The first College Football Playoff rankings are now out, and no matter how much Ryan Day says he cares about them, we now know that the CFP committee views the Buckeyes the same way the AP voters do — as the best team in the country.
Ohio State is trying to remain there this weekend against Purdue and avoid any trap games, which West Lafayette, Ind., has home to for past OSU teams.
Here’s how the BSB staff sees this game going:
Sam Cipriani: Bucks Steamroll Boilermakers in West Lafayette
Despite a 2-7 record this season and 15 straight losses to Big Ten opponents extending back to 2023, Purdue has performed better than expected in 2025. A Boilermaker squad that returned two of 22 starters from a horrific 1-11 season has made slight improvements under new head coach Barry Odom, despite bringing in over 50 transfers this offseason.
Purdue has played conference opponents close recently — falling to Rutgers by three on a game-winning field goal on Oct. 25 before losing to Michigan by five in the Big House on Nov. 1 — the Boilermakers can never seem to get over the hump. And to make matters worse, Ohio State is no cupcake.
The Buckeyes have been able to coast through its first five Big Ten matchups, defeating conference opponents by an average of 26.6 points without seeming to break a sweat on either side of the ball. Look out for Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin to continue his Heisman campaign against a Purdue secondary that’s allowing 234.4 passing yards per game and 14.4 yards per completion, the nation’s fourth-worst mark.
Quarterback Ryan Browne and the Boilermakers offense will also likely struggle to put up points against an Ohio State defense that ranks No. 1 in the country allowing just 6.9 points per game. With that being said, it’s likely to get ugly quick in West Lafayette as Purdue is well on its way to a 16th straight loss to a conference opponent.
Ohio State 49 Purdue 6
Bobby Gorbett: Ohio State Crushes Big Ten Basement Dweller
Any time Ohio State travels to West Lafayette to take on Purdue, many Buckeye fans understandably feel slightly unnerved. Purdue scored wins over Ohio State in 2009, 2011 and most recently in 2018, but Ross-Ade Stadium is nothing like the snake pit it used to be when former Boilermaker coach Jeff Brohm was at the helm.
Instead, Purdue hasn’t had a single Big Ten win since 2023. The Boilermakers’ offense, led by sophomore quarterback Ryan Browne, may be a bit better offensively than some give them credit for. Still, Ohio State should have no problems with the upstart Boilermakers.
On offense, Ohio State will likely be its usual-efficient self against a defense that has struggled against good competition.
I expect redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Sayin to continue to build his Heisman trophy resume, while the Buckeyes’ running game has one of its better performances of the season.
Purdue has moved the ball at times against quality defenses, but the Boilermakers haven’t faced a defense like Ohio State’s. I expect Purdue to go for a couple of scoring drives, but won’t sustain nearly enough success to make the game interesting.
Ohio State 41, Purdue 10
Greg Wilson: Buckeyes Cruise To Easy Win
There’s really only one question when it comes to this game for me. Do Ryan Day and Brian Hartline care more about building the Heisman campaigns of Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith, or will they look to work some things out in the run game when the score allows them to work on some things?
Day has said multiple times that the run game has been good but not great this season. And while the Buckeyes ran for 5.1 yards per carry against Penn State, that averaged was helped a lot by one single explosive run by Bo Jackson in the fourth quarter when the game was already decided.
To be clear, I wouldn’t blame the Buckeyes for trying to pad stats to try to win a Heisman. I don’t think the run game is something that will hold them back from winning a national title in January, and how much will putting up 200 yards on Purdue really help by the time the playoffs come around?
Also, Purdue is one of the worst teams in the country when it comes to allowing passing yards, and there will likely be many opportunities for Smith or Carnell Tate to go for long scores. The Boilermakers are solid in the red zone however, so keep an eye on that if the Buckeyes do actually go down in the red zone at all.
Ohio State 41, Purdue 6
