Friday, October 28, 2016

Ohio State vs Northwestern Depth Chart and Preview



Northwestern-Ohio State Preview Capsule




Northwestern (4-3, 3-1 Big Ten) at No. 6 Ohio State (6-1, 3-1), 3:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Line: Ohio State by 23½
Series Record: Ohio State leads 60-14-1.
WHAT'S AT STAKE
Ohio State needs a victory to stay on course for a Big Ten championship after being upset by Penn State last week. Northwestern looked horrible to start the season, but has won four of its past five games. The Wildcats last beat Ohio State in 2004 and haven't won in Columbus since 1971.
KEY MATCHUP
Ohio State QB J.T. Barrett vs. Northwestern defense. The Ohio State passing attack is sputtering, but Barrett and coach Urban Meyer say it's nothing that can't be fixed with some tweaks. Barrett has shown he can win games with his arm and his legs. Northwestern DE Ifeadi Odenigbo leads the Big Ten in sacks (eight), and S Igwebuike is among the conference leaders in tackles on a defense that has improved with each game.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Northwestern: WR Austin Carr. The former walk-on leads the Big Ten in receptions (50), receiving yards (720), receiving yards per game (102.9) and touchdown receptions (nine).
Ohio State: HB Curtis Samuel. The hybrid back broke away for a 74-yard touchdown run in one of the few offensive highlights for the Buckeyes last week. One of the team's most dynamic offense weapons, he is among the Big Ten leaders in all-purpose yards. He had only 10 touches against Penn State.
FACTS & FIGURES
Ohio State has allowed just two rushing scores, tied for the fewest in the FBS. ... Samuel ranks second in the Big Ten with 142.6 all-purpose yards per game. ... Northwestern CB Matthew Harris, who hasn't played since Sept. 10, announced his retirement from football this week. ... Northwestern has limited opponents to 71.7 rushing yards per game. Opponents have averaged just 2.4 yards per carry in the past three games. ... Wildcats RB Justin Jackson has rushed for 453 yards and three touchdowns in the past three games. ... Ohio State LB Jerome Baker, who stepped up when starter Dante Booker was injured, leads the team with 43 tackles. Booker is healthy again and may play against Northwestern.





by Billy George

Ohio State vs Northwestern: When? Saturday, Oct. 29 at 3:30 ET. Where? Columbus, Ohio. TV broadcast? ESPN

One of the biggest shockers thus far in the 2016 college football season was Ohio State‘s 24-to-21 loss in Happy Valley Saturday night to Penn State. The Buckeyes dropped from No. 2 to No. 6 in the AP Top 25 in what was the program’s first true road loss since coach Urban Meyer took over back in 2012.
With aspirations to compete for a national championship, this loss was a mere road block, as the Buckeyes still have a good chance at go unbeaten throughout Big Ten play. In doing so, they would undoubtedly head to the college football playoff for the second time in three years.
But before even mentioning the college football playoff and the end-of-the-year possibilities, Urban Meyer has his team focused on one thing and one thing only; the Northwestern Wildcats.
The Wildcats got off to a rough 1-3 start this season, while averaging just 16.3 points per game. But as it is said, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. Since the 1-3 start, Pat Fitzgerald’s squad has ripped off three straight wins, including wins at Iowaand at Michigan State. In those wins they have averaged 38.7 points, while holding opponents to 28.3 points. However. Northwestern hasn’t won in Columbus since 1971.
With Meyer’s 56-5 record at Ohio State, it’s rare for his teams to have to recover from a loss, but he has said that his team has quickly moved forward. This is probably because he knows that his team didn’t play as bad as everyone thinks. Sure they lost, and sure the game shouldn’t have been close in the first place.
But Ohio State outgained Penn State by 137 yards (413-to-276), held the ball for nearly a full quarter more than them, and forced a turnover. Aside from offensive line issues, the only thing that really stood out was the blocked field goal that resulted in the game-winning touchdown. So what exactly should we expect to see in Ohio State’s match-up versus Northwestern this Saturday?
Well, first and foremost, look to see Curtis Samuel be more involved in Ohio State’s offensive scheme. Samuel averaged 10.3 carries per game in the first six games of the season and only carried the ball twice versus Penn State.
So far this season, whenever Ohio State has struggled on offense, Samuel provided a spark. That wasn’t the case versus Penn State, and the Buckeyes will look to fix that right away. But, as I mentioned, Northwestern has come a long way since scoring a measly seven points versus FCS opponent Illinois State and losing to Western Michigan in its first few games.

MORE FROM SCARLET AND GAME

Before eventually beating Indiana at home 24-to-14, Nothwestern’s wins at Iowa and at Michigan State were impressive. Running back Justin Jackson has proven himself a viable threat on offense, rushing for roughly 113 yards per game, and Wildcats QB Clayton Thorson has gotten better as the season has progressed.
However, the biggest question mark is whether the Wildcats can stop the Buckeyes’ offense. Their run defense has been solid, especially in the last three games. Perhaps that’s because teams have exploited them through the air, as they are last in the conference in pass defense.
So, going into this game, Ohio State has an advantage on offense, defense, special teams, and coaching. One thing we should look for is how J.T. Barrett can get things going in the air versus a secondary that has been suspect to giving up big plays, and has been exploited all year.
Barrett has struggled a bit in the passing game over the last three games, completing less than 60 percent of his passes and throwing two interceptions. However, his offensive line can take much of the blame, he was sacked six times against Penn State.






