LIVE UPDATES: No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Purdue Boilermakers

Live stats, information and analysis from Lincoln as the fourth-ranked Buckeyes host Purdue.

Author:
Eddie Marotta
Updated:
Nov 13, 2021 7:15 PM EST

COLUMBUS, Ohio — With just three games left in the regular season and a No. 4 ranking in the latest College Football Playoff, the Buckeyes are in position to make another postseason run. But they've got three huge games left before a potential Big Ten title contest and that starts this afternoon with an upset-minded Purdue team.

Purdue certainly won't catch the Buckeyes by surprise after they knocked off a pair of top-5 teams already this year. Ohio State is a pretty heavy favorite this afternoon (the line is roughly three touchdowns) as it looks for a eighth win in a row.

***MAKE SURE TO REFRESH YOUR BROWSER THROUGHOUT THE GAME FOR THE LATEST UPDATES***

Fourth Quarter

Final stats:

Ohio State gains a first and goal and will kneel down to end the game.

Williams totes the rock again and shows off a nice juke of his own, picking up another first down. He runs for another 3 on the next play and the Buckeyes are inside the red zone.

Williams gains another 14, and OSU is down to the Purdue 33.

Miyan Williams rips off a gain of 20 yards on 2nd and 5, and Ohio State has moved the ball into plus-territory yet again.

Purdue goes for it all on fourth down, and David Bell drops the ball in the end zone. The Buckeyes regain possession of the football from their own 24 after the turnover on downs.

Lathan Ransom lays a big hit on Kind Doerue on 3rd and 8, and the pass is incomplete.

Jackson Anthrop gains 22 yards on a pass from Aidan O'Connell. Purdue is down to the OSU 26.

Bell picks up another first down on a 3rd and 2, and Purdue is in Ohio State territory.

Purdue goes for it on 4th and 1 from their own 41 yard line, and David Bell picks up 7 yards for the first down.

Olave is now just one touchdown short of tying David Boston's school record of 34 career touchdown receptions.

Chris Olave in today's game: 9 receptions, 85 yards, 1 TD.

C.J. Stroud is now 30-37 for 357 yards and 5 TDs.

Ohio State scoring drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:11, Touchdown.

TOUCHDOWN CHRIS OLAVE! C.J. Stroud found Olave for the fourth time on the drive, scoring from 5 yards out. Stroud has thrown 5 TDs in the game! 59-31, Buckeyes.

TreVeyon Henderson carries for a gain of 6, then a gain of 5 down to the Purdue 5.

C.J. Stroud continues to stay efficient, with completions to Chris Olave on the last two plays, and Ohio State is in the red zone. Ohio State is averaging 9.8 yards per play on the day.

Third Quarter

Third quarter stats:

Purdue scoring drive: 10 plays, 87 yards, 4:09, Touchdown.

Aidan O'Connell throws his fourth touchdown pass of the day, this time to Jackson Anthrop. Purdue trims the Buckeye lead to 21. 52-31, Ohio State.

Zander Horvath breaks loose for 20 yards down to the OSU 20. The Boilermakers are in the red zone.

David Bell and T.J. Sheffield catch passes on back-to-back plays, and Purdue moves the ball to the OSU 45.

Chris Olave picks up 6 yards on 3rd and 11, and Ohio State will punt for the first time today.

Emeka Egbuka with a nice return on the kickoff, bringing the ball out to the 42-yard line.

Purdue scoring drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:55, Touchdown.

Touchdown Purdue. Aidan O'Connell drops a pass in to Milton Wright on the back line of the end zone from 29 yards out. 52-24, Buckeyes.

Aidan O'Connell fires a pass to T.J. Sheffield over the middle of the field, converting on 3rd and 10 with a gain of 25.

Purdue fakes a flea flicker and picks up 10 on 2nd and 20.

Greg Long is flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after throwing Cam Brown off of the pile at the end of Purdue's first down snap from the their own 36.

Garrett Wilson today: 9 catches, 110 yards, 3 TDs, 51 rushing yards, 1 TD

Ohio State scoring drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:12, Touchdown.

Garrett Wilson AGAIN!!! Wilson scores his fourth touchdown of the day on a fourth down attempt from the OSU offense. The Buckeyes continue to stretch their lead, 52-17.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba has eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark on the season, becoming just the sixth Buckeyes to do so.

Smith-Njigba gets the call again on 3rd and 11 and reaches the ball toward the first down marker, but is marked short after a gain of 10.

