First and 10: Ohio State at Purdue
As we start the week, 10 items of interest to track as Purdue hosts No. 3 Ohio State on Saturday at Ross-Ade Stadium:
The Boilermakers opened as a 17-point underdog, but as of Monday morning the Buckeyes were favored by 20 ½ according to vsin.com.
• First trip to Ross-Ade Stadium for the Buckeyes since 2018, a night no one will forget.
• Everyone can do the math when looking at bowl eligibility options for the Boilermakers. With Ohio State and Michigan still on the schedule, and Purdue saddled with four losses, winning out against Nebraska, Minnesota, Northwestern and Indiana appears to be the best path to reach six victories. Of course, if the Boilermakers can knock off the Buckeyes or the Wolverines, the margin for error isn’t as tight. That remains a big if.
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• What will the loss of tackle Marcus Mbow mean for the offensive line? He was carted off with his leg in an air cast. It’s a significant setback for a thin group. Not all of Iowa’s six sacks fall on the line – quarterback Hudson Card owns part of the responsibility – but they were manhandled by the Hawkeyes, who had only three sacks in the first five games. Next man up on the line.
• Card put himself – and the offense – in danger by holding the ball too long in the pocket. An 11-yard sacks took the Boilermakers out of field goal range on the first drive. There were other plays that resulted in negative yardage by not getting rid of the ball. No one should fault Card for trying to make a play, but his experience should lead to better decisions.
• Good to see Devon Mockobee hang onto the ball for a full game. That’s the first step to cure the ball security issues.
• Will running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. be good to go this week? He didn’t play in the second half after getting banged up against the Hawkeyes.
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• Is tight end Garrett Miller rounding into form after missing last season with a knee injury? He was targeted eight times and made eight catches for 71 yards against Iowa. He’s a valuable weapon for Card and the offense during the second half of the season.
• Did you realize Purdue is 5-3 against the Buckeyes in West Lafayette since 2000? Ohio State fans are more worried about playing in Ross-Ade Stadium compared to Michigan Stadium.
• The Boilermakers face another team with a low sack total this week. The Buckeyes have registered seven, ranking last among Big Ten teams. OSU also has collected a league-worst 24 tackles for loss. While the Buckeyes may not cause a lot of disruption in the backfield, they’re forcing turnovers and keeping opponents out of the end zone.
• Which Purdue defensive back draws the assignment of dealing with OSU receiver and future first-round draft pick Marvin Harrison Jr? He’s coming off an eight-catch, 163-yard performance against Maryland on Saturday. Harrison is averaging 19.5 yards per play to lead the Big Ten.