  •  Redshirt sophomore Kyle Trout and redshirt junior Evan Lisle remain as co-backups at right guard in place of Demetrius Knox, who is out with a broken foot.
  •  Joe Burger remains in place of Justin Hilliard at backup WILL linebacker, who is out for the season with a torn biceps. Ohio State still lists Jerome Baker and Dante Booker as a co-starters at that position.
  •  Booker missed Ohio State's wins against Tulsa, Oklahoma, Rutgers and Indiana with a sprained MCL. He made the trip to Penn State and dressed but did not play.
  •  Despite a 91-yard kickoff return against Indiana, Parris Campbell is not listed at the kickoff return position.
  •  Baker remains Chris Worley's backup at SAM linebacker.
  •  Sam Hubbard and Jalyn Holmes remain co-starters at defensive end opposite of Tyquan Lewis.
  •  Marshon Lattimore remains a co-starter at one cornerback spot with Denzel Ward despite being second on the team with three interceptions.
  •  Ohio State still lists nine starting positions with an "OR."
OFFENSEDEFENSE
LT 74JAMARCO JONES6-5310JR DE 6SAM HUBBARD6-5266SO
  75EVAN LISLE6-6308JR OR 11JALYN HOLMES6-5274JR
OR 63KEVIN WOIDKE6-6295SO   97NICK BOSA6-4265FR
LG 73MICHAEL JORDAN6-7310FR DT 93DRE'MONT JONES6-3280FR
  69MATTHEW BURRELL6-4305FR OR 53DAVON HAMILTON6-4297FR
C 65PAT ELFLEIN6-3300GS DT 77MICHAEL HILL6-3305JR
  79BRADY TAYLOR6-5300SO   67ROBERT LANDERS6-1285FR
RG 54BILLY PRICE6-3315JR DE 59TYQUAN LEWIS6-4266JR
  75EVAN LISLE6-6308JR   13RASHOD BERRY6-4252FR
  71KYLE TROUT6-6310SO   18JONATHON COOPER6-3248FR
RT 57ISAIAH PRINCE6-7310SO SLB 35CHRIS WORLEY6-2228JR
  76BRANDEN BOWEN6-7315FR   17JEROME BAKER6-1225SO
TE 85MARCUS BAUGH6-5255JR MLB 5RAEKWON McMILLAN6-2243JR
  88A.J. ALEXANDER6-2254FR   38CRAIG FADA6-1225SR
WR 80NOAH BROWN6-2218SO WLB 33DANTE BOOKER6-2236JR
OR 21PARRIS CAMPBELL6-1208SO OR 17JEROME BAKER6-1225SO
  11AUSTIN MACK6-2215FR   48JOE BURGER6-2230SR
QB 16J.T. BARRETT6-2225JR CB 2MARSHON LATTIMORE6-0192SO
  10JOE BURROW6-3218FR OR 12DENZEL WARD5-10185SO
RB 25MIKE WEBER5-10212FR        
OR 4CURTIS SAMUEL5-11197JR SAF 24MALIK HOOKER6-2205SO
  2DONTRE WILSON5-10195SR   34ERICK SMITH6-0203JR
H-B 4CURTIS SAMUEL5-11197JR SAF 7DAMON WEBB5-10195JR
OR 2DONTRE WILSON5-10195SR   4JORDAN FULLER6-2205FR
WR 5COREY SMITH6-1190GS CB 8GAREON CONLEY6-0195JR
OR 1JOHNNIE DIXON5-11198SO   3DAMON ARNETTE6-0195FR
  14K.J. HILL6-0200FR       
WR 83TERRY MCLAURIN6-0204SO        
OR 82JAMES CLARK5-10186JR        
  9BINJIMEN VICTOR6-4185FR        
SPECIAL TEAMS
K 92TYLER DURBIN6-3201SR H 95CAMERON JOHNSTON5-11198GS
  96SEAN NEURNBERGER6-1227JR   44AARON MAWHIRTER6-2220SR
P 95CAMERON JOHNSTON5-11198GS PR 17DONTRE WILSON5-10195SR
  91DRUE CHRISMAN6-3200FR OR 5COREY SMITH6-1190SR
KO 92TYLER DURBIN6-3201SR OR 4CURTIS SAMUEL5-11197JR
               
LS 49LIAM MCCULLOUGH6-2228FR KR 2DONTRE WILSON5-10195SR
  44AARON MAWHIRTER6-2220SR OR 82JAMES CLARK5-10186JR
        OR 1JOHNNIE DIXON5-11198SO
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