Jermaine Matthews Jr.’s bold claim after Purdue’s win

The #1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes football team continues to dominate every opponent on their schedule. Despite the fact that there is none their biggest threat, Carnell Tate, and offensive lineman Joshua Padilla, the Buckeyes were steamrolling via Purdue Boilermakers. After being shut out in the first quarter, Ohio State caught fire and scored 24 points in the second quarter.

They later scored 10 more points in the fourth quarter, securing their ninth win of the season and remaining undefeated. After the win, cornerback Jermaine Matthews Jr gave up the bold claim about the win and the promising future of Ohio State.

“I really don’t think anybody in the country can hang with us, in my opinion,” Matthews told reporters after the game (via Eleven Warriors ). “I think if we just go out there every Saturday and play our game, we won’t have too much to worry about.”

While Matthews’ claim is confident, if arrogant, it’s hard to disagree with the junior. Through nine games this season, Ohio State is averaging 36.3 points per game. Their lowest scores came against ranked opponents — 14 points against the then-13th-ranked Texas Longhorns and 24 points against the 24th-ranked Washington Huskies. Outside of those games, the Buckeyes have scored 34 or more points in every game this season.

As impressive as Ohio State’s offense has been, its defense could be just as imposing. Leading the nation in points per game at 7.9, the Buckeyes have shut out their opponents twice this season. They held four other opponents to single digits. Ohio State also leads the nation in yards allowed per game (221.7) and holds opponents to the fourth-lowest third-down conversion rate (26.37%) and fifth-fewest yards per game.

Matthews has a right to feel the way he does. Ohio State is crushing every team in its path and shows no signs of slowing down. After winning the 2024 national championship, it’s hard to imagine the Buckeyes not fighting for a repeat in 2025.