Lowes Line
Posted
11/15/24

 




 
Ohio State Preview and Prediction
 

By The Lowes Line Staff


Matchup:  THE OHIO STATE BUCKEYES (8-1, 5-1) at the Northwestern Wildcats (4-5, 2-4)
Date:  Saturday, November 16, 2024, 11:00 am CST
Place:  The Friendly Confines, 1060 W Addision St, home of your Chicago Cubs
TV:  BTN
Line:  Northwestern (+28.5), o/u 43.5
 
Outlook: There has been nothing friendly about Wrigley for your Wildcats.   0-3 with the chances of going 0-4 extremely high.  Uggh.  Maybe we should have stayed at Medicine Field.  But alas, it’s homecoming with promises of seeing old acquaintances in a sold out stadium.  What is over/under on percent scarlet in the stands?   I’ll say 55% with the rest wearing the purple of the ‘Cats.  At least someone is wearing purple.  The team will be adorned in “gothic black with yellow lettering”.   FFS, seriously.   WHY??   To match the signs posted around campus.  Come on, no one is falling for it Under Armour.   Just wear purple and white.   Plenty of options available.   Oh well, what’s a fan to do. [ed. note: we can agree to disagree with the Lowes Line on this one.]

Northwestern won last they were seen in West Lafayette 26-20 in OT.  Frankly, this Boilermaker team is not good but a win is a win.   Hymon broke through with two scores and Cam Porter added third.  Purdue tied the game in the 4th, with NU winning in OT after the D held.

Ohio State comes in 8-1 with their lone loss in Eugene 32-31 as the Ducks used speed abusing Ohio State’s CBs.    A refocused defense especially the pass rush since that game has catapulted the Bucks back to #2 in the CFP standings with wins against Nebraska and Purdue at home and in Happy Valley.    The Bucks are led by transfer QB Will Howard who is prone to “do too much” and can turn the ball over.  They have a 2 headed RB combo of Quinshon and Treyveon who are each averaging over 6 yard per carry and 11 touchdowns between them.   Their best offensive weapons are in their receiving corps.   Let’s face it.  OHIO STATE IS WRU for the NFL.    The list is crazy and will only get deeper.  Emeka Egbuka is a senior and has 8 touchdowns, Carnell Tate and Brandon Innis are sophomores and could be starting anywhere.   Then we have freshman Jeremiah Smith who made two of the best one-handed catches in the same game (YouTube).  The only one in college that I like better is this one (YouTube).
 
Anyway, this kid is special and will make all big ten as a freshman.   The Buckeyes are favored by 28.5 with the o/u at 43.5.  
 
Prediction: ummm.  The Buckeyes are going to win.  28.5 does not seem like a lot to this scribe.   42-10 sounds about right.   Take the Buckeyes and give the points and take the over.

Season To Date: Straight Up:  6-3, Against The Spread:  5-4






The
Lowes Line is an e-mailed description of NU's next football game, with an invariably fearless prediction of the outcome and how NU will fare against what the other "experts" predict.  Our good friend and Brother Marcus Lowes began the broadcast mailing in 1996.  The crack Lowes Line Staff (alumni Lone Star Cat, GallopingGrapes, P.S. O'Briant, Eric Cockerill, Joel Kanvik, Charlie Simon, and MO'Cats) have continued the Line in memory of Marcus.  For the 2024 season it has returned to HailToPurple.com, for anyone to enjoy.  Thanks to the gridiron brain trust at the Lowes Line!