Ohio State Won’t Need Another Late-Game Comeback To Beat Purdue

It was a close call last season.

The Purdue Boilermakers traveled to Columbus to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes in a game that many thought the undefeated Buckeyes would have no trouble winning. However, that was not the case. The Boilermakers were able to knock quarterback Braxton Miller out of the game and went into the fourth quarter with a 22-14 lead. They seemed to have the game won. Then, Kenny Guiton happened. The Ohio State backup quarterback came in to replace Miller, and was able to lead the Buckeye offense in a great comeback. Guiton drove the offense 75 yards with less than a minute left in the game, resulting in a touchdown pass to receiver Chris Fields. The game was tied after a two-point conversion pass to tight end Jeff Heuerman. The Buckeyes were able to control the game in overtime and ultimately won 29-22.

Purdue came the closest last season to ruining Ohio State’s undefeated record, and despite the success they have had over Ohio State in recent years, it does not look like the same will happen again this year.

Why?

The one-win Boilermakers have struggled all season, while the Buckeyes seem to be playing the best they have all season. The Buckeyes’ explosive offense is evident in every game, and we saw the improvement of their defense in their win over the Penn State Nittany Lions last week.

Miller has been unstoppable the last two weeks, as he has been impressive in both the running and passing games. His passing game has greatly improved and he makes the Ohio State offense a force to be reckoned with. The Ohio State offense leads the Big Ten in yards per game with 517.2 and is difficult to stop when Miller is on top of his game.

We can’t forget about running back Carlos Hyde. He has run for 100-plus yards in each of the Buckeyes’ last three games, and averages about 6.7 yards per carry.

The Ohio State offense will be hard for the Boilermaker defense to stop. Their defense ranks No. 8 in the Big Ten, allowing 399.6 yards per game. Purdue’s offense ranks last in the Big Ten and could be in trouble against an improved Ohio State defense. It does not look like Purdue’s recent success against Ohio State will continue on Saturday. The Buckeyes have obvious advantages over them on both sides of the ball. The Boilermakers will not be able to stop Ohio State’s offense and will have trouble scoring on their defense.

Expect another blowout by the Buckeyes this week. The game won’t be won with a last-minute comeback this time; it will be won early, as the Buckeyes will dominate Purdue in every aspect of the game like they did against Penn State.

They are just too good this season.

Jenna Aquino is a Big Ten Football writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow her on Twitter, “Like” her on Facebook, add her to your network on Google, or reach her at .