Over the past five seasons, Northwestern (1-7, 1-4 Big Ten) hasn’t had the best luck against some of the country’s top teams, specifically offenses.

In 2018, the Cats lost 31-21 to No. 3 Notre Dame at the hands of now-Chicago Bears wide receiver Chase Claypool’s 130 receiving yards — the most by an opposing wideout in a game versus NU that season. In the following two years, the Cats took on a No. 4 and No. 3 Ohio State team led by Claypool’s new quarterback, Justin Fields, the No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. 

2021 was no different, with the team losing to No. 6 Michigan 33-7, behind this year’s Heisman Finalists Blake Corum 119 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Fast forward to the present, NU now welcomes possibly an even-tougher matchup than the three mentioned above in No. 2 Ohio State (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten). Arguably, the Buckeyes boast one of the most talented offensive groups Chicago’s Big Ten team has ever faced.

“They have got depth everywhere and explosiveness in all three phases,” coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “In my opinion, I think I voted them number one in my ballot. If I didn’t, I should’ve.”

Fitzgerald is right: coach Ryan Day’s squad is electric, especially with the pigskin in its hands.

At the top of the offensive pyramid is quarterback C.J. Stroud, a Heisman finalist and a projected top pick in this year’s NFL Draft. The California native holds the highest passer rating in the country and leads the Big Ten in total passing yards. On a national scale, Stroud is tied for the most touchdown passes and average yards per pass in the country as well.

Stroud isn’t the only premiere talent. The weapons around him are the cream of the crop as well.

“Everybody can take it the distance,” Fitzgerald said in reference to the Ohio State wide receiver room. “It’s a really impressive group, to say the least.”

Outside of the NFL prospects like Paris Johnson Jr. and Luke Wypler blocking for Stroud, the quarterback’s main targets out wide include Emeka Egbuka and Marvin Harrison Jr., who hold the second- and third-most total receiving yards in the Big Ten respectively. 

These two threats make it even more difficult to remember the Buckeyes head honcho of the group: wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. A 2021 third-team All-American and NFL prospect, Smith-Njigba entered the season as arguably the top wideout in college football after breaking multiple school and Big Ten records. Although the playmaker has suited up in just two games this season due to injury, that game-changing factor remains.

And even with this talent on the opposite side, senior defensive back A.J. Hampton Jr. is ready for the challenge and won’t back down.

“As a secondary room I think we match up very well,” Hampton Jr. said. “We got to play with that fire. We have got a lot of good young talent, and we’ve got some seasoned vets, too.”

Throughout the season, NU has played a multitude of Sky Room players due to injury. Losing both one of its most seasoned veterans in junior safety Coco Azema and his backup, junior and young talent Jaheem Joseph, the group has struggled to play at one hundred percent — especially after Hampton Jr. went down in the first game of the season.

Even with miscues, the group has now had time to mesh, as experienced players add more seasoning and the young guns gain in-game experience. Already having played the Buckeyes multiple times during his college career, Hampton Jr. highlighted the importance of taking a step back, learning from past experiences and trusting themselves as a team.

“It’s going to be a great week and a great challenge,” he said. “Obviously, this season hasn’t went the way we wanted, but I feel like the biggest thing is that we have got to stick together.”

A captain and leader of the linebacker room, junior linebacker Bryce Gallagher reemphasized Hampton Jr.’s comments about the importance of trusting in himself and his teammates. Another key factor is consistent execution, especially in high-pressure situations like facing one of the top teams in the country, he added. 

The execution aspect hasn’t been much of a problem for Gallagher, though, as his play has only gotten better every week. After three consecutive weeks with 12 or more tackles during the season — one of these performances against No. 11 Penn State — the Massachusetts native continued his elite play two contests later versus Maryland, racking up a career-high of 16 total tackles.

Putting up the numbers week in and week out, Gallagher is already playing at a high-level consistently. However, with defense showing quarters or halves of potential throughout the season, the linebacker’s mentality should be the same for the entire defense — a key to success versus a great team like Ohio State.

“Just focus on your keys and playing fast and trusting your coaches,” Gallagher said. “Our main focus of the week is just trying to force turnovers, so hopefully we can do it this week in practice, and hopefully it carries over to the game on Saturday.” 

Like Gallagher, coordinator Jim O’Neil’s defense has already put out an optimistic outing against a high-level team, forcing five turnovers against Penn State in October. But the squad hasn’t fared well overall, allowing 42 points to a Wisconsin team that fired its head coach a week prior, 31 points to a starting quarterback-less Maryland squad and 33 points to one of the worst offenses in the country in Iowa.

With a top-notch offensive powerhouse in Ohio State coming to town for family weekend, the heat only turns up more. And if the Cats want to compete, it starts on the defensive end.

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