Tag: Ohio State vs. Northwestern

Five things to know about the Northwestern Wildcats ahead of the Big Ten Championship Game

Ohio State and Northwestern will face off at Noon in Indy in the Big Ten Championship game. Here are 5 things to know about the Wildcats.

Ohio State is off to Indianapolis to defend its Big Ten Championship title and will be attempting to win four-straight. It’ll be facing a familiar foe, the Northwestern Wildcats who met the Buckeyes in the 2018 game.

If you’re a Big Ten fan, you know a little about these Wildcats, but with such a wacky year, and with Pat Fitzgerald getting this crew off the mat after a very disappointing 2019 campaign, there are some things you probably don’t know.

We started a new segment here that goes along with our scouting of the opposition, where we look at five interesting things as well. It’s always good to know a little about the opponent, so here are five things to know about Northwestern in 2020 as we get ready for all the fun in the Crossroads of America.

NEXT … A familiar name at quarterback

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Scouting the Northwestern Wildcats before the Big Ten Championship game

Time to scout Northwestern ahead of the Big Ten Championship game against Ohio State. Speed and defense are the hallmarks of the Wildcats.

Northwestern is a bit of a surprise matchup for Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship game this weekend. Very few predicted this type of season for the Wildcats, and the campaign has been spearheaded by an opportunistic and very quick defense. There are a few takeaways from watching Northwestern this season.

The coaching staff has been solid. The hiring of offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian was a slight departure from the Wildcats of previous years and their gunslinging wide-open style. Instead, Northwestern has tried to be balanced and efficient, relying on the defense to shut teams down and score on the opportunities.

And, yeah, it has worked wonders while winning the Big Ten’s West division out of seemingly nowhere. But, let’s talk about the guy under center for Northwestern.

Peyton Ramsey won’t beat you alone…

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Scouting the Northwestern Wildcats before the Big Ten Championship game

Time to scout Northwestern ahead of the Big Ten Championship game against Ohio State. Speed and defense are the hallmarks of the Wildcats.

Northwestern is a bit of a surprise matchup for Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship game this weekend. Very few predicted this type of season for the Wildcats, and the campaign has been spearheaded by an opportunistic and very quick defense. There are a few takeaways from watching Northwestern this season.

The coaching staff has been solid. The hiring of offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian was a slight departure from the Wildcats of previous years and their gunslinging wide-open style. Instead, Northwestern has tried to be balanced and efficient, relying on the defense to shut teams down and score on the opportunities.

And, yeah, it has worked wonders while winning the Big Ten’s West division out of seemingly nowhere. But, let’s talk about the guy under center for Northwestern.

Peyton Ramsey won’t beat you alone…

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

Early BetMGM line significantly favors Ohio State over Northwestern in Big Ten Championship Game

Ohio State is the big, early favorite over the Northwestern Wildcats in the Big Ten Championship Game according to BetMGM.

It’s all over aside from “championship week” in the Big Ten. For Ohio State, that means a matchup in Indianapolis with the West division winner, Northwestern Wildcats.

It’s a name brand Buckeye squad against the overachieving, less-talented team north of Chicago on the shores of Lake Michigan. You have to give credit to Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald for what this team has been able to accomplish, but beating Ohio State is a whole other animal.

The Buckeyes are unlikely to get “out Northwesterned.” The Wildcats will be challenged to stay with a speedy and athletic OSU team across multiple fronts and the odds agree that it could get a bit out of hand.

We always keep tabs on what the folks at BetMGM are doing with their betting odds, and the popular sportsbook has Ohio State as an early 19.5 favorite.

Odds courtesy of BetMGM, The King of Sportsbooks. 

Frankly, we believe OSU could easily win more than that, but they have to play the game, and it wouldn’t be the first time Northwestern surprised folks. And let it be known that we have a ton of respect for the school and what it has meant to college football recently.

Either way, the two will matchup on Saturday at Noon EST. You can find the game on FOX.

We’ll see if the line moves any from here through the end of the week.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

Ryan Day issues statement on Big Ten decision to send Ohio State to B1G Championship Game

Ohio State coach Ryan Day released a statement expressing gratitude for the conference rewarding OSU with spot in the B1G Championship Game.

The Big Ten put on its big boy pants and stepped up to the plate this time, rewarding its best team, Ohio State, for going 5-0 and beating second-place Indiana head-to-head. It could have kept with the policy of requiring a minimum of six games, but instead voted to scrap that and rightfully provide the Buckeyes a shot at another Big Ten Championship and a better path to the College Football Playoff.

The move by the power brokers in the Big Ten was not lost on Ohio State head coach Ryan Day either. He released a statement through an OSU athletic department spokesman on Wednesday with his gratitude to other members in the conference.

“On behalf of Ohio State University, the players, all those associated with the football program and our fans, I am appreciative of our Big Ten Conference colleagues for reconsidering the six-game requirement to qualify for the Big Ten championship game,” said Day in the statement. “A lot of changes have happened since that recommendation was put in place. I know making this decision was not easy, and I am thankful for the opportunity our players will now have to play in Indianapolis as an undefeated East Division champion.”

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Now, all that’s left is to prepare like heck, stay safe, and hope that both teams don’t run into issues with a further spike in coronavirus cases. As long as everything is headed in the right direction, Ohio State and Northwestern will face off at Noon next Saturday for a trophy that will be remembered forever.

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