Will Howard helps No. 2 Ohio State rout Northwestern 31-7 at Wrigley Field

Will Howard passed for two touchdowns, Quinshon Judkins had two 1-yard TD runs and No. 2 Ohio State pounded Northwestern 31-7 on Saturday at Wrigley Field.

The Buckeyes (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten, No. 2 CFP) shook off a slow start on the way to their fourth consecutive win since a 32-31 loss at Oregon on Oct. 12. Next up is a pivotal matchup with No. 5 Indiana next weekend.

Howard was 15-for-24 for 247 yards. Both of his touchdown passes went to Carnell Tate, who grew up in Chicago and finished with four catches for 52 yards.

Ohio State star Jeremiah Smith had four receptions for 100 yards, including a 68-yard play that set up Tate’s 8-yard TD early in the second half. The freshman nearly made a one-handed catch in the end zone on the Buckeyes’ first possession, but the ball touched the ground as he was bringing it in.

Northwestern (4-6, 2-5) lost for the third time in four games. Jack Lausch passed for 201 yards and had an 8-yard touchdown run. He also lost a fumble on a scramble, ending a promising first drive for the Wildcats.

Judkins’ first touchdown capped an 85-yard drive and tied it at 7 midway through the second quarter.

Northwestern went three-and-out on its ensuing possession, and a high snap led to a blocked punt that set Ohio State up at the 1. Judkins scored again for his eighth rushing TD on the season.

The Buckeyes added another first-half touchdown on Tate’s 25-yard catch with 47 seconds left, making it 21-7 at the break.

The takeaway

Northwestern: Played without Theran Johnson, one of its top defensive backs who was listed on the team’s pregame unavailable list. The Wildcats definitely missed him while trying to match up with Ohio State’s deep group of receivers.

Ohio State: It was relatively smooth sailing once the Buckeyes’ offense started to get going in the second quarter.