Ohio St. recalls 33-27 loss to Wildcats in OT last year

The Buckeyes were ranked No. 7 in the nation before meeting Northwestern.
COLUMBUS (AP) -- The newest signs on the walls of Ohio State's practice facility don't have clever maxims or inspirational sayings on them. All they say is "33-27."
That was the score, in overtime, a year ago when Northwestern beat the Buckeyes to send Ohio State spiraling to an 0-3 start in the Big Ten.
It's not as if the 10th-ranked Buckeyes, who play host to Northwestern in a key conference showdown Saturday, need to be reminded.
"We remember that game clearly," defensive end Mike Kudla said. "You get up there and you get embarrassed like that. It just kind of sits with you."
Ohio State went into Ryan Field in Evanston, Ill., unbeaten in three games and ranked No. 7 in the nation. But the Wildcats moved the ball up and down the field at will.
"I just remember us coming out and being flat -- not clicking defensively or offensively," kicker Josh Huston said. "I remember them driving on us and thinking, 'Our defense is better than this.' I kept thinking, 'They're going to stop them this time.' It just never happened."
Northwestern twice led by 10 points, with the Buckeyes tying it at 27-27 on Justin Zwick's 21-yard pass to Santonio Holmes with 1:54 remaining in regulation.
First win since 1958
The Wildcats then scored on Noah Herron's 1-yard plunge in overtime to capture their first win at home against Ohio State since 1958. It was also Northwestern's first win over Ohio State anywhere in 33 years.
"Well, the results of the game are put away, and everyone knows them, and everyone knows how they feel about it," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said. "We'll obviously use the technical part -- why did it happen, what didn't we do, what did they do well -- all of those things. But it's not something we'll spend a whole bunch of time on because we're a different team than then and they're a different team from back then."
Just like last year, the Wildcats (6-3, 4-2 Big Ten) enter this game with a high-powered offense and a defense that has given up a lots of yards and points.
Ohio State (7-2, 5-1), riding a four-game winning streak, would earn at least a share of the Big Ten title with a win over the Wildcats and a victory at Michigan in the regular season finale.
Stakes are high
Northwestern coach Randy Walker still thinks the stakes are high for his team even though it trails front-running Penn State (9-1, 6-1) and Ohio State.
"We are in November, playing for a bowl game," said Walker, a native of Ohio who was the head coach at Miami (Ohio) from 1990 to 1998. "To me, we are still in the championship hunt. Maybe no one else believes it, but I believe it and the kids believe it."
The Wildcats and quarterback Brett Basanez are ranked seventh in Division I-A in passing offense, averaging 319 yards a game. With that, they've added a solid ground game led by freshman Tyrell Sutton, third in the conference with 121 yards per game.
Ohio's Mr. Football
A year ago, Sutton was selected as Ohio's high school Mr. Football by The Associated Press, but slipped off to Northwestern because he wasn't pursued by Ohio State. He has already rushed for 1,085 yards and 16 touchdowns this season.
The Buckeyes appear to have a clear advantage on defense, ranking first in the conference and seventh in the nation in total defense. They are No. 3 in the land against the run.
"They are very impressive on that side of the ball," Walker said. "They run to the football extremely well. They are big and physical and they do not give you much breathing room. We are going to have to execute very well."