Ohio State Buckeyes Football vs Purdue Boilermakers 2021

#19 Purdue Boilermakers 6-3 (4-2 in conference)
3:30pm Ohio Stadium November 13th On ABC

The Buckeyes haven't played the Boilermakers since that fateful night in 2018 when Purdue came into Ohio Stadium and knocked the Buckeyes out of playoff contention in a convincing upset. Ohio State was ranked 3rd in the country at the time and lost 49 to 20 against the unranked Purdue team.

Can Purdue upset Ohio State Football again?

Purdue pulled off a second upset of a ranked team last weekend, this time topping No. 8 Michigan State 40-29 on a great performance by quarterback Aidan O'Connell. O'Connell passed for 536 yards and 3 touchdowns on 40 for 54 pass attempts.

Ohio State will return to the Horseshoe Saturday afternoon. Purdue is coming off the 40-29 win over Michigan State. How can the Buckeyes handle another upset? Follow along for live updates from Columbus all day Saturday.

Can Ohio State offense return to being prolific?

Ohio State’s quarterbacks and running backs had combined for an astounding 1,778 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns through the first nine games. Their average of 189 yards per game had the Buckeyes on pace to smash the program’s single-season rush record. But their last two games saw the points come less frequently and with more difficulty.

I feel like we’ve been waiting to see if Ohio State can return to its almighty offensive prowess of the first part of the season. Since Ryan Day took over in 2019, the Buckeyes have never finished outside the top 25 in Football Outsiders S/P+ offensive ratings. The Buckeyes have had just one season with an adjusted scoring average below 30.0.

And while Ohio State has leaned on its offense in Day's tenure, the Buckeyes have made tweaks that have turned them into something of an offensive juggernaut. Full-field reads are more difficult for opposing defenses, but I think the real boon has been the speed Ohio State is able to generate by catching opposing defenses out of position.

Ohio State Players Continue to Play Well

As the Big Ten season continues on Saturday, Ohio State has to prepare for an offense unlike any the Buckeyes have faced this season. Let’s take a look at some of the key players on the Boilermaker offense and defense.

It’s been a quiet an beginning for the Buckeyes this season as they’ve remained relatively healthy with veterans such as Chris Olave, Sevyn Banks, Thayer Munford and Jerron Cage all making the most of their senior seasons.

Rising redshirt sophomore Ronnie Hickman is a player we are all impressed with, as the linebacker from the 2019 class who sat out last year continues to impress with a strong performance in spring practice.

Watch Purdue DE George Karlaftis and WR David Bell

Ohio State will need to account for Purdue defensive end George Karlaftis, who leads Purdue in tackles for loss with 7.5.

"They're a really good defensive line," said Karlaftis recently, who leads Purdue in tackles for loss with 7.5. "They have a lot of guys coming back so they have a lot of experience upfront. They play hard every single play. They don't take plays off."

The Purdue football wide receiver David Bell had another monster game in the Boilermakers' 40-29 upset of No. 6 Michigan State. David Bell caught eight passes for 123 yards and a touchdown, but his work after the catch was what made this such a big day for him.

"David Bell's the fastest guy on our team," Purdue quarterback Aidan O’Connell said. "Just watching him out there running about will give you an idea of how fast he is."

How The Game Will Go

Ohio State has a 21 point spread to cover which could be difficult if the last two weeks are any indication. After early blowouts against Akron, Rutgers, Maryland and Indiana, the Buckeyes have had struggles against the defenses of Penn State and Nebraska. Purdue has a tough defense, as Michigan State discovered last week. This game will probably be a lot closer than the spread indicates, but Ohio State will get the win at home.