Throughout the year, we will be asking and answering questions about various Ohio State teams, the players, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance.
There is no joy in Columbusville, because the mighty Buckeyes have struck out. For the third time this season, Ohio State has lost, which is not something anyone has been able to say about the football team for 15 years, and, honestly, fans (us here at LGHL included) are all up in their feelings about it.
So, in this
week’s fan survey, we want to know simply how, or perhaps more accurately, what you’re feeling about the football team at this point. Then, since the Buckeyes will be back on the field this weekend, we also want you to pick the margin of victory for Saturday’s game.
Take a look at the options below, then vote in the survey at the bottom of the article. On Saturday morning, before the game kicks off, we will share the results, so make sure to check back in with us in a few days. And if you want to explain your rationale or add another option, head down to the comments and break it down.
Question 1: What emotion best describes your feelings about Ohio State’s season?
Go ahead and lie down on our proverbial and metaphysical couch and tell us how you feel. So much has gone wrong for the Buckeyes this season that you’re bound to feel a certain way about it. After consulting with Dr. Freud, I put together a list of six emotions that I have felt at one time or another over the past few weeks, so I figure you might be experiencing one or more of them as well.
So, take a look and pick the one that most accurately describes how you are feeling, or, if your exact concoction of emotions isn’t represented, head to the comments to give us a more specific telling of how you feel.
Question 2: What will be the margin of victory in Ohio State vs. Northwestern?
The Buckeyes opened as 10.5-point favorites heading into Saturday’s matchup against the Northwestern Wildcats. The gold standard of college football analytics, SP+, projects OSU to win 33-19, but that is pretty close to the 31-19 score that it predicted for the Buckeyes to beat Oregon, so……..
Historically, this has been one of the most lopsided series in Big Ten history, with Ohio State holding a commanding 66-14-1 all-time advantage over Northwestern. The Buckeyes have won 11 consecutive meetings and an astonishing 35 of the last 36 matchups dating back to 1971. Northwestern’s lone victory during that stretch came in 2004, when the Wildcats stunned the Buckeyes 33-27 in overtime.
That dominance includes a pair of Big Ten Championship Game victories, with Ohio State defeating Northwestern 45-24 in 2018 and 22-10 in 2020. The Buckeyes also won the most recent meeting, cruising to a 31-7 victory at Chicago’s Wrigley Field in November 2024. Carnell Tate caught two touchdown passes, while Jeremiah Smith hauled in four receptions for 100 yards in the comfortable win.
Interestingly, Saturday will mark Northwestern’s first visit to Ohio Stadium since 2016, when the Wildcats gave the Buckeyes a serious scare before falling 24-20. Ohio State holds a 34-7 advantage in games played in Columbus and has not lost to Northwestern at home since 1971.
Now, with the Buckeyes coming off consecutive losses to USC and Oregon and their College Football Playoff hopes hanging by a thread, Saturday’s matchup offers Ohio State an opportunity to continue its historical dominance over Northwestern while taking a desperately needed step toward salvaging its season.
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NCAA. Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in OSU fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
