Reporters roundtable: Is an ugly win at Northwestern cause for concern for Ohio State?

Editor's note: After each Ohio State football game, beat reporters Joey Kaufman and Bill Rabinowitz discuss the lasting storylines and other key developments.

Ohio State got a bit of a scare from Northwestern over the weekend.

In rain and wind-stricken Evanston, it had as much difficulty managing the weather as the teeth of the Wildcats’ defense.

While prevailing in an ugly 21-7 win, the Buckeyes were nearly shut out in the first half and equaled a season-low for points. Their 283 total yards of offense were also their fewest since 2017.

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On an upset Saturday that saw three other top-10 teams stumble, the Buckeyes were fortunate to remain among the unbeatens, but it wasn’t a pretty feat.

Kaufman: Not to discuss the weather ad nauseam, the strong gusts certainly altered Ohio State’s passing plans. Deep passes wobbled in an uncharacteristic fashion. Some were dropped. But the most concerning element was a running game that never seemed punishing in the trenches, especially in short-yardage situations. The Buckeyes had only a 50% power rushing rate. In other words, four of eight rush attempts with 2 yards or fewer to gain resulted in a first down or touchdown. If this was a harbinger of The Game, there is reason for concern.

Rabinowitz: I agree. I understand not being able to break big runs when Northwestern put nine players near the line of scrimmage. But Ohio State's linemen should be strong enough to get 1 or 2 yards when needed. I'm sure that'll be a point of emphasis this week. Otherwise, I'm not sure that a whole lot from Saturday's game is relevant for the rest of the season, barring a similar wind tunnel in OSU's remaining games. I'm pretty confident the Buckeyes would have had little trouble with Northwestern if they'd been able to throw like normal.

Kaufman: It is fair to question whether the Buckeyes should be better equipped to handle the elements. This is a program based in central Ohio, after all. Until USC and UCLA join the Big Ten in two years, it will be playing games in the Midwest and Northeast into late November. That means a possibility of unfavorable conditions. There shouldn’t be any shock to wind along the north shore of Chicago. But to be fair, bad weather hasn’t doomed Ohio State much in Ryan Day’s tenure. It’s too talented compared to the rest of the conference – last November’s loss to Michigan in the snow in Ann Arbor being the one exception.

Rabinowitz: Under Day, the Buckeyes are a team designed to be able to compete for a national title with its passing game. Weather is usually not a factor in College Football Playoff games. But Ohio State has to find a way to slog through Big Ten games like Saturday's, though elements like at Ryan Field are rare. The forecast this week for the Indiana game in the Horseshoe is for the temperature to be around 40 degrees with only moderate winds. Like Northwestern, the Hoosiers probably need an act of God for this one to be close. IU is back to being the IU we used to know.

Kaufman: Now here’s more good news for the Buckeyes. AccuWeather’s forecast for Nov. 26 in Columbus is cloudy, a high of 48 degrees and wind at 12 mph. Small chance of rain. Not that weather patterns don’t change over two and a half weeks, but you can bet the conditions will be monitored as much as the status of Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s hamstring.

Rabinowitz: Let's hope both the weather and Smith-Njigba are fine for the Michigan game. As I reported last week after speaking with Jaxon's father, The Game is probably the earliest the wide receiver would be available to play. Imagine what a lift that would be for OSU if he is back and effective. Ohio State hasn't really been whole all season. Smith-Njigba hasn't played a full game. Cornerback and running back have been a revolving door, and there's no clear idea when Cameron Brown or TreVeyon Henderson will return. Injuries are obviously a fact of life in a violent sport, but it's remarkable that the Buckeyes have just sped along without some key players.

Kaufman: The availability of Henderson could be as important Smith-Njigba’s health. Without him against the Wildcats, all of the carries went to Miyan Williams, who was also banged up the previous week at Penn State when he collided with a down marker. There isn’t much clarity on Henderson at the moment, but he hurt his foot in September, and that issue has seemed to linger. The Buckeyes’ offensive line will need to be better at moving the line of scrimmage when it faces Michigan, but OSU will also need available ball carriers.

Rabinowitz: Before Michigan is Indiana and then Maryland. For those who might be wondering what has happened to the Hoosiers, well, it's clear that their success in the 2020 COVID season was a fluke. Quarterback Michael Penix transferred to Washington, and IU's offense hasn't recovered. Indiana ranks 100th nationally in scoring (23.3 ppg) The Hoosiers' scoring defense ranks 114th (32.2 ppg) and its total defense ranks 104th (422 ypg). The good news for the Hoosiers – and this is what most IU fans care about – is that basketball season starts this week and the Hoosiers are picked to be at or near the top of the Big Ten.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football reporters roundtable after win at Northwestern