Official OSU vs. Northwestern Prediction thread

[furls]

Go!

[Guest]

45-17 good guys
Troy has to go off for the Heisman race
4 TDs passing and 1 rushing
Close to 300 passing and 40 rushing
Pittman 124 yards
Jenkins 1 pick
Wells 0 fumbles
Zwick gets in late in the 4th

[yargs7]

I was waayyyyyyyyyyyyy off last week. The string of woodshed games lulled me to sleep. Last week woke me up.

34-3 Bucks

Much of the same ultra conservative play calling, but 100% improvement in execution. Pittman goes for 140 and a TD. Troy throws for 230, throws 2 TD's, and runs for another. Subs come in late 3rd and tack on a couple of FG's.

I foresee about 6 sacks by he BUcks D.

[swerb]

Part of me wants to say that the Buckeyes will rebound from last weeks clunker with extreme prejudice, and absolutely blow an overmatched Norhwestern team out of the water ... and go into the Michigan game with a full head of steam.

However, that's not what history suggests will happen. Ohio State and Michigan are a combined 5-19 ATS the last twelve years before The Game. It gets even worse when they are on the road, as the teams are 2-10 ATS on the road in the game before The Game.

Northwestern is playing their best football of the season, finally giving RB Tyrell Sutton the pill more often and focusing their offense around him. Sutton is an Ohio kid as well. I expect him to play well and hurt the Buckeyes defense today in many of the same ways Garrett Wolfe did early in the season. Sutton may be the best back the Buckeyes have faced since then. They avoided PJ Hill this year, and Mr. Hart doesn't come to town till next week.

The offense was lackluster last week, I expect the defense to struggle a bit today. I see the Wildcarts getting to 20 points somehow, and expect Sutton to have a good game. I expect the Buckeye offense to be much more efficient, but equally as conservative as last week.

Ohio State 34 Northwestern 20

[consigliere]

I'll go with Ohio State 31 Northwestern 14

Also, I think Michigan is ripe for an upset today.....Indiana may knock them off!

[swerb]

I don't bet against Ohio State. And I'll be pulling for Michigan hard today. Were this not the case, I'd be betting Northwestern and Indiana today.

These are two teams today that have one thing and one thing only on their mind - still being unbeaten at 7:00 PM ET.

At the risk of slipping into Tressel Speak, it's never an easy proposition going into another Big Ten stadium and winning.

I'm a little nervous about today.

[furls]

45-7

Northwestern takes a Minnesota style ass pounding. They cannot stop the run (not even a little bit) and Chris Wells needs work.

[furls]

my point differential is 9 from OSU and 3 from NU: 12
Spoon is 9 from OSU and 7 from NU: 16
Consigliere: 23 from OSU and 4 from NU: 27
Swerb: 20 from OSU and 10 From NU: 30
Yargs: 20 from OSU and 7 from NU: 27

I win.... again.