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Wk 11 · 2026

Northwestern Wildcats at Ohio State Buckeyes — Sat, Nov 14

Sat, Nov 14 · Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH

Weather

No forecast yet. This one is 33 days away and has no kickoff time yet. Forecasts reach about 16 days ahead, so this fills in nearer the game. A seasonal average printed here would look exactly like a forecast, which is why there is not one.
Northwestern Wildcats
Big Ten · 4-1
at
TBDET
no line posted yet
Ratings differential OSU by 15.4
#5 Ohio State Buckeyes
Big Ten · 5-1

What is at stake

A Big Ten game — it counts in the standings that decide that league's championship game. Run the race. Ohio State is ranked #5 (AP Top 25 · 2026-10-04).

What the ratings imply

The differential above is arithmetic on two published numbers: The CFB King’s 2026 final efficiency ratings, plus 2.4 points of home field. It is not a projection, a value, an edge or a lean, and nothing on this site compares it with the betting line to tell you one is better. Until 2026 games are played it is last season’s measurement of two teams that have changed.

Efficiency · 2026 ratings

Northwestern: +13.7#20
Efficiency margin
Ohio State: +26.7#3
Northwestern: 37.8
Offense (pts/100)
Ohio State: 44.4
Northwestern: 15.1
Defense (pts/100)
Ohio State: 8.6
Northwestern: 61.8
Pace (plays/g)
Ohio State: 68.7
Northwestern: 7.08
Yards / play
Ohio State: 7.33
Northwestern: 5.29
Yards / play allowed
Ohio State: 4.00
Opponent-adjusted ratings from The College King's 2026 final numbers. Bars share a scale within each row, so the two lengths are comparable; the brighter side is the better of the two, and a longer bar is the better number — including the rows where a lower figure is the good one. Pace is the exception: it is how fast a team plays, not how well, so neither side is lit and a longer bar there means only more plays.

Team stats · 2026 per game

Northwestern: 35.4
Points / game
Ohio State: 42.7
Northwestern: 16.2
Points allowed
Ohio State: 13.2
Northwestern: 437
Yards / game
Ohio State: 504
Northwestern: 381
Yards allowed
Ohio State: 247
Northwestern: 233
Pass yds allowed
Ohio State: 151
Northwestern: 147
Rush yds allowed
Ohio State: 96
Northwestern: 0.40
Turnovers / game
Ohio State: 1.00
From completed 2026 box scores; defensive yardage covers the regular season and conference championships.

Northwestern form

W 45-14vs BALLW 34-13vs PSUL 23-29at IUW 41-7vs COLOW 34-18vs SDST
2026 season

Ohio State form

W 45-16vs MDW 31-14at IOWAW 42-19vs ILLW 59-3vs KENTL 23-24at TEX
2026 season

Northwestern this season

Straight up4-1 · 80% (5 games)
Against the spread4-1 · 80% (5 games)
Over / under5-0 · 100% (5 games)

Ohio State this season

Straight up5-1 · 83% (6 games)
Against the spread4-2 · 67% (6 games)
Over / under4-2 · 67% (6 games)
Lines are captured from ESPN's board before kickoff and locked at kickoff, so an in-play price cannot overwrite the number a game is graded against.

Common opponents · 5

OpponentNorthwesternOhio State
Indiana
Big Ten
at L 23-29 previewat Wk 7 · scheduled preview
Ball State
MAC
vs W 45-14 previewvs W 56-3 preview
Oregon
Big Ten
at Wk 9 · scheduled previewvs Wk 10 · scheduled preview
Iowa
Big Ten
vs Wk 10 · scheduled previewat W 31-14 preview
Illinois
Big Ten
vs Wk 13 · scheduled previewvs W 42-19 preview
Open these two in the comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.

Series history · 2006–2026

Since 2006, Ohio State leads 10–0 · Ohio State has won the last 10
10 meetings in 2006–2026 · average margin 26.4 points toward Ohio State
Yr DateResultSiteWon
20242024-11-16Ohio State 31 — 7 Northwesternat NUOhio State
20222022-11-05Ohio State 21 — 7 Northwesternat NUOhio State
20202020-12-19Northwestern 10 — 22 Ohio StateneutralOhio State
20192019-10-18Ohio State 52 — 3 Northwesternat NUOhio State
20182018-12-01Northwestern 24 — 45 Ohio StateneutralOhio State
20162016-10-29Northwestern 20 — 24 Ohio Stateat OSUOhio State
20132013-10-05Ohio State 40 — 30 Northwesternat NUOhio State
20082008-11-08Ohio State 45 — 10 Northwesternat NUOhio State
20072007-09-22Northwestern 7 — 58 Ohio Stateat OSUOhio State
20062006-11-11Ohio State 54 — 10 Northwesternat NUOhio State

Northwestern leaders 2026 regular season

PassingAidan Chiles QB #063/89, 900 YDS, 6 TD
RushingCaleb Komolafe RB #552 CAR, 290 YDS, 2 TD
Joseph Himon II RB #620 CAR, 277 YDS, 3 TD
Gavin Sawchuk RB #2733 CAR, 170 YDS
ReceivingGriffin Wilde WR #1716 REC, 281 YDS, 2 TD
Luke Dehnicke TE #8411 REC, 208 YDS
Alex Honig TE #867 REC, 97 YDS, 1 TD
Drew Wagner WR #1912 REC, 97 YDS
Defense
TacklesRobert Fitzgerald DB #642
Kobie McKinzie LB #232
Braydon Brus LB #3330
SacksBraydon Brus LB #333
Kobie McKinzie LB #21
Jamaal Johnson DL #241
InterceptionsOre Adeyi DB #71
Robert Fitzgerald DB #61
Braydon Brus LB #331
full roster and per-player history

Ohio State leaders 2026 regular season

PassingJulian Sayin QB #10103/142, 1530 YDS, 13 TD, 1 INT
Luke Fahey QB #139/11, 203 YDS, 2 TD, 2 INT
RushingBo Jackson RB #2566 CAR, 353 YDS, 2 TD
Ja'Kobi Jackson RB #2445 CAR, 278 YDS, 6 TD
Isaiah West RB #3222 CAR, 80 YDS, 1 TD
ReceivingJeremiah Smith WR #444 REC, 823 YDS, 9 TD
Devin McCuin WR #317 REC, 245 YDS, 2 TD
Brandon Inniss WR #110 REC, 147 YDS, 1 TD
Brock Boyd WR #116 REC, 110 YDS
Defense
TacklesEarl Little Jr. S #126
Payton Pierce LB #2626
Jaylen McClain S #820
SacksKenyatta Jackson Jr. DE #23
Riley Pettijohn LB #52
Qua Russaw DE #41
InterceptionsJaylen McClain S #82
Tarvos Alford LB #171
Riley Pettijohn LB #51
full roster and per-player history
These are regular-season totals for the season named on each card — the players who led that team that year, taken from ESPN's team leaders. That list is keyed to the season, not to today's roster, so a leader who has since transferred or run out of eligibility still appears against the year he earned it; the roster pages and the depth chart on each team page are where the current squad is. A team switches to this season's numbers once it has played a game. The roster pages count bowl games too, so a player's two lines can differ by a game.