Tulsa vs. Ohio State: Game Preview, Prediction and Players to Watch
Urban Meyer and No. 5 Ohio State (1-0) put on a historic show when it blasted Bowling Green in 67-point rout last weekend, and they'll look to roll that momentum over to Saturday when they host Tulsa (1-0) for a 3:30 p.m. ET showdown.
Much was made of the Buckeyes and the daunting task they faced in replacing 16 starters from last year's squad. It was just one game (against a non-Power Five opponent), but Meyer's offense looks like it has a clear identity and the defense is as fast as it is aggressive.
The Buckeyes' second test will be more challenging than the first. Last year, Tulsa torched teams with the country's 11th-best passing attack, averaging 333 yards per game. But last Saturday against San Jose State, the Golden Hurricane bulldozed their way to 305 rushing yards in a 45-10 blowout victory.
Will Ohio State continue to roll, or can Tulsa invade Columbus and challenge the Buckeyes?
Viewing Information
Date: Saturday
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Place: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
TV: ESPN
Spread: Ohio State (-28.5), per Odds Shark
Ohio State Keys to Victory
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Keep Spreading the Wealth
On Saturday against Bowling Green, Ohio State did something it was never able to do at any point with its loaded roster a season ago—find a balance.
Meyer wants an even split of production between running and passing, getting 250 yards on the ground and through the air. Against the Falcons, the Buckeyes bombed their way to 417 passing yards while bulldozing their way to 359 rushing yards, setting the single-game school record for total offense in the staggering 67-point win.
Nine different Buckeyes caught passes against Bowling Green, while six different players did the damage on the ground. Ohio State's strength is in its incredible diverse offense attack, and it needs to showcase that diversity against Tulsa.
Get Pressure with Four
Bowling Green had one of the most explosive offenses in the country last season, ranking fifth nationally with 366.8 yards per game. That was with record-setting quarterback Matt Johnson and wide receiver Roger Lewis in the fold, but the Falcons are a team capable of opening things up in the passing game.
That wasn't the case against the Buckeyes, who allowed just 175 passing yards and no touchdowns in the season opener. Ohio State generated a lot of pressure with its front four, getting sacks from freshman Nick Bosa, Jalyn Holmes and Davon Hamilton.
Generating pressure without blitzing will be paramount for the Buckeyes, because it will allow the back seven to confuse Tulsa with a variety of different coverage schemes. The front will also be pivotal against a rushing attack that looks to be surging for the Golden Hurricane.
Tulsa Keys to Victory
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Find a Balance
Tulsa pounded Week 1 opponent San Jose State into submission with an unrelenting rushing attack that piled up 305 yards and three touchdowns.
That made for a relatively easy day at the office for senior quarterback Dane Evans. The three-year starter completed just 12 of his 23 passes for 198 yards and a touchdown in the opener, but that's all the Golden Hurricane needed to cruise to an easy victory.
They'll need more balance to have a chance against Ohio State.
Evans is capable of lighting it up through the air. He completed 62.9 percent of his passes in 2015 and averaged 333 passing yards per game, which was good for seventh nationally. If he returns to form and Tulsa finds similar lanes on the ground that it did against San Jose State, the Golden Hurricane will have a much better shot of keeping pace with the Buckeyes.
Stuff the Run
Despite the success J.T. Barrett had through the air in Week 1, the Golden Hurricane should load the box and make a concerted effort to stop the run and make the Buckeyes beat them through the air.
Ohio State would likely be happy to do that. The passing attack looked better Saturday than it did at any point during the 2015 season. Barrett was almost perfect, completing 67.7 percent of his passes for 349 yards and a record-tying six touchdown passes against the reigning MAC champions. The lone blip came on the Buckeyes' first drive of the game, when Barrett glossed over a defender and threw a pick-six.
But part of the reason Ohio State had so much success through the air is because it pounded Bowling Green on the ground. The Buckeyes ran for 359 yards, lead by Mike Weber, who totaled 136 yards on just 19 carries in his Buckeyes debut.
Play action opened up some big things behind Bowling Green's secondary. If Tulsa can somehow make the Buckeyes one-dimensional, it could disrupt the seemingly unwavering flow of Ohio State's offense.
Ohio State Players to Watch
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Curtis Samuel
Meyer talked about Curtis Samuel being the team's best playmaker on offense, and the junior backed that up with a breakout performance in the season opener.
The wide receiver/running back hybrid led the team in receptions (nine), receiving yards (177) and receiving touchdowns (two) while also pacing the rushing attack behind Mike Weber with 13 carries for 84 yards and another score.
