Ohio State Football: 5 Predictions for the Purdue Game

The Ohio State Buckeyes return to action this Saturday to take on the Purdue Boilermakers in a conference showdown.

Ohio State (6-3, 3-2 Big Ten) is coming off a surprisingly close win over Indiana, where the Hoosiers traded punches up until the final minutes of the game. When it was all said and done, the scoreboard read 34-20 in the Buckeyes' favor.

The Bucks have now won three straight and are eyeing an appearance in the conference's first-ever championship game.

As for Purdue (4-5, 2-3), it has lost its last three of four, including an embarrassing 62-17 blowout loss to Wisconsin last weekend. Still, if Ohio State wants to avoid a deja vu from its last trip to West Lafayette (2009), it'll need to make some quick adjustments.

Here are a few predictions for the game:

The Buckeyes Will Be Prepared

In last week's scare versus the Hoosiers, Ohio State got off to a very slow start on both sides of the ball.

The Buckeyes found themselves down 10-0 not even eight minutes into the game, allowing true freshman quarterback Tre Roberson to have his way early. Indiana totaled 92 yards in the first quarter, averaging nearly five yards per play.

It's safe to say that Ohio State was still a little hungover after its stellar comeback win over Wisconsin the week before, and it showed in its performance against the Hoosiers.

Now back to reality—and realizing no team is an easy task—I expect Luke Fickell to have his troops ready to go and set the tone early against Purdue.

Dan Herron Will Have a Huge Game...Again

Since returning from his six-game suspension, senior running back Dan "Boom" Herron has made a huge impact for the Buckeyes offense.

In three games, he has 415 yards (138.3 per contest) off 70 carries (5.9 ypc) and two touchdowns.

The Boilermakers tend to struggle against teams with a good ground attack, and Ohio State possesses one of the best; it ranks 24th in the nation, averaging 204.3 yards per game.

Against teams with a losing record (four games), Purdue has allowed 427 yards (106.8 ypg) off 155 attempts (2.8 ypc) and just three touchdowns.

However, squads with winning records (five games) have put up 1,293 yards (258.6 ypg) off 228 attempts (5.7 ypc) and 16 touchdowns, including back-to-back games of at least 330 yards.

Herron should have no problem finding space and I predict he will rush for 130-plus yards off around 20 carries, while finding the end zone twice. Healthy Jordan Hall and hard-working Carlos Hyde should see a good amount of playing time, as well.

Braxton Miller Will Have More Passing Yards Than Rushing

Who needs a passing game when your offense has three different 100-plus-yard rushers, one being your freshman quarterback? That's what the Buckeyes had going for them against Indiana.

Braxton Miller may only have one game of over 100 yards passing (Week 1), but his elusive ability in and out of the pocket gives coach Fickell the leisure of not stressing about an air raid.

Since becoming the starter in Week 4, the phenom is averaging 65.8 yards passing per game and 64.2 on the ground. There have been three instances in which he has more rushing yards than through the air, all which have been in the last three games.

However, I believe that the pass offense will be implemented a little more than usual in the matchup with Purdue, especially since Penn State is just one week away.

My prediction for Braxton Miller is 10-of-18 (55.6 percent) for 89 yards and a touchdown, with 85 yards rushing off 12 carries (7.1 ypc) and a score.

The Defense Will Bounce Back Nicely

Ohio State's defense followed an incredible performance versus Wisconsin with a disappointing one against Indiana, particularly with the front seven.

The Buckeyes linebackers and defensive line had no answer for Tre Roberson's dual-threat attack throughout the first three quarters. It was a shock to see the 1-8 Hoosiers move up and down the field with ease, but then again, we had seen a similar QB—Nebraska's Taylor Martinez—do the same earlier in the season.

However, Purdue is a run-first football team and Caleb TerBush is a pretty stationary quarterback, so I don't see much success for the Boilermakers offense on Saturday. The Buckeyes should be able to dominate the rushing game and force a lot of passes—something Purdue isn't used to doing this year—which will ultimately be its downfall.

Look for OSU's defense to hold the Boilermakers to less than 300 total yards of offense while forcing at least two turnovers.

Final Score Prediction

If all my predictions listed come true, then we're looking at a fourth-straight win for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

An immaculate rushing game combined with a potent passing offense, stellar defense and the return of Jordan Hall in special teams makes the perfect concoction for a nice setup game before a huge matchup against the Penn State Nittany Lions. They currently stand at first place in the Big Ten's Leaders Division.

The Buckeyes roll in this one, 31-14. 

Follow me on Twitter @Tyler_Waddell for more updates around the sports world.