The No. 20 Ohio State Buckeyes (6-3, 4-2) will host the Northwestern Wildcats (6-3, 3-3) and former offensive coordinator Chip Kelly as they attempt to get back on track following back-to-back losses to USC and Oregon.
Here are five things to know about Northwestern.
Aidan Chiles is out
For the second straight week, Northwestern starting quarterback Aidan Chiles will be out due to an injury.
Chiles has been great for the Wildcats this year, and has been a large part of their success. The Oregon State and Michigan State transfer
has thrown for 1,898 yards, 13 touchdowns, and just one interception this season, while running for 274 more yards and 10 touchdowns.
Nicco Marchiol started for the Wildcats against Iowa, and should be line to start on Saturday.
Chip Kelly returns
Chip Kelly returns to Columbus as the Northwestern offensive coordinator after winning the 2024 national championship as the Ohio State offensive coordinator.
After Ohio State, Kelly went to the Las Vegas Raiders, but was fired the same season he was hired. He made his way to Northwestern and has been fantastic.
In 2024, Ohio State averaged 37.2 points and 429.4 total yards per game. In 2026, Northwestern averages 33.6 points and 438.1 yards per game.
Griffin Wilde is a game-changer
There are a lot of great receivers in the Big Ten, and Griffin Wilde for Northwestern is certainly one of them.
Wilde has 49 catches for 813 yards and five touchdowns this season and is averaging 16.6 yards per catch. In his career with South Dakota State and Northwestern, he has 211 catches for 3,246 yards and 31 touchdowns.
It will take a great effort from the Ohio State secondary to keep him in front all game and slow him down.
Ryan Field is no more (at least the stadium)
While this game is in Columbus, Northwestern has a new home this season, and it has made waves in the college football world.
A new stadium opened using the same name, and is a huge upgrade for the Wildcats. On Sept. 22, 2021, Northwestern announced that the Ryan family had donated $480 million to the university to replace Ryan Field with a new stadium at the existing site.
The university estimated it would bring a $1.3 billion economic impact to the Chicago area, including $659 million in economic impact to Evanston.
The 34-game losing streak
Northwestern lays claim to one of the longest losing streaks in college football history.
In the early 1980s, the football team suffered a historic 34-game losing streak from 1979 to 1982. As of right now, this is still the longest losing streak in college football history.
Virginia is second at 28, from 1958 to 1960
