There comes a point in every season when a team has to decide what it wants to be. For Ohio State, that moment has arrived, and the Buckeyes are running out of time to figure it out.

After suffering back-to-back losses, including a 41-28 defeat at the hands of Oregon last Saturday, Ohio State finds itself in unfamiliar territory. A team that entered the season with national championship aspirations is now sitting at 6-3, searching for answers and watching its postseason hopes quickly disappear.

This Saturday, the Buckeyes welcome a 6-3 Northwestern team to Ohio Stadium. On paper, this is a game Ohio State should win. But at this point, there is very little reason to take anything for granted with this football team.

Ohio State has not looked like Ohio State since quarterback Julian Sayin went down with an elbow injury. The offense has lost its identity, the defense has struggled to generate consistent pressure and the overall effort has left plenty to be desired.

Last Saturday against Oregon was another example of just how quickly things can unravel. The Buckeyes jumped out to a 14-point lead before allowing the Ducks to rattle off 38 consecutive points. There is no excuse for a team with this much talent to surrender that kind of momentum, particularly on its home field.

Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and his unit have plenty to answer for. The inability to consistently pressure opposing quarterbacks, the missed tackles and the breakdowns in critical situations have become increasingly difficult to overlook. Whatever identity this defense was supposed to establish coming into the season, it has been missing when the Buckeyes have needed it most.

Now, Northwestern presents another opportunity to get things turned around.

The Wildcats are not a team Ohio State can afford to overlook. Sitting at 6-3 themselves, Northwestern has proven capable of competing with quality Big Ten opponents. The Wildcats have a productive rushing attack, averaging nearly 190 yards per game, and have found ways to make opposing defenses uncomfortable.

Wide receiver Griffin Wilde has been a significant part of that success, entering the matchup with 813 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Northwestern also brings a physical defensive presence, led by linebacker Braydon Brus, who has accumulated 75 tackles and 13.5 tackles for loss this season.

Quarterback availability will be another storyline to watch. Aidan Chiles has been dealing with an injury, and backup Nicco Marchiol stepped in against Iowa last weekend, completing 24 of 32 passes for 181 yards and a touchdown while leading the Wildcats in rushing.

Northwestern plays a disciplined brand of football, and that is exactly the type of opponent that can take advantage of an Ohio State team that continues to beat itself.

Offensively, the Buckeyes desperately need to find some consistency.

Luke Fahey has had his moments since taking over for Sayin, but the overall product has not been good enough. The offense has struggled to sustain drives, finish possessions and establish a dependable rhythm. Throwing for yards in garbage time does not change the fact that this unit has struggled to operate effectively when the game is still in the balance.

At some point, there needs to be a schematic adjustment.

Whether that means finding a way to simplify the offense for Fahey, establishing the running game more consistently or creating better opportunities for the surrounding playmakers, something has to change. Continuing to run the same offense and expecting different results is not a solution.

The running game, in particular, needs to become a bigger part of the equation. Ohio State cannot continue to put the entire burden on an inexperienced quarterback and expect the offense to function at a championship level.

And then there is Jeremiah Smith.

For much of the season, Buckeye fans have questioned the offense's tendency to funnel the ball toward Smith. Now, it almost feels as though he is the only dependable option on the field. That is not a knock on Smith, who continues to produce at an incredible level, but rather an indictment of the offensive structure around him.

Ohio State has too much talent at the skill positions to be this predictable. Players need to be schemed open; Fahey needs to recognize those opportunities, and the coaching staff needs to put its players in positions to succeed.

That responsibility ultimately falls on head coach Ryan Day and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.

But beyond the X's and O's, there is a much bigger question surrounding this football team: Who is going to show up when things are not going well?

It is easy to play with confidence when you are winning. It is easy to buy into a program when national championship expectations are still alive and everything is going according to plan.

It is a completely different story when adversity hits.

The last two weeks have exposed a Buckeye team that appears to have lost its identity. There needs to be more urgency, more accountability and, quite frankly, more fight. Last Saturday, Ohio State looked like a team that had no answers once the momentum shifted against it.

That cannot happen again.

Ryan Day needs to demonstrate the leadership expected of a head coach at a program like Ohio State. Matt Patricia needs to find answers on the defensive side of the football. Arthur Smith needs to get this offense moving in the right direction, and the players need to take some accountability themselves.

Nobody is asking this team to be perfect. But Buckeye fans have every right to expect a team that competes for four quarters, makes adjustments and refuses to fold when faced with adversity.

Northwestern is not going to feel sorry for Ohio State. The Wildcats are coming to Columbus with an opportunity to pull off a significant Big Ten upset, and they have enough talent to make that possibility a reality.

For the Buckeyes, Saturday is about much more than adding another win to the record. It is about showing some signs of life, restoring confidence and proving that this season is not going to completely unravel.

The excuses are running thin, and the margin for error is practically nonexistent.

Ohio State needs to answer the bell. Otherwise, Buckeye fans could be in for another Saturday full of frustration, wondering how a team with championship expectations managed to fall this far.