50-point beatdown at Indiana. With a bye week in between those games, UCLA hasn’t won a game or nearly a month, since October 18th. They will look to play spoiler in this one, or at least keep the game close. Nico Iamaleava might have some flashbacks to the beatdown he took in Columbus last season, but I digress.

As mentioned earlier, this is a game the Scarlet and Gray should win and win handily. In their last outing, we saw a conservative approach with the personnel and play-calling at times, and we could see the same in this one, especially if Ryan Day’s group built a big lead by halftime. With not too many storylines of note, let’s look at each team’s recent battle and what to expect in this one.

Buckeyes Jump On The Boilermakers

Ohio State jumped out to a 24-3 halftime lead and never looked back as they defeated Purdue 34-10 in West Lafayette. Purdue’s only two good drives ended with a field goal and a touchdown very late in the game, while Ohio State put together a 24-point second quarter in the absence of star wide receiver Carnell Tate.

Julian Sayin put together another good week with one mistake on his interception. He completed 27/33 of his passes for 303 yards and a 35-yard strike to Jeremiah Smith. Smith continued his Heisman campaign just like Sayin, as he had twice as many receptions as anyone on the team (10), more than twice as many receiving yards (137), and had the lone score through the air. Max Klare had a nice homecoming game, putting together 59 yards on five catches. Bryson Rodgers, Brandon Inniss, and Mylan Graham all had at least 20 yards as they tried to make up for Carnell Tate’s lost production.

The ground game had flashes right from the jump, as Bo Jackson exploded for a 7-yard touchdown on Ohio State’s first offensive snap. The touchdown was called back due to a block in the back call on Jeremiah Smith, but Jackson still had a solid day with 14 carries for 75 yards. Isaiah West got the second-most carries with nine, and turned those carries into 60 yards. James Peoples added 26 yards, while CJ Donaldson punched in two touchdowns with backup quarterback Lincoln Kienholz finding the endzone on the ground as well.

Payton Pierce led the team with seven total tackles and five solo tackles, as the individual statistics didn’t jump off the page in this one. They didn’t need to, as many Buckeyes got in on the fun and held Purdue to basically one productive drive throughout the game. Purdue’s quarterback can make some throws, and the Silver Bullets held him to 10/20 passing for 76 yards and an interception by Jermaine Matthews Jr. The Boilermakers couldn’t really get started on the ground either, with a team total of 22 rushes for 92 yards. No rusher had more than 45 yards, and no receiver had more than 30 yards as the defense stifled time and time again.

UCLA Loses A Tough One At Home

After winning three games in a row, including a win over then-No. 7 Penn State, the Bruins have lost two straight games, which included a 50-point thumping against Indiana and a tighter seven-point loss against Nebraska, 28-21. The offense made plenty of plays to keep them in the game against Nebraska, but the defense struggled at times.

On offense, Tennessee transfer quarterback Nico Iamaleava had a great all-around game, going 17/25 for 191 yards and two touchdowns through the air while rushing for 86 yards with no turnovers. His favorite target was wide receiver Rico Flores Jr., who led the team in catches (6) and receiving yards (52). No other player had more than two catches, but running backs Anthony Woods and Anthony Frias II both caught passes from Iamaleava.

The ground game wasn’t great outside of Iamaleava, who led the team in carries (15) and rushing yards (86). His 5.7 yards per carry were much better than anyone else, and the second leading rusher was running back Jaivian Thomas, who had 39 yards on 12 carries. It was running back Jalen Berger who had the lone rushing touchdown, as a bunch of running backs were used in this one, similarly to how the Buckeyes’ offense has been as of late.

Linebacker JonJon Vaughns led the team with nine total tackles while defensive back Key Lawrence had eight, and both guys had six solo tackles on the day. Lawrence had one of the two tackles for loss by the Bruins’ defense, and they did not register a sack or turnover in this one. They also let new quarterback TJ Lateef from Nebraska throw more touchdowns (3) than incompletions (2). The defense couldn’t stop running back Emmett Johnson either, as he rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown. Johnson was a one-man wrecking crew, recording three receptions and 103 of the 205 receiving yards, along with two receiving touchdowns.

What to Expect Under The Lights

We know what to expect with Ryan Day’s group, but it will be very interesting to see what version of this three-win UCLA team we get. The spread opened at Ohio State -30.5 and is already up to -32.5, with the over/under opening at 48.5 and remaining there. It is expected to be another Buckeye beatdown in primetime, as it was in their last home night game against Minnesota, which ended 42-3.

I could see this game going similarly to that one, with the Buckeyes jumping out to an early lead and coasting the rest of the way as they have been doing for most of the 2025 season. Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith will look to build on their Heisman campaigns, and it will be interesting how long Coach Day and Brian Hartline leave them in if the Buckeyes pull away in the early second half. Other things to watch for on offense include Carnell Tate’s lingering issue and how many snaps he will get. The running back snap split is another noteworthy debate to look out for.

On defense, we know what to expect from Matt Patricia’s unit. They are the best in the country and have proven it week after week. The draft stocks of guys like Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles, and Caleb Downs seem to go up every week, but everyone has been contributing. Caden Curry, Kenyatta Jackson Jr., and Kayden McDonald have been powering the defensive line and getting after the quarterback. Davison Igbinosun, Jermaine Matthews Jr., and Jaylen McClain have been holding it down on the back end and have been great in coverage, especially as of late.

This should be another masterclass by the scarlet and gray with just two regular-season games remaining before the big one. Iamaleava may make some plays here and there, but the talent gap and depth in this one greatly favors the Buckeyes. Sayin and Smith will do their thing, and hopefully, we will see some big plays from the running backs and other receivers. The defense should limit the Bruins’ offense and will look to get after Iamaleava as they did less than a year ago under the lights at the Shoe. Ohio State capitalizes early and doesn’t look back in what will end up being a comfortable win.

Prediction: Ohio State 41 UCLA 6