Garrett Wilson is flagged for illegal motion, as C.J. Stroud calls for the snap before Wilson set his feet.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba picks up a first down on a 26-yard gain on 1st and 20.

Chris Olave scores on a deep shot over the middle of the field, but Jeremy Ruckert is called for holding on the play. No touchdown.

Garrett Wilson records his eighth reception of the night on a short third down conversion for the Buckeyes.

Ohio State will begin the second half with possession of the football from their own 25.

Second Quarter

Halftime stats:

Noah Ruggles stays perfect on the season, converting on a 30-yard field goal attempt with 18 seconds left in the first half. 45-17, Buckeyes.

C.J. Stroud looks for Garrett Wilson in the end zone again on third down, but the pass sails behind him and the ball falls incomplete.

A 5-yard gain by Chris Olave on 2nd down is overturned after Purdue called timeout with 27 seconds left in the half. 3rd and 8 upcoming for the Buckeyes from the Purdue 13.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba lays a nasty juke on the Purdue defense and Ohio State picks up another first down.

Multiple flags are thrown on a rare third down for the Buckeyes in the first half. Purdue lined up offsides, resulting in an Ohio State first down. Unsportsmanlike conduct is called on both teams and the fouls offset. First down OSU, inside the Boilermakers 30 yard line.

Williams with another strong rush, picking up 12 and crossing the midfield mark on his way to another first down for Ohio State. The Buckeyes move fast on offense and are already at the Purdue 40 yard line.

Miyan Williams breaks off a 22-yard gain on the first play of this OSU possession. Buckeye football at their own 48.

TreVeyon Henderson has returned to the Buckeye sideline.

TreVeyon Henderson left the field early prior to halftime after spending some time with the OSU medical staff on the sidelines.

Purdue's field goal attempt is good. 42-17, Buckeyes. 4:12 remaining in the half.

Aidan O'Connell is nearly intercepted by Cameron Brown on 3rd and 10. Purdue brings out the field goal unit.

Denzel Burke is flagged for pass interference covering David Bell, and the Boilermakers are inside the Buckeye 15 yard line.

Two receptions for David Bell on the first three plays of the Purdue drive, and the Boilermakers are now at midfield.

Ohio State is currently averaging 15.4 yards per carry and has only faced two third downs in the game. All six of the Buckeyes' first half drives have resulted in touchdowns.

Garrett Wilson's three touchdowns have set a new career best for the receiver.

Ohio State scoring drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:39, Touchdown.

Garrett Wilson HAVE A DAY!! The #Buckeyes wide receiver takes the carry 51 yards for an Ohio State touchdown! 42-14, OSU. Wilson now has 3 touchdowns in the first half!

Purdue scoring drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:21, Touchdown.

Touchdown Purdue. Aidan O'Connell lofts a pass to the back corner of the end zone and Broc Thompson comes down with the ball over Sevyn Banks. 35-14, Buckeyes.

Aidan O'Connell finds David Bell yet again, picking up 5 yards and moving the sticks inside the red zone and down to the Buckeyes 12.

Purdue hits on a couple of chunk plays and is quickly down near the Buckeyes 20 yard line.

Ohio State scoring drive: 2 plays, 12 yards, 0:11, Touchdown.

TOUCHDOWN BUCKEYES!! Garrett Wilson finds pay dirt for the second time today, snagging the pass from Stroud on the sideline and tapping his feet for a Buckeyes touchdown! 35-7, OSU.

FUUUUUMMMBBLLLLEEEE!!! The OSU special teams unit gets into the action, as Chris Booker lays a hit on Jackson Anthrop, forcing a fumble that is recovered by Palaie Gaoteote IV at the Purdue 12 yard line.

Ohio State scoring drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 3:38, Touchdown.

JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA GETS LOOSE! A busted coverage by Purdue leaves Smith-Njigba all alone at the goal line, and Stroud puts the ball on him for another Buckeye touchdown. OSU leads, 28-7.

The Buckeyes have moved the ball down to the Purdue 25, as C.J. Stroud finds Garrett Wilson underneath, converting on a 3rd and 8.

First Quarter

First Quarter stats:

Miyan Williams trucks through the Boilermakers' front seven en route to a first down gain on 2nd and 7.

Steele Chambers lays a big hit on T.J. Sheffield to deny the Purdue receiver of first down yardage on 3rd and 9. The Buckeyes will have possession of the ball once again following a Boilermakers punt.

Ohio State scoring drive: 1 play, 57 yards, 0:09, Touchdown.

TREVEYON STRIKES AGAIN! The freshman bursts down the field for a 57-yard touchdown on the Buckeyes first play of the drive! Buckeyes lead, 21-7.

