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| Will Miller air it out this weekend? |
The Ohio State Buckeyes will march into West Lafayette this weekend for a Big Ten clash with the Purdue Boilermakers, who are looking to snap a two-game losing streak.
Ohio State has won three straight games, including last weekend's 34-20 victory over Indiana which gave the Buckeyes bowl eligibility. Ohio State has pulled into second place in the Big Ten Leaders Division, two games behind from Penn State with three games remaining on the slate. Following this weekend's road trip to Purdue, Ohio State will host Penn State and travel to Michigan to close out the season. Their hope is that Penn State will fall to either Nebraska this weekend, or Wisconsin in the Nittany Lion's last regular season game, which would leap Ohio State into the B1G CCG.
Since upsetting Illinois back on October 22nd, Purdue has lost two straight, including a convincing 62-17 pounding by Wisconsin last weekend in Madison. The loss only raised the stakes for the Boilermakers heading down the stretch, as Purdue must win two of its last three games to become bowl eligible, and has Ohio State, Iowa and Indiana in their way to make the postseason. Ohio State leads the all-time series with Purdue, 38-13-2.
Three different Ohio State players rushed for over 100 yards last weekend against Indiana, led by Dan Herron's 141 yards and one touchdown on just 14 carries. Carlos Hyde ran for 105 yards and a score, and quarterback Braxton Miller ran for another 105 yards and two more scores on a day when he threw for just 55 yards on 11 attempts.
Herron has made all the difference in the Buckeye's offense since returning from suspension in October. He has rushed for over 100 yards in each of the three games he has played this season, including for 160 against Wisconsin two weeks ago. Hyde averages 57 yards rushing per game, and has scored six touchdowns this season, while the run-first Miller chips in 55.8 yards rushing per outing. Ohio State ranks fourth in the Big Ten in rushing (204.3), but is next to last in total offense (319.7), as the passing game produces just 115.4 yards per game.
The Ohio State defense has progressively gotten better this season, and the unit is at the center of the team's three-game win streak. A week after holding the physical Wisconsin run game to just 89 yards, Ohio State made Indiana work for everything it got on the ground - 159 yards on 49 carries. Ohio State ranks fourth in the Big Ten in rush defense (118.2), and overall, gives up 312.1 yards and 18.1 points per game.
Up front, John Simon is continuing to have an impressive campaign. He is second in the Big Ten in sacks with six. Five of those sacks have come in the last three games, with two apiece against Illinois and Wisconsin and one last weekend against the Hoosiers. Ohio State also has 10 interceptions this season, and Bradley Roby is tied for third in the league with three picks.
Purdue's offense has had problems keeping pace the past two games, scoring just 31 points combined in losses to Michigan and Wisconsin. The Boilermakers had just 284 total yards against the Badgers, and quarterback Caleb TerBush threw two interceptions. Purdue converted just 2-of-10 on third down.
Both TerBush and Robert Marve have seen time at quarterback the past two weeks, but neither have been dazzling no matter the circumstance of the game. The passing game averages just 192.2 yards per game this season, and Purdue is eighth and ninth in scoring (25.8) and total offense (367.1), respectively. TerBush is seventh in the Big Ten in passing efficiency (130.3), and has thrown for 1,386 yards and 10 touchdowns against six interceptions this season.
Purdue is seventh in the Big Ten in rushing (174.8), with Ralph Bolden leading the team at 52.1 yards per outing. Akeem Shavers chips in 37.5 yards per game, but neither Bolden nor Shavers has been able to bust open a 100-yard performance this season since Bolden did it on opening day against Middle Tennessee.
While Purdue's offense has struggled to score the last two weeks, opponents have had no problem hanging points on the Boilermaker defense. Michigan and Wisconsin combined to score 98 points the last two weeks. The Badgers slashed the Boilermakers for 364 yards rushing and six touchdowns, while Russell Wilson quietly passed for 205 yards and two more scores in the rout.
Purdue ranks ninth in the Big Ten in both total defense (400.2) and scoring defense (26.4) and has just 12 sacks this season. Dwayne Beckford leads the team with 70 tackles, while Kawann Short is tied for fifth in the league with 12.5 tackles for loss. Corner Ricardo Allen has also been having an all-conference worthy year, as he is tied for third in the Big Ten with three interceptions (including a interception return for a touchdown) and is fourth on the roster in tackles (48).
Herron has been really impressive since returning to the Ohio State lineup, and he makes all the difference as a skilled veteran on a relatively young offense. Purdue's running game has been in tatters all season long, and unless the Boilermakers can find a steady dose of the run and control the line of scrimmage against Herron and the Buckeye offense, then Purdue will drop this game at home.
