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Big Ten Weekend Preview: Week Six

The top game in the Big Ten this weekend.

No. 4 Ohio State (5-0, 2-0) @ No. 23 Purdue (5-0, 1-0)

In what will be one of the biggest games in the coaching career of Purdue headman Joe Tiller, the 23rd-ranked Boilermakers will face one of the nation's toughest defenses as this game will be yet another indicator of who will be in the Big Ten championship race for the long haul. Purdue ranks eighth in the country in scoring offense at more than 45 points/game, but the Ohio State defense ranks near the top of the country allowing just 7.2 points/game. Purdue has not started 6-0 since 1943 and Ohio State is going for its 24th consecutive regular season win.

Quarterbacks

The season that Curtis Painter has had so far has been reminiscent of the good offenses of the late 1990s through 2000. In five games, Painter has thrown for more than 1,500 yards and 18 touchdowns while throwing just three interceptions. While it doesn't hurt to have nearly every receiver from last year back again this season, Painter has dramatically improved his completion percentage and has minimized the mistakes he has made. Todd Boeckman has been very solid as well as a first-year starter at quarterback as his arm has been effective enough, at least to this point, for Ohio State to be able to lean on the passing game when the running game isn't there. Although Boeckman has been a pleasant surprise to Buckeyes' fans, Painter has been on a different level this season and has the experience that should serve him well in this matchup.

Edge- Purdue

Running Backs

Chris Wells should have backup Brandon Saine back this weekend; the freshman has missed the past two games because of a knee injury. Wells has had his share of nicks and bruises this season as well, battling a nagging ankle injury for much of the year. Wells, Saine and Maurice Wells have been great all year for the Buckeyes, who rank second in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game at more than 209. Kory Sheets leads the Boilermakers with 515 yards and five touchdowns so far this season. Sheets might very well have a tough time finding yards\ on Saturday night, though, as he faces a Buckeye defense that allows a Big Ten-best 55 yards on the ground a game.

Edge- Ohio State

Wide Receivers

Brian Robiskie leads the Big Ten in receiving yards, but opposing wideout Dorien Bryant leads the conference with eight catches a game. It's hard to argue with the experience that the Boilermakers have at the wideout position with Bryant, Dustin Keller, Greg Orton, Selwyn Lymon and Jake Standeford. The incredible depth that Tiller has to work with at the position has to be comforting against a defense that has been stiff against the pass this season, allowing just 14 yards through the air per game this season. Ohio State, though, has yet to face an offense with as many weapons on the outside as Purdue has, and will not find it easy to sit back and play man-to-man coverage on guys like Lymon (6'4) and Orton (6'3) as well as the speedy and elusive Bryant.

Edge- Purdue

Offensive Line

Both teams have been more than efficient at protecting the quarterback with each team allowing just four sacks in five games so far. This game might very well come down to the running game, though, and with Ohio State leading the conference in rushing, it might very well play into the hands of the Buckeyes if they are able to run the football early and often on the Boilermaker defense that has been susceptible to giving up some yards on the ground so far this season.

Edge- Ohio State

Defensive Line

One of the major reasons for the success of the Ohio State defense has been the solid play up front defensively from the likes of Vernon Gholston, Todd Denlinger, Doug Worthington, Cameron Heyward and Dexter Larimore. The group has stepped up in a huge way early in the season by answering, in many cases, the only questions that critics had about the Buckeye defense. The Purdue front seven have been very ineffective for most of the season and have played a major part in Purdue only having recorded nine sacks in five games.

Edge- Ohio State

Linebackers

It would be tough to imagine that there are many teams that have gotten better play from their linebackers so far this season than Ohio State. James Laurinaitis, Markus Freeman and the rest of the linebacking corp have played very physical and with plenty of speed in the open field to shut opposing offenses down week in and week out. It will be a tough task for Stanford Keglar, Josh Ferguson and Anthony Heygood to play well enough to give that defense a lift on Saturday night.

Edge- Ohio State

Defensive Backs

Malcolm Jenkins has continued his solid play the last few weeks and has seen steady improvement on the opposite side of the defense in Donald Washington. Both corners will have to play tremendous for the Buckeyes to shutdown the Boilermaker passing game, but Ohio State just might have the athletes to do it. Terrell Vinson has played huge for the Purdue defense through five games, as he is tied for first on the team in tackles (34) and interceptions (two) and has added six pass breakups as well. Justin Scott also has two interceptions on defense, but they haven't faced a wide receiver that has played to the level of Brian Robiskie to this point. This will be a matchup to watch and just might have a big impact on who wins the ballgame.

Edge- Ohio State

Special Teams

Purdue kicker Chris Summers has made eight of his 10 field goal attempts so far this season including all seven from 39 yards and in, but punter Jared Armstrong averages just more than 39 yards per kick and has found it difficult to land one inside the opponent's 20-yard line as he has done it just four times on 19 punts. Ryan Pretorius has made seven of his nine field goal attempts and has been very solid considering his struggles this past Spring. Ray Small has emerged as a real threat on kick returns and it looks as if at any time now he will take one all the way. Dorien Bryant, though, has already experienced that so far this season and has averaged more than 32 yards per kick return and has one touchdown on a 91-yard return earlier this season.

Edge- Even

Prediction

Purdue will rack up yards through the air, but the most important part of a drive is the points that are gained as a result and not allowing points is something that Ohio State's defense has done well all year long. If Ohio State can run the football and lead long drives that keep the Purdue offense off the field, it will be tough for Purdue to stick around. If Purdue's defense can shut down the run and make Boeckman beat his with his arm, it's not such a foregone conclusion that the Buckeyes will come away with the win. Boeckman really hasn't been asked to win a game for the Buckeyes yet this season and has been bailed out a few times by great catches by Brian Robiskie and the running game has been there when they most needed it. If Purdue plays physical defensively and can put some drives together, they have a real shot here. In the end, it's too much of a risk to say that Purdue is ready for this type of fight.

Ohio State- 27 Purdue- 21

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