His 261 all-purpose yards ranked 13th all-time in school history for a single game, according to Jerry Emig, Ohio State's official spokesperson.
The Buckeyes will continue to highlight their vast array of playmakers, but look for Meyer to make a concerted effort to get Samuel as many touches as possible.
Dre'Mont Jones
It wasn't all good news against Bowling Green—Ohio State suffered a big blow when it lost starting defensive tackle Tracy Sprinkle for the season to a knee injury.
The Buckeyes were already in the midst of rebuilding the interior of its defensive line after losing starting tackles Adolphus Washington and Tommy Schutt from last year. Sprinkle was a primary backup in 2015 and made a big leap while stepping into a starting role this offseason.
His injury puts Dre'Mont Jones on the spot. The likely replacement is just a redshirt freshman and saw his first collegiate action last week against the Falcons, so he'll need to grow up fast for the Buckeyes.
With the nature of Tulsa's offense and how much it passes the ball, the Buckeyes will want to set a tone up front. Jones will be instrumental in setting that tone.
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Tulsa Players to Watch
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D'Angelo Brewer
Tulsa's offense is headlined by quarterback Dane Evans and a pair of wideouts with 1,000-yard receiving season under their belts in Keevan Lucas and Josh Atkinson.
But if Tulsa is to strike the offensive balance it needs, then the offense will need a huge day from running back D'Angelo Brewer.
That's exactly what it got in the season opener, as Brewer torched San Jose State for 164 rushing yards and three touchdowns—both of which were career highs—on just 22 carries.
He was the spearhead in a rushing attack that chewed up San Jose State's defense, as the team averaged an impressive 5.3 yards per carry on 58 attempts.
Lanes will be much tighter against Ohio State, which held Bowling Green to 69 rushing yards and 2.5 yards per carry last Saturday. But Brewer and Co. will be a much stiffer test.
Jeremy Brady
Tulsa's defense was a train wreck under new defensive coordinator Bill Young a season ago. Only two teams allowed more yards per game, as the Golden Hurricane surrendered 536.6 yards per outing. They also ranked dead last nationally in allowing plays of 10, 20 and 30 or more yards.
That doesn't bode well for the Tulsa defense as it goes against Ohio State's offense, which was a big-play machine against a much better Bowling Green defense a week ago.
On the bright side for Tulsa, things look to be turning around. The Golden Hurricane stymied San Jose State last Saturday for 10 points and 287 total yards—numbers that were a pipe dream a season ago.
Another year in Young's system is the big reason for that, but players such as safety Jeremy Brady are coming into their own. He was arguably the team's best defender last year and was solid again in the opener, ranking second on the team with five tackles.
Barrett will challenge Tulsa's secondary much more than San Jose State did, but he'll have to keep an eye on this ball-hawking safety.
What They're Saying
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Ohio State's diverse attack may have surprised Bowling Green and those who watched the game, but it didn't shock Buckeyes running back Mike Weber.
"We have a lot of talent. People don’t really understand how much talent we have," Weber said, according to Eric Seger of Eleven Warriors. "We’re going to put the ball in the playmakers’ hands and make plays. That’s what we’re here for."
Tulsa quarterback Dane Evans talked about the challenge of playing Ohio State on the road, according to the team's official website:
"It’s the ultimate cliche, it doesn’t matter what happens outside or how big the stadium is, we just like playing football. Those 11 guys that line up and face us, they have to come play. I know, personally, as a team, we like playing big schools. I mean there is nowhere to run and hide, let’s just go play ball.
"
Prediction
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Tulsa won't be able to keep pace with the runaway Buckeyes.
The Golden Hurricane will get on the board first when Dane Evans takes advantage of a busted coverage and finds Keevan Lucas all alone behind the Buckeyes secondary. But Ohio State will respond with three unanswered touchdowns—two J.T. Barrett passing scores and a 25-yard jaunt into the end zone from Mike Weber.
Tulsa will put together a nice drive in response, but it will stall in the red zone before head coach Philip Montgomery settles for a field goal. Two more passing touchdowns from Barrett (both to Noah Brown) will give the Buckeyes a 35-10 halftime lead, and they'll never look back.
Ohio State will pound the ground game to open the second half and put a methodical, clock-chewing drive together. Weber will get his second score of the day to put Ohio State up 32, at which point Meyer will call off the dogs.
Ohio State's second team will trade scores with the Golden Hurricane as it cruises to a big win.
Prediction: Ohio State 56, Tulsa 24
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