Instant Analysis from Ohio State’s Sluggish 21-7 Win Against Northwestern

Brendan Gulick and Andrew Lind provide instant analysis following the Ohio State Buckeyes’ sluggish 21-7 victory against the Northwestern Wildcats.

It wasn’t a pretty victory by any stretch of the imagination in Evanston for Ohio State today, as they struggled to establish consistent offensive production all game against Northwestern. The weather was a major storyline, as gusts of over 50 mph made it difficult for either team to throw the ball.

The Buckeyes once again found it difficult to move the ball on the ground, and outside of a 27-yard touchdown by Miyan Williams in the third quarter that gave the Buckeyes the lead, their situational execution on short-yardage third and forth downs left more to be desired. They ended the game with 202 rushing yards, but it wasn’t a dominant performance on the ground. TreVeyon Henderson was out of the game after missing practice all week with a foot injury, and his presence was missed as the Buckeyes turned to C.J. Stroud to provide a secondary spark in the running game. He proved to be effective, highlighted by a 44-yard run down the right sideline in the fourth quarter. Williams capped off that drive with a touchdown, and the Buckeyes held on to win.

Northwestern relied heavily on their running game, gaining 206 yards on the ground and out-gaining Ohio State by a slim 285-283 margin overall. Brendan Sullivan only attempted 14 passes all game, and exited late with an injury.The offense frequently shifted in the wildcat formation with Evan Hull taking direct snaps; Northwestern had success with this early, but as the game entered its later stages, the Ohio State defense adjusted. J.T. Tuimoloau flashed on a few notable plays yet again this week, nearly intercepting a pass in the first quarter and recording a tackle-for-loss.

Join Brendan Gulick and Andrew Lind as they break down all of today’s action.

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