Ohio State Buckeyes (2-0) at Washington Huskies (2-0)
3:30 pm EST
ESPN
It was only 3 weeks ago that Ohio State’s OOC schedule was widely considered a joke. That laughter has died down a little bit, particularly for the Buckeye faithful. Before the season kicked off, Washington was being tabbed as the toughest game outside of Big 10 play on the Buck’s schedule, and that was no compliment. The Huskies are amidst the group of Akron, Youngstown State, and Kent State, and were figured to still be treading water in the Pac 10. After two games, Tyrone Willingham and Co. are firing on all cylinders, and everyone is taking notice. In the opener, UW dismantled Syracuse on the ground as Frosh QB Jake Locker and RB Louis Rankin combined for 230 yards and 5 TDs. Next, they pulled off a bit of a shocker in cruising past Boise State 24-10, this time with a balanced attack, and forcing a plethora of turnovers.
The Huskies come into Saturday’s game with momentum, and with what figures to be a raucous environment in Husky Stadium, that makes Buckeye fans a little nervous. Don’t count me in that group. The reason? Ohio State’s Defense. They only allowed 69 yards on 51 plays last week, the definition of dominant.
Prediction: 27-13 Buckeyes, with a defensive score somewhere along the line for the Silver Bullets. The offenses will struggle for both teams, and whichever offense can be opportunistic, will come out on top. (Sad I have to talk about offenses being opportunistic, that’s a term usually reserved for defenses)
Key Matchup:
Ohio State Offensive Line vs. Washington Defensive Line
Ohio States offensive line is struggling and the strength of the Huskies Defense is their defensive line. Put two and two together, and Ohio States offense may continue to struggle this week. The Bucks need Beanie and Saine to run, and run early, to establish a workable offense for Todd Boeckman. If that happens, it will be a long afternoon for UW. If not, this is going to be a low scoring affair for most of the game, but in the same instance as last week against Akron, this O-line may be able to wear down UW’s D-line, with the name of the game being depth. Ohio State can, and will, rotate on their line and that should be the difference in outlasting the strong Husky defensive front.
Player to Watch:
Ray Small, WR, OSU: Ray is making his way back from an injury that has kept him out the first two games of the season. If he is 100%, and it has been reported as such, he could really propel his offense. He is a speedy playmaker and it may just be what the doctor ordered.
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about 1 year ago
It wouldn't surprise me to see Ohio St win this game, I would be surprised if it was by the margin you're giving. Ohio St offense has proven to be mediocre against bad football teams. I think the Buckeye offense will prove to be inept against a good defense which the Huskies are proving to have. I'm widely unconcerned about the Ohio St offense. I think the Ohio St defense will outscore their offense. This games is likely to be decided by a field goal or a touchdown, but not both. Perhaps the Ohio St defense outscores the Huskies offense by rattling a young Husky QB.
from about 1 year ago
Believe me, I am no more confident than you are scared of the Ohio State offense, but that doesn't mean they do not have playmakers, just simply they are not executing at a level they are capable. I feel that field position will be a big difference in this game, and while that doesn't make Ohio State's offense any more threatening, it will put them in very beneficial and opportunistic situations. I don't expect them to drive down the field consistantly, and thats why I feel Ohio State's D is THE key of the game. As I said in my article, I expect a pick 6 somewhere along the way, so 20 points out of the offense with good to great field position is not out of the question. I will say that Ray Small is a legit threat and will add another dimension to Ohio's Offense. The score I predicted in no way is a reflection of how close this game will be, similar to Ohio State vs Penn State last year.
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