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Ohio State fans furious with Jim Knowles, Buckeyes’ defense after first half vs. Northwestern

Cory Nightingale

By Cory Nightingale

Published:

Ohio State has a demanding fan base and that comes from decades of success, on both sides of the football.

So, when Buckeyes fans see a certain part of their team underperforming, like they did in the 1st half of Saturday’s game against Northwestern at Wrigley Field, they have no problem speaking up. And that’s exactly what they did, even as 2nd-ranked Ohio State went into halftime with a semi-comfortable 21-7 lead.

This was technically a road game for the Buckeyes, but it’s being played at historic Wrigley, so there was no excuse of Ohio State stepping into a hostile environment in Evanston. The Wildcats came into Saturday with a 4-5 overall record and a 2-4 mark in the Big Ten, so it’s not like Northwestern’s offense should’ve posed a big threat to Jim Knowles’ defense.

But then the game started and that’s exactly what happened. Northwestern piled up 8 first downs on its first 2 drives, and it was particularly good on 3rd downs, going 4 for 5 as Ohio State’s frustrated defense couldn’t get off the field and its frustrated fans took to social media to voice their displeasure.

The Wildcats had a whopping 151 total yards after those first 2 possessions, including 97 through the air, and when sophomore quarterback Jack Lausch wasn’t punishing the Buckeyes through the air, he was hurting them on the ground. Lausch’s 8-yard touchdown run early in the 2nd quarter, to close Northwestern’s 2nd possession, gave the Wildcats a stunning 7-0 lead.

The damage could’ve been worse, had Lausch not fumbled at the Buckeyes’ 18-yard line on Northwestern’s first possession of the game.

Yes, Ohio State’s defense stiffened and shut out Northwestern for the rest of the first half, but the outrage from Buckeyes fans was still there, and here’s just a sample of that anger:

Cory Nightingale