Purdue’s five wins over Ohio State this century, including the biggest upset of all time in 2018, have one thing in common. That’s because they took place in West Lafayette, Indiana.
The struggling Boilermakers (1-7, 0-5 Big Ten) will face the Buckeyes, who are ranked No. 2 in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season released Tuesday, on Saturday in Columbus. There isn’t.
In the first-ever CFP poll in 2014, Ohio State was ranked 16th after losing at home to Virginia Tech. Two months later, the Buckeyes defeated Oregon in the national title game.
The Buckeyes (7-1, 4-1) defeated No. 6 Penn State 20-13 on Saturday, clearing their path to the Big Ten title game and a possible rematch with No. 1 Now that it’s clear, he has the same destination in mind this season. 1 Oregon defeated the visiting Buckeyes 32-31 on October 12th.
Ohio State needs to win its final four games of the regular season, taking on the Boilermakers before facing Northwestern University (Wrigley Field) and No. 8 Indiana University and rival University of Michigan (both in Columbus). I can’t afford to fail.
“We’re just focused on Purdue,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said Tuesday. “Whatever happened in the last game, that game is over. No matter what the ranking is, we have always said, what matters is the position at the end of the year.”
Purdue coach Ryan Walters knows his team is an underdog at Ohio Stadium, where the Boilermakers haven’t won since 1988. But he will look to draw inspiration from six years ago, when the unranked Boilermakers humiliated the No. 2 Buckeyes 49-20. Even though it’s a home game.
“It’s going to be a big challenge,” Walters said Monday. “I’m looking forward to playing at a historic venue like Ohio State and looking forward to playing against the best teams. That’s why you play in this conference. That’s why you compete. You come to a school like Purdue to do your best against the better teams in the country. ”
However, they have lost their last two games in 2023 and 2021, 100-38, and there is reason to believe another victory will come soon.
The Boilermakers opened the season with a 49-0 win over Indiana State FCS, followed by a 295-113 victory over FBS opponents.
Add in the fact that Ohio State has a lineup of future NFL picks, and it could be a long day.
“If you look at their team as a whole, they have a very talented group of guys,” Walters said. “You have a talented roster and the level of coaching that Ohio State has. I have a lot of respect for a lot of the guys on that staff. That’s why we have a team like Ohio State. .”
Will Howard led the Buckeyes as a quarterback this season with 1,977 yards and 19 touchdowns, Emeka Egbuka caught 46 passes for 577 yards and seven touchdowns, and Jeremiah Smith caught 39 passes. He passed for 678 yards and eight scores.
The Buckeyes will look to build on their performance at Penn State. There, the Nittany Lions denied a potential tying touchdown in the final minutes of the game despite a three-way lead.
The Buckeyes then started from a 1-yard field with 5:13 left and finished the game with 11 consecutive runs, including a knee down, for 58 yards and four first downs.
But Day is done talking about it.
“I think Purdue’s offense is playing well,” Day said. “If you think our players are just going to play this Saturday, you’re wrong. (The Boilermakers) are a much better team than their record suggests.”
“If someone in this building is distracted and thinking about last week, that can’t happen.”
–Field level media
