COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- With a top-five road win under its belt, Ohio State returns home Saturday to play Purdue in its third consecutive noon start.
The Buckeyes look to ride the momentum of a 20-13 win over Penn State that boosted them to No. 3 in the Associated Press poll. Meanwhile, the Boilermakers look to bounce back after an overtime loss to Northwestern.
"Was it a good win? Yeah, it was a good win. But it just allowed us an opportunity to go chase our goals. That's all it's done," Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. "A lot of football ahead of us, and that game is behind us now."
Here are three things to know.
Ohio State adjusted its offensive line after injuries ended Josh Simmons' season and kept Zen Michalski out of Saturday's game against Penn State. Donovan Jackson moved from left guard to left tackle, and Carson Hinzman started at left guard.
The changes paid off as the Buckeyes moved the ball more against the Nittany Lions than in the previous week against Nebraska. Jackson made his 32nd career start at Penn State, but it was his first at left tackle.
"He never flinched at all. He never thought twice about it. He embraced it," Day said. "Donnie fought his tail off and played physical the whole time and wore those guys down. He embraced a new role in a tough spot."
Hinzman is expected to continue playing at left guard. Saturday marked his first start since last November and first at that position.
"Carson has toughness. Carson has athleticism. Carson's smart," Day said. "Having Seth [McLaughlin] and Donnie next to him allowed him to do his job and not be worried about all the different things that happen. He can just go play football."
Ohio State managed to stop Penn State from finding the end zone on a number of occasions, including two goal-line stands. The first came late in the first half when Davison Igbinosun made an interception in the end zone on first-and-goal from the 3-yard line. The other came in the fourth quarter with Ohio State clinging to a 20-13 lead, ending with an incompletion on fourth down.
"That's a 100% what you practice shows up in the game. I think that's the benefit of two veteran safeties and knowing the situation and the call, and what's going to happen," defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said. "The reaction was spot on. They just jumped the right guys and took it away."
It's been a turnaround for a defense that allowed 32 points and 496 yards at Oregon less than a month ago. In the last two games, the Buckeyes have limited opponents to a combined 30 points and 543 yards.
"That has to be our standard. It just has to be the expectation," Knowles said. "It builds confidence. Not just in the players but the whole team and the whole staff. When you have a defense that you can count on, it mentally gives everyone a sense of calm."
Day said the Buckeyes didn't spend much time basking in the glow of the Penn State victory, turning the page to Purdue right away.
"Their record may not say it, but they've been playing good football," Day said. "We gotta come in and play physical in this game and, we gotta continue to build on what happened last week."
The Boilermakers are 1-7 and have yet to win a Big Ten game. Purdue is the last unranked team to defeat Ohio State, doing so in 2018, 49-20, when the Buckeyes were ranked No. 2.
