No. 3 Buckeyes hope to conquer house of horrors with latest trip to Purdue

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Purdue coach Ryan Walters knows all about Ohio State’s last trip to Ross-Ade Stadium.

The stories of that emotional, stunning night have been making campus rounds for five years — and they’re all true.

This week, they’re being retold again as the third-ranked Buckeyes (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) prepare for their first trip to West Lafayette since that memorable prime-time rout knocked the nation’s No. 2 team out of the playoffs.

“We’ll have a team meeting (Tuesday), and I’ve got some creative ways to give the history of this game and what it meant the last time they were here,” Walters promised Monday. “So they’ll definitely be aware.”

Walters wasn’t around to celebrate that 49-20 upset as the confounded Urban Meyer waved his arms around and watched Purdue students storm the field.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day was there, as the Buckeyes offensive coordinator. And while he’s seen the Buckeyes dominate nearly every opponent in every venue since his promotion in 2019, he understands that game was no fluke.

For some seemingly inexplicable reason, Purdue’s century-old stadium has been the Buckeyes’ kryptonite. They are 3-5 there since 2000, including the third-worst loss of Meyer’s tenure in Columbus. And if the Buckeyes intend to stay in the three-team Big Ten East title chase — and the playoff picture — Day knows they can’t stumble against the Boilermakers (2-4, 1-2) again.

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“I know it’s been a difficult place to play, for sure, and this team is no different,” Day said. “They are very well coached, they have good players, and I know they’ll have a great atmosphere there.”

Today, as then, the tale of the tape appears one-sided.

Ohio State is one of 14 remaining unbeaten teams in the FBS and ranks in the top quarter FBS scoring offenses (35.0) and top five in scoring defenses (10.2). Purdue, meanwhile, is near the bottom third in both categories (25.7 points per game scored, 28.0 allowed).

Day is 33-0 against unranked opponents and only has two conference losses as head coach, both to Michigan. Walters already has lost two of his first three Big Ten games and is 1-3 at home in his first season, all against unranked teams.

On Saturday, Purdue hopes to make its home field again the great equalizer to Ohio State though Walters knows it will take more.

“You prep and go to work in film study and everything the same every week whether you’re playing for the Super Bowl or West Lafayette,” Walters said. “That way you’re not cutting corners and making it more than what it is. You’re just diving into the details of your assignment, the scheme, the technique, and ultimately trying to put yourself in position to make plays and go win a game.”

HOOSIER HOME

Ohio State has played three of its first five games in Columbus. This weekend marks the third time the Buckeyes have played across the state line in Indiana.

They opened the season with a 23-3 victory over the Hoosiers in Bloomington, needed a 1-yard TD plunge with 1 second left to beat then-No. 9 Notre Dame in South Bend and now visit Purdue.

The Buckeyes have pulled off this three-game road sweep one other time, in 1996, when they beat the fifth-ranked Fighting Irish 29-16 in Week 3, the Boilermakers 42-14 in Week 6 and the Hoosiers 27-17 in Week 10.

This time, though, they’d like to book a fourth trip to the Hoosier State — for the Big Ten title game in Indy on Dec. 2.

SEE HOW THEY RUN

Day wants a more balanced offensive attack and it starts by fixing a ground game that ranks a surprisingly low 96th nationally with 131.6 yards per game.

One issue has been the offensive line, which had to replace three starters now in the NFL. And last week, Day held out his best running back, TreVeyon Henderson, with an undisclosed injury. His replacement, Chip Trayanum, had 20 carries for 61 yards.

Henderson is expected to play against Purdue.

DEFENSE RISING

Sixth-year safety Josh Proctor had the best all-around game of his career last week, which included a 24-yard interception return for the Buckeyes’ first touchdown. He also had a career-tying seven tackles with 1 1/2 for loss. Safety Lathan Ransom also had an interception while the defense held Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa to a season-low 196 passing yards and sacked him twice.

The Buckeyes also allowed 106 yards rushing and rank eighth nationally in total defense (264.8 yards per game).

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AP Sports Writer Mitch Stacy in Columbus, Ohio, also contributed to this report.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll