Ohio State was able to snap their two-game losing streak, beating Northwestern 28-19 on Saturday afternoon in Columbus.
The performance wasn’t exactly smooth over 60 minutes, but after suffering defeats against USC and Indiana, the Buckeyes are just happy to get back in the win column. The win by Ohio State was their 36th in the last 37 meetings with Northwestern, and the 12th in a row by the Buckeyes over the Wildcats.
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There were a number of Ohio State players who had strong performances in the win over Northwestern.
Players on the defensive side of the football who have had to deal with some criticism of their play over the last few weeks rebounded on Saturday, while it was obvious the Buckeyes put an emphasis on getting the football into the hands of their best players when the offense was on the field.
Before we turn our attention to the final road game of the regular season against Nebraska, we are going to highlight Ohio State’s best players in Saturday’s win over Northwestern.
Jeremiah Smith
Early on it was obvious the game plan for the Ohio State offense was to get the football into the hands of Jeremiah Smith.
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Across the first three drives for the Buckeye offense, Smith not only hauled in seven passes, the junior also drew his first pass interference penalty of the season as Ohio State was knocking on the door of the end zone with just under four minutes left in the second quarter.
With being targeted frequently early, Smith was able to break the Big Ten career receiving yardage record in the first half, passing John Standeford of Purdue. Smith now has 3,875 career receiving yards, which passes Corey Davis of Western Michigan for the most by a receiver through their first three seasons of their collegiate career.
Not only is Smith the only Ohio State receiver to reach 3,000 yards in their career, he will likely finish his college career with over 4,000 yards receiving.
Smith extended Ohio State’s lead to 15 points with just over six minutes left in the fourth quarter when he caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Luke Fahey. The score was the 42nd receiving touchdown for Smith, which gives him the most by an FBS receiver through their freshman, sophomore, and junior seasons.
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Along with adding to the records he has broken as a Buckeye, Smith also stayed in the Heisman Trophy conversation with his performance against Northwestern.
Bo Jackson
After rushing for 1,000 yards as a freshman, Bo Jackson continued to work his way to a second consecutive season hitting quadruple digits on the ground.
On Saturday the sophomore running back eclipsed 100 yards rushing for the third time in the last five games. Jackson finished with 114 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. The 114 yards were the second-most this season by Jackson, only bested by the 121 yards he ran for at USC.
COLUMBUS, OH – NOVEMBER 14: Ohio State Buckeyes running back Bo Jackson #25 carries the ball during the first quarter of the game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Northwestern Wildcats at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on November 14, 2026. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The strong running by Jackson helped take some of the pressure off of quarterback Luke Fahey in his third start under center. Jackson helped to continue to put the Buckeyes ahead of the sticks, averaging nearly six yards per carry.
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Because of the work Jackson was able to do on the ground, as well as partner Isaiah West when he was spelling Jackson, Ohio State was able to win the time of possession battle, holding onto the football for over 32 minutes in the game.
Jeremiah Smith might get all the notoriety on the Buckeye offense since he is one of the best wide receivers in the history of college football, but Bo Jackson does all the dirty work for the Ohio State offense. Following the injury to quarterback Julian Sayin, Jackson has seen his role expand on offense.
Not only has Jackson carried the football at least 20 times in two of the last three games, he has also become a reliable target out of the backfield for Fahey as a safety valve.
The whole Ohio State defensive line
The lack of pressure the Ohio State defensive line has been creating this season has been noticeable.
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Entering this week’s game, the Buckeye defense had recorded only 11 sacks. On Saturday the defensive line showed up in a big way, registering five sacks of Northwestern backup quarterback Nicco Marchiol.
Nov 14, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Kenyatta Jackson Jr. (2) reacts to a roughing the passer call during the fourth quarter against the Northwestern Wildcats at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Leading the way for the defensive line was captain Kenyatta Jackson Jr., who led the defense with six tackles and two sacks against the Wildcats. The senior defensive end now has five sacks on the season, which is by far the most on the team this season.
Joining in on the fun was Qua Russaw, who had his best game as a Buckeye in his first season with the program after transferring from Alabama. The senior defensive end had five tackles, a sack, and a defensed pass in Saturday’s victory. This marked Russaw’s second sack of the season, with the other coming in the win against Iowa.
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Ohio State’s interior defensive line also made a lot of noise against the Wildcats. Eddrick Houston had five tackles, while James Smith and Will Smith Jr. each had a sack in the win. By clogging the middle and making plays, the play by the defensive tackles was a huge reason why Northwestern was only able to rush for 53 yards.
Jermaine Mathews Jr.
Since there are only a few games left in his Ohio State career, it’s obvious Jermaine Mathews Jr. is playing with a lot of fire.
This week Mathews broke up three Nicco Marchiol passes. The work by Mathews and his partners in the secondary was a massive reason why Northwestern’s leading receiver Griffin Wilde was only able to pull in three receptions for 30 yards in the game.
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The game by Mathews was a great bounce-back after a couple ugly performances against USC and Oregon. Even though the Buckeye pass defense is still searching for answers when they line up against more pass-heavy offenses, the way Mathews and his teammates played on Saturday will help restore some confidence ahead of the final two games of the regular season for Ohio State.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
