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4 things we learned from Ohio State football’s 45-0 win over Purdue
Here are four things we learned from Ohio State’s 45-0 win over Purdue on Saturday:
Positive momentum continues
Ryan Day pointed to last week’s win at Penn State as a potential springboard for the Buckeyes.
The ascendance continued against the Boilermakers.
Even if the drop-off in competition was steep, going from facing a potential College Football Playoff team to the last-place team in the Big Ten, they took care of business in convincing fashion.
Shutting out a conference opponent for the first time in Day’s coaching tenure, the Buckeyes asserted themselves in all three phases.
They scored six touchdowns, forced two turnovers and blocked a punt that set up their first trip to the end zone.
It would not have been too surprising if the Buckeyes suffered an emotional letdown returning from their hard-fought battle in Happy Valley.
They were a bit flat in a win over Nebraska last month, a close call that followed another big game at Oregon.
But there was little clunky about their performance against Purdue and their upward trajectory continues.
The ‘Jack’ position returns
Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles introduced a hybrid defensive end and linebacker position known as the “Jack” with his arrival in 2022.
The Buckeyes have used it only sparingly in the succeeding years, leaning on a traditional front with four down linemen.
But they appeared to sprinkle it in a bit more against the Boilermakers, having Mitchell Melton or C.J. Hicks line up as a standup pass rusher along the edge of the line of scrimmage.
“It could be a weapon for us,” Day said. “It’s not easy to experiment in certain games, but we felt like it’s something that we have done previously.”
In the aftermath of their loss at Oregon, the Buckeyes reworked their defense to simplify the scheme, and it’s paid off. They have allowed only one offensive touchdown in a span of three games.
But going to the ‘Jack’ suggested they will still look to take advantage of opportunities to tinker and add packages to their defense during the second half of the season.
“There’s a lot more you can build on,” Day said.
Fourth-down aggressiveness starts with Will Howard
The Buckeyes continue to go for it on fourth down more often than in previous seasons under Day.
Through nine games, they have sought to pick up the first down 18 out of 52 times (35%).
That includes two successful attempts on three fourth-down tries against Purdue. Day has cited the influence of analytics and game situations in shaping their decisions. But Howard’s role should not be overlooked.
The Kansas State transfer quarterback is a willing runner in short yardage and able to use his 6-foot-4 frame to grind tough yards.
Howard’s keeper got the Buckeyes into the end zone in the first quarter when they faced a fourth-and-goal at Purdue’s 1-yard line.
A sneak in the second quarter on fourth-and-1 just past midfield allowed another touchdown drive to continue.
If not for Howard, the Buckeyes might be more hesitant in those situations. The aggressiveness sparked an early 14-0 lead.
Offensive line avoids another setback
Carson Hinzman was down at Purdue’s 25-yard line grabbing his left knee late in the second quarter.
It loomed as another potential setback for an offensive line beset by injuries in recent weeks.
But Hinzman was soon able to walk under his own power and returned to start at left guard for the second half, allowing the crowd that remained at Ohio Stadium to breathe a collective sigh of relief.
Hinzman helped the Buckeyes stabilize their line a week earlier at Penn State, sliding in at left guard to replace Donovan Jackson, who had moved over to left tackle following injuries to Zen Michalski and Josh Simmons.
It was not until Ohio State pulled the rest of its starters in the fourth quarter before Hinzman again exited.
The injury scare was a reminder of how fragile the Buckeyes remain on their line. They were fortunate to remain largely healthy up front.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @joeyrkaufman or email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com.
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YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — First News is working to learn more information after officers served a search warrant Friday afternoon for a building at the corner of Market Street and Pasadena Avenue
When we showed up to the scene, we found Animal Charity of Ohio had humane agents there.
We could also hear what sounded like roosters crowing, and eventually we saw humane agents bringing out several chickens and roosters in cages from the property. Authorities said they removed approximately 30 pairs of roosters and hens.
That brought us to a residence on Glenwood Avenue near the corner of Stadium Street.
So far, we aren’t hearing anything, but a number of officers and humane agents seemed to be knocking on the front door, and seemingly no one answered.
They then all moved behind the house, and one was an officer carrying a sledgehammer and a crowbar. So far we haven’t heard or seen any action.
First News will update this story as we learn more.
Nick Rich contributed to this report.
ROSSFORD, Ohio — Smoke from Canadian wildfires forced the cancellation of three community events Thursday, including a multi-day festival, a weekly farmers market and a summer concert series finale.
Organizers of the Rossford Balloon & Fireworks Fest, the Perrysburg Farmers Market and the Whitehouse Summer Concert Series each cited hazardous air quality conditions as the reason for their decisions.
Rossford Balloon & Fireworks Fest canceled
Rossford city officials and the Rossford Convention & Visitors Bureau Board jointly decided Thursday to cancel the Rossford Balloon & Fireworks Fest, which was scheduled to run July 17-19.
The Visitors Bureau’s director Beth Genson said in a statement: “The decision to cancel the 2026 Rossford Balloon & Fireworks Fest was made jointly by City officials and the Rossford Convention & Visitors Bureau Board after careful consideration of the hazardous air quality conditions caused by smoke from the Canadian wildfires. The health and safety of our attendees, volunteers, vendors, performers and staff was our highest priority. We recognize how disappointing this is for our community and visitors, but we believe cancelling the event was the responsible decision under these circumstances.”
Perrysburg farmers market, Whitehouse concert also called off
The Perrysburg Chamber of Commerce canceled Thursday’s farmers market in historic downtown Perrysburg. The chamber’s director of tourism Sally Moore said: “The health and safety of our vendors, customers, volunteers, and staff is our top priority. Based on the current hazardous air quality conditions and the guidance we received, we believe cancellation is the safest course of action.”
In Whitehouse, the final performance of the summer concert series at Whitehouse Village Park was also canceled Thursday out of concern for the safety of concertgoers. A spokesman for the series said organizers are hoping to reschedule the final performance in August or September.
Health experts advise staying indoors
Dr. David Geisinger, a pediatric emergency medicine physician, said residents should limit time outdoors while smoke remains in the area.
“We all need to be extra careful, but the children especially, younger kids, anybody with asthma, chronic lung disease, COPD, bronchitis, they would need to be especially careful,” Geisinger said.
Geisinger added that with current air quality index levels, indoor activities are the safer option.
“With this level of air quality index and the smoke, it’s better to do activities that are inside,” he said.
Smoke from the Canadian wildfires was expected to continue affecting air quality into Friday.
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WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) – A Warren man indicted in June on charges he had inappropriate conduct with a teenager pleaded guilty Thursday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.
Daniel Procopio, 29, pleaded guilty to one third-degree felony count of attempted illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance.
Howland police arrested Procopio following a report filed by the parent of a teenager who reported Procopio had inappropriate contact with the teen. The investigation by Howland police showed Procopio in February 2026 had asked a 16-year-old female to send nude photos of herself to him, according to Assistant Prosecutor Gabriel Wildman.
The crimes are alleged to have taken place in February and March.
Procopio will be sentenced at a later date.
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