No. 3 Buckeyes visit Boilermakers looking for a clean sweep of its Hoosier State road trips
No. 3 Ohio State (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) at Purdue (2-4, 1-2), Saturday, 12 p.m. ET (Peacock)
Line: Ohio State by 19 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Series record: Ohio State leads 41-15-2.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
For the Buckeyes, it's simple. If they want to make a fourth trip to Indiana, for December's Big Ten championship game, they must keep winning. The conference's East Division looks like a three-team race while the West has no clear favorite. So Ohio State has no margin for error. Purdue is seeking a second straight home win while trying to right a season that simply has not gone as hoped for new coach Ryan Walters.
KEY MATCHUP
Buckeyes offensive line vs. Purdue's pass rush. Five games into the season, Ohio State's rebuilt offensive line remains the biggest weakness. WRs Marvin Harrison Jr. (ankle) has gotten hurt in the two previous games in Indiana and with Emeka Egbuka's injury status (lower leg) unclear, it could put more pressure on the line. It's a bad combination against a Boilermakers defense that brings pressure. Purdue ranks second in the Big Ten with 18 sacks and their average (3.0) is 19th in the FBS.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Ohio State: RB TreVeyon Henderson. When the Buckeyes were last spotted in the Hoosier State, Henderson was sprinting down the sideline for a 61-yard TD run at Notre Dame. He definitely has home-run potential but sat out last week for undisclosed reasons. Coach Ryan Day said he'll return this week. If not, Miyan Williams and Chip Trayanum again will split carries.
Purdue: QB Hudson Card. The former Texas starter transferred to Purdue to compete in contests such as this one. This week, Card has even more motivation after going 25 of 40 with two interceptions, one fumble, six sacks and two intentional grounding penalties in a loss at Iowa. Walters acknowledged Card played through an undisclosed injury and that Card wasn't happy with his performance.
FACTS & FIGURES
The then-No. 2 Buckeyes lost 49-20 in 2018, their last trip to Ross-Ade Stadium. They are just 3-5 at Purdue since 2000. ... The Boilermakers are 3-2 against top-five teams in the last five years and have beaten Ohio State four times when they were ranked in the top five. ... Day is 33-0 against unranked opponents since taking the Buckeyes in 2019. ... Buckeyes QB Kyle McCord is second among conference leaders in passing efficiency (164.0) while throwing for 1,375 yards, eight TDs and one interception. ... Purdue OLB outside linebacker Kydran Jenkins leads the Big Ten with four sacks. ... Ohio State is trying to sweep all three road games in Indiana for the second time.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