FUUUUUMMMMBBBBBBLLLLEEEE! Jerron Cage jumps on the loose ball and the Buckeyes have regained possession at their own 43. Purdue had inserted QB Jack Plummer into the game for the play.

The Boilermakers pick up a first down on 3rd and 10, as Milton Wright gains 16 down to the OSU 38.

Purdue lines up the entire offensive line to the boundary side and attempts some trickery, but the short pass attempt falls incomplete.

Aidan O'Connell finds King Doerue for a gain of 13 up to the Purdue 46.

Ohio State scoring drive: 6 plays, 78 yards, 1:47, Touchdown.

TreVeyon Henderson's touchdown was his 16th of the season, drawing near to the freshman school record of 18.

Touchdown TreVeyon! The freshman takes it in from 3 yards out, and the Buckeyes regain the lead, 14-7!!

Blatant facemark from Cam Allen as he tries to bring down Chris Olave, and the ball is down to the Boilermakers 6 yard line.

JAXON. SMITH. NJIGBA. STRIKES. AGAIN. Smith-Njigba takes the touch pass from C.J. Stroud 49 yards down to the Purdue 21... and almost kept his feet in on the sideline to bring it home for a score.

Purdue scoring drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:49, Touchdown.

Touchdown Boilermakers. Aidan O'Connell finds Jackson Anthrop for the 25-yard score, and Purdue answers the Buckeyes' early touchdown with one of their own. Tie ball game, 7-7.

Three straight runs and Purdue is inside the Buckeye 40.

David Bell rips off a 23 yard gain on the first play of Purdue's second drive, and the Boilermakers are out to the 48 yard line.

Ohio State scoring drive: 5 plays, 39 yards, 2:10, Touchdown.

TOUCHDOWN BUCKEYES! Garrett Wilson reminds everyone he's back on the field today, scampering into the end zone after making a short reception on 3rd and 6 from the Purdue 21. Buckeyes lead, 7-0.

Garrett Wilson with the catch on Ohio State's first play, and Chris Olave on the second play pick up a quick Buckeye first down. OSU is down to the Purdue 25.

Strong winds pick up the Purdue punt, and it only travels 16 yards. OSU starts the game inside the Purdue 40 yard line.

A quick three-and-out from the Boilermakers on their first possession of the game, and the Buckeyes have possession of the football for the first time today.

Steele Chambers got his first start of the season at linebacker, beginning the game next to Cody Simon.

Kickoff in Columbus! OSU will start the game on defense after winning the coin toss and deferring to the second half. Purdue football from the 19.

Pregame

Garrett Wilson will be available for the Buckeyes today, but Master Teague III and Harry Miller are among the 15 Buckeyes who will not play today.

The officials for today's game are:

Referee: Servinski, Jeffrey
Umpire: Owens, Tim
Linesman: MacDonald, Ryan
Line Judge: Bergman, Brett
Back Judge: Brown, Mike
Field Judge: Hicks, Phil
Side Judge: Ransom, Todd
Center Judge: Nickleby, Jason

Ready to go:

Ohio State landed its top target for the 2023 recruiting cycle when Pickerington (Ohio) Central five-star safety Sonny Styles committed to the Buckeyes on Saturday afternoon.

Game Preview: Ohio State Looks To Avoid Becoming Purdue’s Third Top-Five Upset

Three years ago, Ohio State’s national championship hopes went up in flames with a blowout loss at unranked Purdue.

That alone should serve as a reminder for what can happen if the Buckeyes overlook the Boilermakers, who already have two wins over top-five opponents this season after knocking off No. 2 Iowa on Oct. 16 and No. 3 Michigan State last weekend.

“We know it just takes one game and you’re out,” head coach Ryan Day said during his weekly press conference on Tuesday afternoon. “It doesn’t matter how it looks, we have to win and keep winning, then a lot of good things are going to happen.

“This team beat Iowa, beat Michigan State last week. They have one of the top defenses in the country. They’re really, really dangerous on offense and have really good players, so our guys understand that. They’re tied for first in the West, so they’re playing for a chance to go to Indy and they certainly have our attention. (They have) very, very good players and a very good scheme.”

On the other hand, the last two times Purdue upset a top-five team, the Boilermakers followed it up with 13-point performances in losses the following week. They’ll have to be much better offensively this week in order to beat the Buckeyes.

General Info

Date: Nov. 13, 2021
Where: Ohio Stadium (Columbus, OH)
Expected Weather: 41 degrees, cloudy
Kickoff: 3:30 p.m.

