It’s almost time. Ohio State is traveling to Indianapolis to take on Northwestern in the tenth edition of the Big Ten Championship Game. If the Buckeyes win, it’ll be their fourth-straight conference title, and fifth championship game win overall.
OSU is a prohibitive favorite, but you never know how these things will play out until the players step off the bus, warm-up, and get the whole thing going on the field. Northwestern throws out a formidable defense and is about as well a coached team as you’re going to find. We also hear they’re pretty smart in those neck of the woods.
There are some things you feel pretty good about, like Justin Fields scoring a touchdown, but others might be a little off the reservation. We’re going out on limb and providing you with five bold predictions for the Big Ten Championship Game tomorrow.
NEXT … Northwestern will rush for under 100 yards
Ohio State will hold Northwestern to under 100 yards rushing for the game
Northwestern is a team that knows its identity. The Wildcats are going to try and establish the run, control the clock, and use their defense to win the game. They are averaging 170.6 yards per contest and just 180.9 yards through the air. That’s not really the balance you want, but it’s how the sausage is made in Evanston.
But here’s the problem: Ohio State is very, very good against the run, and have gotten better throughout the course of its five-game season. The Buckeyes are only allowing 95 yards on the ground and the Wildcats won’t even reach that mark despite a high volume of carries.
NEXT … Justin Fields will throw for over 350 yards
Justin Fields is going to sling the ball for over 350 yards
If there’s a strength of this Northwestern team above all others, it’s the passing defense. Not only have the Wildcats picked off the opposition twelve times, but they’re also only giving up 192.0 yards through the air per contest, allowing just seven touchdowns.
It doesn’t matter. Justin Fields is ready for this game and he’s got a bevy of playmakers on the outside to get open against a Northwestern team that’s going to play mostly zone. The big plays won’t be as plentiful, but we’ll see a decent volume of high percentage passes where the wide receiver will shake loose and gobble up yards. It’ll all result in over 350 yards in a spotlight game to set social media ablaze.
NEXT … Trey Sermon will break out, scoring a touchdown receiving and rushing
Trey Sermon will score on the ground and through the air
One thing Ohio State hasn’t done that much is getting the running back involved in the passing game. It hasn’t been needed because of how dynamic the slot and outside receivers have been. But that might need to change for this game.
There are rumors that one of OSU’s top receivers might be out of the game, and that means it’s the next man up. It also means that a loss of one weapon on the outside, in combination with the style of defense the Wildcats play, will lead to some opportunities out of the backfield.
Sermon is the better of the two backs in getting out in space, and he’s going to make some plays in the passing game and shake free for a touchdown on the ground as well.
NEXT … Shaun wade will pick off two passes
Shaun Wade will get two thefts
Shaun Wade has taken some criticism so far in 2020, but he’s still about as gifted as a corner as you’re going to find in the country. Truth be known, some of the big plays he’s allowed have been some lucky 50/50 balls that had eyes and found their way to the opposition’s hands.
Northwestern will have to put the ball in the air in this one because Ohio State is going to thwart the running attack. Once that happens, the defensive line is going to tee-off and create some mistakes. Wade is going to be the benefactor twice.
NEXT … Zach Harrison will have two sacks
Zach Harrison is going to show out with at least two sacks
We’re not going to go too crazy here, but Zach Harrison is ready to have himself a game. It’s been coming all season, but we’ve yet to see things really click. Against Northwestern though, he’s got a bit of an advantage around the edge that he’s going to exploit.
Watch for Harrison to be in the backfield getting pressure all day long. That will result in him being around the quarterback and getting him to the ground at least twice. He’ll use it as a springboard for the postseason and beyond.
