CHICAGO — Ohio State 31 - Northwestern 7 | 3rd quarter | :50
Jayden Fielding makes his first field goal of the day, putting Ohio State up by 24.
9 plays, 69 yards, 4:14
---
Ohio State 28 - Northwestern 7 | 2nd quarter | 12:11
Carnell Tate again! A big catch and run by Jeremiah Smith sets up an 8-yard touchdown for Tate for the second time today.
5 plays, 90 yards, 2:44
---
Ohio State 21 - Northwestern 7 | 2nd quarter | :47
Chicago native Carnell Tate lays out for a 25-yard touchdown grab and Ohio State goes up by two touchdowns.
6 plays, 77 yards, 1:57
---
Ohio State 14 - Northwestern 7 | 2nd quarter | 4:19
Two self-inflicted wounds by Northwestern. The Wildcats botch the snap on 3rd and 4 and are forced to punt. The ball goes over the punter's head and Ohio State got the ball on Northwestern's own 1 yard line. Judkins gets his second touchdown of the day.
2 plays, 1 yards, 0:56
---
Ohio State 7 - Northwestern 7 | 2nd quarter | 7:00
The Buckeyes respond. A couple crucial plays on this drive. A 3rd and 7 is converted by Emeka Eguka for 20 yards. Later on, Will Howard finds Jeremiah Smith for a 4th and 3 conversion to keep the sticks moving. Running back Quinshon Judkins punches it in from 1-yard out.
12 plays, 85 yards, 5:29
---
Ohio State 0 - Northwestern 7 | 2nd quarter | 12:34
The Wildcats strike first. Northwestern started the drive on their own 8-yard line and marched it down 92 yards for the touchdown. QB Jack Lausch ran it in for the 8-yard score.
13 plays, 92 yards, 5:30
---
Ohio State 0 - Northwestern 0 | 1st quarter | 3:12
What would have been a beautiful 37-yard touchdown pass to Jeremiah Smith is overturned after the refs say the ball hit the ground. Ohio State is forced to punt on their first drive of the game.
---
Ohio State 0 - Northwestern 0 | 1st quarter | 8:04
A promising drive by Northwestern deep into Ohio State territory ends with quarterback Jack Lausch coughing up the ball while trying to pick up a first down. Davison Igbinosun is there to pick it up. Buckeye football.
---
Ohio State is hoping to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive as they gear up to play Northwestern at Wrigley Field on Saturday.
The Buckeyes probably have to win their remaining games to earn a playoff spot and they sure can't afford a letdown against the Wildcats.
“Every week for us is like the playoffs right now," Day said. "We’re fighting for a chance to get to Indianapolis (for the Big Ten championship game). It’s always a topic of conversation, and it’s going to come down to our seniors and leaders and how they echo that message.”
Ohio State (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten, No. 2 CFP) is in a good spot, though with little margin for error. That all but disappeared last month with a 32-31 loss at Oregon, which was ranked No. 3 at the time and now sits atop the AP poll.
Though that stung, the Buckeyes' path to a national championship didn't disappear. It just got narrower. One more loss could keep the Buckeyes out of the 12-team playoff field.
They bounced back from that Oregon game with a sloppy and narrow win over Nebraska two weeks later. Ohio State followed that up by beating then-No. 3 Penn State 20-13 in Happy Valley and shellacking Purdue 45-0 last week.
They'll try to keep it going against Northwestern before the schedule takes a tougher turn. No. 5 Indiana and Michigan visit The Horseshoe before a potential trip to the Big Ten Championship game.
This is the first of two games at Wrigley Field for Northwestern (4-5, 2-4), which is coming off a bye after a 26-20 overtime win at Purdue. The Wildcats host Illinois at the famed ballpark on Nov. 30.
Northwestern's first five home games were at its temporary lakefront facility. A new Ryan Field being built on the site of the old stadium is scheduled to open in 2026.
“I do think we benefit from the fact that not only has the program been to Wrigley prior, but we were there just last year,” Northwestern coach David Braun said, referring to a loss to Iowa. “Logistically, I think there are a lot of things our guys are comfortable with in terms of what game day is gonna look like.”