By the Numbers: Comparing Ohio State and Purdue

COLUMBUS — Purdue actually has the second-most plays of 10-plus yards from scrimmage among all Big Ten teams this season. The Boilermakers are even tied for seventh with 21 plays of 20 or more yards.

Redshirt junior Hudson Card has the second-most attempts of 20-plus air yards of any quarterback in the league in 2023, according to Pro Football Focus. And although he’s completed just six of those passes, he’s tied for second with nine PFF “big time throws” (BTT) from that depth.

PFF defines a BTT as “a pass with excellent ball location and timing, generally thrown further down the field and/or into a tighter window.”

So the Boilermakers (2-4, 1-2 Big Ten), who are converting 45.45% of their third downs, take their shots. Sometimes going for the explosives blow back in their face, though. Card has five interceptions, and Purdue as a whole is tied for 103rd in turnover margin per game.

If they want to be the “Spoilermakers,” they’ll have to be much cleaner — with penalties, too — against No. 3 Ohio State (5-0, 2-0) this week in a potentially rain-soaked Ross-Ade Stadium, where the Buckeyes are just 3-5 since 2000.

Ohio State, meanwhile, is trying to sort out serious issues in its run game before it hosts Penn State next week.

Lettermen Row dove into how this year’s Ohio State and Purdue squads stack up on paper entering Week 7.

Scoring Offense

Buckeyes: 35.0 points per game (T-27th nationally in FBS, T-3rd in Big Ten)
Purdue: 25.7 points per game (89th nationally in FBS, 7th in Big Ten)

Total Offense

Buckeyes: 434.4 yards per game (38th nationally in FBS, 1st in Big Ten)
Purdue: 390.3 yards per game (72nd nationally in FBS, 6th in Big Ten)

Passing Offense

Buckeyes: 302.8 yards per game (17th nationally in FBS, 1st in Big Ten)
Purdue: 248.5 yards per game (60th nationally in FBS, 5th in Big Ten)

Rushing Offense

Buckeyes: 131.6 yards per game (98th nationally in FBS, 9th in Big Ten)
Purdue: 141.8 yards per game (89th nationally in FBS, 8th in Big Ten)

Scoring Defense

Buckeyes: 10.2 points per game allowed (3rd nationally in FBS, 3rd in Big Ten)
Purdue: 28.0 points per game allowed (87th nationally in FBS, 13th in Big Ten)

Total Defense

Buckeyes: 264.8 yards per game allowed (8th nationally in FBS, 3rd in Big Ten)
Purdue: 380.3 yards per game allowed (77th nationally in FBS, 13th in Big Ten)

Passing Defense

Buckeyes: 158.4 yards per game allowed (6th nationally in FBS, 3rd in Big Ten)
Purdue: 226.5 yards per game allowed (68th nationally in FBS, 9th in Big Ten)

Rushing Defense

Buckeyes: 106.4 yards per game allowed (26th nationally in FBS, 4th in Big Ten)
Purdue: 153.8 yards per game allowed (87th nationally in FBS, 11th in Big Ten)

3rd Down Conversion

Buckeyes: 40.32% (67th nationally in FBS, 7th in Big Ten)
Purdue: 45.45% (32nd nationally in FBS, 5th in Big Ten)

Opponent 3rd Down Conversion

Buckeyes: 37.84% (63rd nationally in FBS, 8th in Big Ten)
Purdue: 43.02% (103rd nationally in FBS, 12th in Big Ten)

Red Zone TD Percentage

Buckeyes: 52.94% (T-104th nationally in FBS, 12th in Big Ten)
Purdue: 65.22% (53rd nationally in FBS, 7th in Big Ten)

Opponent Red Zone TD Percentage

Buckeyes: 60.00% (69th nationally in FBS, 11th in Big Ten)
Purdue: 59.09% (68th nationally in FBS, 10th in Big Ten)

Sacks Per Game

Buckeyes: 1.40 (T-114th nationally in FBS, 13th in Big Ten)
Purdue: 3.00 (T-21st nationally in FBS, 2nd in Big Ten)

Sacks Allowed Per Game

Buckeyes: 1.40 (T-34th nationally in FBS, T-6th in Big Ten)
Purdue: 2.33 (T-85th nationally in FBS, T-11th in Big Ten)

Turnover Margin Per Game

Buckeyes: 0.80 (T-21st nationally in FBS, 3rd in Big Ten)
Purdue: -0.50 (T-103rd nationally in FBS, 11th in Big Ten)

Time of Possession

Buckeyes: 28:03.80 (109th nationally in FBS, 11th in Big Ten)
Purdue: 30:56.83 (42nd nationally in FBS, 8th in Big Ten)

Penalties Per Game

Buckeyes: 6.2 (T-70th nationally in FBS, 10th in Big Ten)
Purdue: 6.3 (T-75th nationally in FBS, T-11th in Big Ten)

Punt Average

Buckeyes: 42.57 (63rd nationally in FBS, 7th in Big Ten)
Purdue: 39.35 (116th nationally in FBS, 13th in Big Ten)