Ohio State’s game against Northwestern has been hit with some major injury news that definitely changes things
The Ohio State Buckeyes’ Week 11 game against the Northwestern Wildcats suddenly looks a lot different.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are in a must-win position at home on Saturday in Week 11. After losing back-to-back games to USC and Oregon, Ohio State will host Northwestern, a team that has improved this year and has a familiar face calling plays in offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.
The Wildcats are coming off a 24-10 loss to Iowa. Now, the first availability report of the week points to bad news for Northwestern, and it shifts the outlook of this matchup against Ohio State in a big way.
Northwestern will be without its starting quarterback against Ohio State
Northwestern has listed quarterback Aidan Chiles as out for Saturday’s game against the Buckeyes. It will be the second straight game the former Michigan State transfer misses for the Wildcats.
Quarterback Nicco Marchiol will be in place as the starter for Chiles once again. It’s a big loss for Northwestern because Chiles has been very good this season in Kelly’s offense. He has 1,898 passing yards, 13 touchdown passes, and just one interception in eight games played. Chiles has also added 274 yards on the ground and 10 rushing touchdowns.
Chiles has been the centerpiece of the Northwestern offense. The Wildcats will now be missing him on the road in Columbus, which is about as tough a spot as you can draw for a backup quarterback.
Saturday will be the second straight start for Marchiol. Last time out against Iowa, he went 24-of-32 for 181 yards and a touchdown pass. Marchiol spent four seasons at West Virginia as a backup before transferring to Northwestern. It won’t be easy for him to keep the Wildcats’ offense humming against an Ohio State defense with something to prove after two straight losses.
Ohio State has its own availability questions at wide receiver
Northwestern isn’t the only team dealing with availability concerns this week. Ohio State will continue to be without running back Ja’Kobi Jackson and quarterback Julian Sayin.
The Buckeyes listed four notable players as questionable on the report. Wide receivers Brandon Inniss, Brock Boyd, and Phillip Bell are all on the list, along with safety Terry Moore.
The big ones to watch are Inniss, Bell, and Boyd. Inniss is a starter for Ohio State, but he has missed three of the last four games with an undisclosed injury. Bell has been playing more as of late with Inniss out of the lineup.
Boyd has missed the last three games in a row. When he’s healthy, he’s depth that Ohio State plays in its wide receiver rotation. Getting any of these receivers back would give the Buckeyes’ passing game a needed boost at a time when the offense is already missing key pieces.
Ohio State can’t afford a third straight loss
Sitting at 6-3, Ohio State is in a spot where every game from here on out matters. The Buckeyes just have to have this one at home against Northwestern. Facing a backup quarterback gives Ohio State a better chance to get back on track, even with Kelly dialing up plays on the other sideline.
Still, the Wildcats have shown improvement and won’t be an easy out. Kelly knows the Ohio State program well, and he’ll be looking to find a way to scheme around the loss of Chiles.
The next availability report will be one to keep an eye on for both sides. Getting back some wide receiver depth is a key aspect of this roster the next couple of weeks overall.
