By the numbers: What is Ohio State football's average margin of victory vs. Northwestern?
Ohio State football has found a lot of success against Northwestern.
Ohio State has a 64-1-14 record since it first faced Northwestern in 1913. The Buckeyes have won all but one of their meetings with the Wildcats since 1972.
The Buckeyes will travel back to Evanston, Illinois for their first road game against the Wildcats since 2019.
J.T. Tuimoloau:'Sky's the limit.' J.T. Tuimoloau on course to be the next dominant Buckeye defensive end
Ohio State football news:Join the Ohio State football insider text group with Bill Rabinowitz and Joey Kaufman
Here's a look at what numbers define Ohio State's matchup with Northwestern.
29.7: Average margin of victory during Ohio State's 9-game win streak vs. Northwestern
Ohio State has dominated Northwestern in its last nine meetings with the Wildcats.
Whether it's at Ohio Stadium, Ryan Field or at Lucas Oil Stadium for the Big Ten Championship, the Buckeyes have beaten the Wildcats by nearly 30 points during their nine-game win streak. In that span, Ohio State has only one game decided by less than 10 points — a 24-20 win against Northwestern in Columbus in 2016 — and four games decided by at least 40 points.
Want to keep up with Ohio State? Don't miss a single Buckeyes story. Get a great deal by subscribing to the Dispatch today at www.dispatch.com/subscribenow/.
1: Win Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald has been a part of against Ohio State football
Pat Fitzgerald has not had much success facing Ohio State football at any point during his career in college football.
Starting as a linebacker for Northwestern and through multiple assistant coaching jobs from 2001-05 before taking over as the Wildcats' head coach in 2006, Fitzgerald has only beaten the Buckeyes once: a 33-27 win at home in 2004 when he was Randy Walker's linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator.
In Northwestern's six-point overtime win in 2004, the Wildcats secured the victory with a one-yard touchdown run by running back Noah Herron, recording 444 yards of offense agains the Buckeyes.
'Sky's the limit' for J.T. Tuimoloau: 'Sky's the limit.' J.T. Tuimoloau on course to be the next dominant Buckeye defensive end
3: Projected 2023 NFL draft first-round picks set to face off in Ohio State vs. Northwestern
Ohio State vs. Northwestern is set to showcase its fair share of talent Saturday afternoon.
As many as four projected first-round picks in the 2023 NFL draft could take the field Saturday at Ryan Field. The Buckeyes have two: quarterback C.J. Stroud andoffensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr..
Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is not likely to return against the Wildcats with a hamstring injury.
Northwestern offensive tackle Peter Skoronski, who is projected to be the No. 6 overall pick in CBS Sports' latest mock draft, will start at the end of the Wildcats' offensive line.
15: Passing touchdowns Northwestern's defense has allowed in first eight games
While Northwestern is near the bottom of the Big Ten in both scoring and total defense, allowing 28.8 points and 407.1 yards per game to opposing offenses, the Wildcats' numbers defending opponents' passing games have been better than expected.
Northwestern has the seventh-best pass defense in the Bug Ten, allowing 220.8 passing yards per game, while quarterbacks complete 60.9% of passes against the Wildcats' front.
However, cornerback Jeremiah Lewis, Cameron Mitchell and company have allowed 15 passing touchdowns through its first eight games, one of five teams in the conference to allow at least 15 this season, joining Indiana, Purdue, Michigan State and Maryland.
Ohio State vs. Northwestern predictions:Expert Ohio State football predictions for Northwestern game
4.6: Yards per carry opposing offenses average against Northwestern's defense
Northwestern brings in one of the worst rush defenses in the Big Ten.
Opposing backs are averaging 4.6 yards per carry against the Wildcats: the second-worst average in the conference behind Nebraska. Overall, the Wildcats have the No. 111 rush defense in the country, allowing 186.4 yards per game and 14 rushing touchdowns.
In 2022, Ohio State running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams have combined to average 6.3 yards per carry with 16 of the Buckeyes' 20 rushing touchdowns.
19: Touchdowns Northwestern has scored in first eight games of 2022 season
Northwestern's offense hasn't helped the Wildcats much in 2022.
After scoring 31 points against Nebraska in the season opener, quarterback Ryan Hillinski, running back Evan Hull and the rest of the Wildcats offense have not scored more than 24 points in a game.
The Wildcats have 19 touchdowns through eight games, one of three Big Ten offenses with less than 20 at this point in the season, joining Rutgers and Iowa.
The Wildcats average 362.6 offensive yards per game and 4.7 yards per play.
College Football Playoff rankings: Week 1
Tennessee (8-0)
Ohio State (8-0)
Georgia (8-0)
Clemson (8-0)
Michigan (8-0)
Alabama (7-1)
TCU (8-0)
Oregon (7-1)
USC (7-1)
LSU (6-2)
Ole Miss (8-1)
UCLA (7-1)
Kansas State (6-2)
Utah (6-2)
Penn State (6-2)
Illinois (7-1)
North Carolina (7-1)
Oklahoma State (6-2)
Tulane (7-1)
Syracuse (6-2)
Wake Forest (6-2)
NC State (6-2)
Oregon State (6-2)
Texas (5-3)
UCF (6-2)
Ohio State football's 2022 schedule
Sept. 3: Ohio State 21, Notre Dame 10
Sept. 10: Ohio State 45, Arkansas State 12
Sept. 17: Ohio State 77, Toledo 21
Sept. 24: Ohio State 52, Wisconsin 21
Oct. 1: Ohio State 49, Rutgers 10
Oct. 8: Ohio State 49, Michigan State 20
Oct. 22: Ohio State 54, Iowa 10
Oct. 29: Ohio State 44, Penn State 31
Get more Ohio State football news by listening to our podcasts
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: What is OSU football's average margin of victory vs. Northwestern?
