The Ohio State Buckeyes hosted the Northwestern Wildcats Saturday afternoon in The Shoe, where they successfully ended a two-game skid with a 28-19 win. This was a game Ohio State needed to keep Buckeyes fans from going into an uproar.

The Positive

Jeremiah Smith continued to do his thing, garnering 11 receptions for 117 yards and a touchdown. He remains a frontrunner in the race for the Heisman.

The Buckeyes run game was exceptional today. Bo Jackson had one of his best games of the season Saturday, going for 20 carries, 114 rushing yards and a touchdown. He also added 2 catches for 20 yards. Isaiah West added 10 carries for 45 yards and a touchdown.

Kenyatta Jackson Jr. was dominant on defense for the Buckeyes, putting up 2 TFLs and 2 sacks. Having a force like Jackson on the defensive line was a big difference between Saturday and the two-game skid for OSU. Qua Russaw brought the same effect, with 3 TFLs and a sack.

The Buckeyes limited the Wildcats to just 51 rushing yards, crushing their season average of 87.4. This was something that wasn’t there for the Buckeyes in their last two games. Today, it was a difference maker.

Ohio State converted four of their five red zone trips for touchdowns, which was also a significant upgrade from last week.

The Negative

Luke Fahey had multiple big misses, especially when throwing Jeremiah Smith’s way. He has to hit these passes the rest of the season for the Buckeyes to win out.

Ohio State did not have a single other wide receiver or tight end with more than one reception, outside of Smith. Devin McCuin, Mason Williams, Nate Roberts and Kyle Parker all had a catch apiece.

Despite a few small miscues and what was listed above, the Buckeyes played a pretty clean game Saturday.

What’s Next?

The Buckeyes playoff chances are a long-shot at this point. All they can do is win their last two games and see what happens. Next Saturday, they are set to travel to Lincoln to take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Jeremiah Smith is still solidified in the Heisman race, meaning he needs big numbers in these last two games to put him over the edge.

To wrap this up, even though the Buckeyes season may not pan out as expected, there are still plenty of important accolades left on the table, and decisions to be made about next year’s staff and roster.