No. 2 Ohio State faces Northwestern on Saturday, November 16, 2024 (11/16/24) at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois.

How to watch: Fans can watch the game for free via a trial of DirecTV Stream or fuboTV. You can also watch via a subscription to Sling TV.

Here’s what you need to know:

What: Big Ten football

Who: Ohio State vs. Northwestern

When: November 16, 2024

Where: Wrigley Field

Time: 12:00 PM ET (11:00 AM CT)

TV: Big Ten Network

Livestream: DirecTV Stream or fuboTV

Here’s a college football story from the AP:

No one needs to remind coach Ryan Day what’s at stake for No. 2 Ohio State.

The Buckeyes likely need to win their remaining games to keep their national championship hopes alive, and they certainly can’t afford a disappointment against Northwestern at Wrigley Field on Saturday.

“Every week for us is like the playoffs right now,” Day said. “We’re fighting for a chance to get to Indianapolis (for the Big Ten championship game). It’s always a topic of conversation, and it’s going to come down to our seniors and leaders and how they deliver that message.”

Ohio State (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten, No. 2 CFP) is in a good spot, but with little room for error. That all but disappeared last month with a 32-31 loss at Oregon, which was ranked third at the time and now tops the AP poll.

While that hurt, the Buckeyes’ path to a national championship didn’t disappear. It just got narrower. One more loss could keep the Buckeyes out of the 12-team playoff field.

They bounced back from that Oregon game with a sloppy and close win over Nebraska two weeks later. Ohio State followed that up by blasting then-No. 3 Penn State 20-13 in Happy Valley and blasting Purdue 45-0 last week.

They will look to keep things going against Northwestern before the schedule takes a more difficult turn. No. 5 Indiana and Michigan visit The Horseshoe before potentially heading to the Big Ten Championship game.

This is the first of two games at Wrigley Field for Northwestern (4-5, 2-4), which is coming off a bye after a 26-20 overtime win over Purdue. The Wildcats host Illinois on November 30 at the famous ballpark.

Northwestern’s first five home games took place at the temporary lakeside facility. A new Ryan Field on the site of the old stadium is scheduled to open in 2026.

“I think we benefit from the fact that not only has the program been to Wrigley before, but we were there last year,” Northwestern coach David Braun said, referring to a loss to Iowa. “Logistically, I think there are a lot of things that our guys are comfortable with in terms of what game day will look like.”

‘Friendly’ conditions

Ohio State practiced on grass to simulate the conditions at Wrigley Field. The Buckeyes also planned to walk through the ballpark and check it out on Friday, something they don’t normally do when playing in other stadiums.

“It’s a very unique place with an incredible history, and so it’s a great opportunity for us,” Day said.

Get me out…

This won’t be the first time Ohio State and Northwestern have met in a stadium that houses a Major League baseball team.

In 1991, the Buckeyes defeated the Wildcats 34-3 before 73,830 at Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium, where the NFL’s longtime Indians and Browns played. That was officially a home game for Northwestern as part of a deal with Browns owner Art Modell to move the game from Evanston, Illinois and give a cash-strapped athletic department a financial boost.

Jeremiah stands up

Freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith has lived up to all the hype that followed him to Ohio State as the top recruit in the country.

Will Howard found him at a crossroads for a 17-yard touchdown on Saturday that cemented his spot as the most productive freshman in school history. His ninth touchdown of the season broke a tie with Cris Carter, who had eight in 1984. Smith had already surpassed Carter and set new freshman school records for receptions (45) and receiving yards (765).

Seriously speaking

Ohio State is 65-14-1 all-time against Northwestern and has won 10 straight in the series. The Wildcats’ most recent win was 33-27 in overtime at Ryan Field in 2004.

The two teams haven’t played in Columbus since 2016. They met in Evanston in 2019 and 2022 and in the 2018 and 2020 Big Ten Championship games.

On target

Howard came up big again last week, throwing for three touchdowns and running for a score. He was 21 for 26 for 260 yards, another steady performance for a player who ranks second in the nation in completion percentage and third in passing efficiency.

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