Ohio State Completes Wild, Uneven First Half vs Northwestern

The Ohio State Buckeyes are leading the Northwestern Wildcats at halftime, but it hasn't been entirely pretty for Ohio State.

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) warms up prior to the NCAA football game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ohio State Buckeyes entered Saturday's action against the Northwestern Wildcats surely expecting an easy win, and while it may certainly turn out that way, it wasn't easy early on.

Yes, Ohio State went into halftime with a 21-7 lead over Northwestern, which included some wild plays toward the end of the second quarter.

However, the Buckeyes also went scoreless in the first quarter and fell behind 7-0 early in the second period for a little wave of deja vu.

Ohio State has gotten off to slow starts against inferior opponents far too many times this season, and it has to be somewhat concerning for the Buckeyes as we inch closer to the College Football Playoff.

That being said, Ohio State flashed its immense talent at various points of the first 30 minutes.

Jeremiah Smith had what appeared to be an amazing one-handed touchdown catch just barely overturned, Carnell Tate made a couple of fantastic grabs (including a touchdown near the end of the half), and the Buckeyes' special teams took advantage of a massive miscue on a failed punt by Northwestern to set up their second touchdown of the afternoon.

Quinshon Judkins also punched in a pair of scores for Ohio State, and quarterback Will Howard made some terrific throws to keep Northwestern's defense on its heels.

The thing is, the Buckeyes should win this game rather handily, so they don't really deserve any flowers for taking care of business.

Perhaps the more pressing issue is whether or not Ohio State's frequent slow starts are going to end up dooming the team against stiffer competition. Like next week against Indiana.