Another Monday, another unbeaten week, and another round of questions that come with being the No. 1 team in the nation. Ohio State handled its business at Purdue with professional efficiency — 40 minutes of possession, a defense that took the air out of the stadium, and Julian Sayin continuing to play like someone who’s been running this offense for three years, not three months.
Now the schedule turns to UCLA, a team in transition but never short on athletes. It’s a late-season test that arrives at the perfect time: November. The month where championship contenders sharpen edges, clean up loose bolts, and figure out what separates “really good” from “ready for January.”
Here’s what’s on our mind as the Buckeyes begin another big week in Columbus.
1. The Josh Padilla Question: Can Ohio State Get Stability Back Up Front?
If there was one lingering concern from the Purdue game, it’s the continued shuffling at right guard. Josh Padilla’s absence has forced Ohio State into contingency mode for several weeks now, and while the line has survived — and in stretches, thrived — the Buckeyes are not at full strength without him.
Padilla isn’t just another lineman. He’s a movement creator in the run game and a comfort blanket in protection, especially for a freshman quarterback who has earned the right to trust the pocket. The hope this week is that Padilla makes tangible progress and returns in some capacity against UCLA. If not, the question shifts: can Ohio State keep the rotation tight and the communication clean heading into the toughest stretch of the year?
Purdue didn’t expose the line, but they did reveal how valuable cohesion is. Against better fronts — and UCLA will bring more twitch and disguise than the Boilermakers — the Buckeyes need their best five. November football is trench football, and getting Padilla back might be the biggest “addition” Ohio State makes this month.
2. Nico Iamaleava as a Dress Rehearsal for Bryce Underwood
UCLA’s offense is talented, inconsistent, and capable of explosive moments when Nico Iamaleava is in rhythm. What makes Nico dangerous isn’t just the arm — it’s the legs. He extends plays, he attacks horizontally, and he forces defenses into stress coverages.
Sound familiar?
It should, because in three weeks, Ohio State will face the Bryce Underwood Experience: a quarterback with video-game escapability, elite arm strength, and no fear of throwing late or off-platform.
This UCLA matchup is more than a cross-division Big Ten game. It’s a rehearsal. Matt Patricia’s defense has been suffocating all season, but they haven’t faced many quarterbacks who can break structure the way Iamaleava can. How the Buckeyes handle contain, spy usage, and late-play discipline this week will tell us a lot about their readiness for The Game.
The Silver Bullets haven’t allowed a rushing touchdown to a quarterback all season. Iamaleava will test that. And that test is the tune-up Ohio State didn’t know it needed.
3. Indiana’s Escape at Penn State — Cracks or Context?
Indiana nearly gave one away on Saturday against a Penn State team still trying to find footing without Drew Allar. Yes, the Hoosiers rallied late and remained undefeated, but the game film will raise eyebrows in Columbus.
For the first time all season, Indiana looked mortal:
- Their offensive line leaked pressure.
- Their secondary gave up chunk plays.
- Their tackling, usually pristine, faltered in space.
Is it fatigue? A trap game? Or the first real evidence that Indiana’s unbeaten veneer has some structural weaknesses?
Ohio State won’t face the Hoosiers until a potential Big Ten Championship, but this weekend matters. The Hoosiers showed vulnerabilities on third down defense, and their linebackers struggled with eye discipline — something the Buckeyes’ motion-heavy attack can feast on.
Indiana is still very much a contender. But they’re also human, and Saturday exposed data points Ryan Day will store away. For the first time in weeks, the No. 2 team in the country blinked. And if these two teams collide in Indianapolis, Ohio State now has early clues on where the matchup tilts.
Closing Thoughts
UCLA week feels like the calm before the storm, but the film says otherwise. The Bruins bring athletes Ohio State needs to see, a quarterback who prepares them for what’s ahead, and defensive looks that should sharpen an offense still waiting to reunite with one of its key linemen.
November is about clarity. And if the Buckeyes handle their business again this week, the picture becomes crystal clear:
Ohio State isn’t just pacing toward the No. 1 seed — they’re evolving into a November-hardened juggernaut ready for everything December and January will throw at them.
Photo Credit: Adam Cairns | The Columbus Dispatch
Photo Credit: Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images