Week 10 Preview: Purdue Boilermakers vs No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes

October 20, 2012; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Carlos Hyde (34) fights past Purdue Boilermakers linebacker Antwon Higgs (5) at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won the game 29-22 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

The Purdue Boilermakers disappointing season rolls on with a visit from the No. 4 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. The Buckeyes are currently in first place in the Leaders division and have the best record in the Big Ten.

Purdue enters the game at 1-6 with a 0-3 record in the conference. Ohio State is undefeated and vying for a berth in the BCS Championship game.

Purdue had last week off and spent it trying to figure out where the endzone. The Buckeyes spent last Saturday beating the hell out of Penn State 63-14, their biggest conference win of the season. When these two teams met last season, it took a 47-second drive by OSU to force overtime. Purdue ultimately fell in OT, 29-22.

The Buckeyes are simply one of the best teams in the country. They have the best overall offense in the Big Ten and are 5th in the nation in scoring. OSU’s lowest scoring output came back in September against Wisconsin when they put up 31 points.

Purdue’s defense hasn’t been that great either and has given up nearly 400 yards per game. The Boilermakers are especially bad on third down, allowing opponents to convert 46-percent of the time. That a bad number, especially when the Buckeyes convert 52-percent of the time.

In reality, Ohio State could score just a single touchdown and likely win this game, that’s how bad Purdue’s offense has been this season. The Boilermakers are averaging just 13 points per game.

Stopping quarterback Braxton Miller is a tall task and its unlikely that Purdue will be able to contain him.

On defense, the Buckeyes are giving up less than 100 yards per game, but 240 yards passing. The secondary is a problem for OSU and injuries aren’t helping. That said, Purdue’s receiving corps has been awful all season.

The Boilermakers will likely have more success on offense than they did against Michigan State, but there is simply no way they will be able to keep up with Buckeyes on the scoreboard. Danny Etling is the QB for the future, but his rough freshman season isn’t going to get better anytime soon.

Expect this game to be as one sided as the 31-point spread suggests. Ohio State has underperformed against Purdue in recent history. They’re just 2-4 in their last six visits to West Lafayette. That said, the Buckeyes can score as many points as Urban Meyer wants Saturday.

It would take a miracle for Purdue to pull off the win on Saturday.

Purdue falls, 52-10.

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