Current Betting Numbers

Spread: Ohio State (-21)
O/U Total: 63.5
Betting: Check out the new SISportsbook!

How to Watch/Listen

Television: ABC
Streaming: fuboTV (get a 7-day free trial)
Announcers: Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (analyst) and Katie George (sideline reporter)

Local Radio: Ohio State Sports Network from Learfield IMG College
Flagship: WBNS 97.1 The Fan
Announcers: Paul Keels (play-by-play), Jim Lachey (analyst), Matt Andrews (sideline reporter), Skip Mosic (pregame/halftime/postgame host and producer)

Series History

Ohio State leads Purdue, 40-15-2
* OSU record at home: 27-5-2
* OSU record on the road/neutral: 13-10

LAST TIME THEY MET
2018: Purdue 49, Ohio State 20

Coaching Matchup

* Ryan Day
* At Ohio State: Third Season, Record: 31-3
* Overall: Same

* Jeff Brohm
* At Purdue: 5th Season, Record: 25-28
* Overall: 55-38

Ohio State Capsule

Through the first seven games of the season, Ohio State averaged 207.1 yards per game on the ground. But in nine-point wins over Penn State and at Nebraska over the last two weekends, the Buckeyes have dropped to just 125.5 rushing yards per game.

That lack of a running game has especially hurt Ohio State in the red zone, where the Buckeyes have scored touchdowns on two of nine trips inside the 20-yard line. Luckily, fifth-year senior kicker Noah Ruggles has converted all eight of his field goal attempts over the last two games, with his points ultimately making the difference.

“The last two defenses we’ve played were excellent defenses, and we have another this week,” Day said. “It’s just not that easy, and if you’re not executing really, really well, they can make you look bad. We have to own that and we have to understand that we have to execute better. That’s just the bottom line, and I think our guys understand that.”

As Day alluded to, Purdue’s defense ranks in the top 26 nationally with just 18.4 points and 329.8 yards allowed per game and will surely give Ohio State fits in the red zone. The Buckeyes will need to break through and not settle for field goals again this week in order to avoid the upset.

“We’re playing against some defenses, but we can do a better job of executing. We can do a better job of communicating and making sure we’re executing at a higher level,” Day said. “There’s a lot to it. I won’t get into all the schematics, but I think what you see is one guy was a little bit off here, a little bit off there.

“That’s all part of the equation. We met as a group this week, the coaches and the players, and we all took accountability for that.”

Purdue Capsule

Purdue pulled the upset in 2018 behind a breakout game from wide receiver Rondale Moore, who caught 12 passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns. And while he’s now playing on Sundays, the Boilermakers haven’t lost a step with junior David Bell stepping into that go-to role.

In fact, Bell – whose recruitment was tied directly to that of Ohio State’s Garrett Wilson – has caught 64 passes for 1,003 yard and five touchdowns this season. He was a difference-maker in the aforementioned wins over the Hawkeyes and Spartans, too, hauling in 22 passes for 457 yards and two scores across the two games.

“They do a good job of moving him around,” Day said. “He’s very smooth. He’s got a really good catch radius and is strong with the ball in his hands. We’re going to have to have a good plan and know exactly where he’s at.

“You’re not going to stop him for nothing, but you can’t let him go crazy, either. That’s one of the things we’ve been working on this week.”

As for Purdue’s offense as a whole, it has taken things to another level under the direction of quarterback Aidan O’Connell, who began his career as a walk-on and took over as the starter ahead of the win over Iowa.

He’s completed 71.6 percent of his passes this season and had the best start of his five-game career last week against Michigan State, as he threw for 537 yards and three touchdowns against the Spartans.

“He’s one of the hotter guys in the league right now,” Day said.

Major Storylines

Ohio State has won 27 consecutive Big Ten games dating back to that 2018 loss in West Lafayette, including three conference title games.

This is the first meeting in Columbus since 2012, which the Buckeyes won in overtime. Backup quarterback Kenny Guiton notably converted a two-point try to tie the game with three seconds remaining in regulation.

Ruggles is the first Ohio State kicker to make four field goals in consecutive games.

The Buckeyes' defense leads the nation with 34 quarterback sacks for a total of 230 yards in losses.

Ohio State held Nebraska to just 15 percent (2-of-13) on third downs last weekend. The Cornhuskers entered the game converting 44 percent of those situations.

Sophomore wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught a school single-game record 15 passes for 240 yards and one touchdown against Nebraska. He now leads the team with 50 catches for 888 yards on the season.