Ohio State Football: Previewing the Toledo Game

Both the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Toledo Rockets won their first game of the season, and both teams won big. The Rockets beat New Hampshire 58-22, while the Buckeyes shut out Akron, 42-0.

While the Buckeyes seem to be a lock for a Week 2 victory, fans know that an upset can happen. After all, this is only head coach Luke Fickell's second game. The Buckeyes are missing key players, and Toledo forced five turnovers over the weekend.

Click through the slideshow to see which team has the advantage in offense, defense, coaching and more. 

The Quarterbacks

Toledo: Toledo's two-quarterback system was very effective last week, as Rocket leaders Austin Dantin and Terrance Owens performed nicely. Junior Dantin was 15-of-21 for 161 yards and three touchdowns, and sophomore Owens went 10-of-13 for 122 yards and a pair of scores. Both players looked smooth out on the field, throwing well.

Ohio State: Though Buckeyes head coach Luke Fickell stated he would also employ a two-quarterback system, senior Joe Bauserman played the majority of the game. Bauserman went 12-for-16 with 163 yards and three touchdowns. Highly-touted freshman Braxton Miller shined fourth quarter with 130 yards and a touchdown.

The Bottom Line: After sitting on the sidelines for three years and watching Terrelle Pryor play, Bauserman is ready. His experience gives Ohio State the advantage. 

The Offense

Toledo: Senior Adonis Thomas rushed for over 1,000 yards and average six yards per carry last year. Against New Hampshire, Thomas ran for 115 yards and one touchdown, including a 46-yard breakaway run.

The Rockets also have a strong trio of receivers. Senior Morgan Williams caught over 1,000 yards when he was only a freshman, and junior Eric Page had back-to-back seasons with over 1,100 yards in receiving. However, last week it was sophomore Bernard Reedy who got all the attention, catching two touchdowns and 113 yards.

Ohio State: With running backs Dan "Boom" Herron serving his five-game suspension and Jaamal Berry recovering from a hamstring injury, Ohio State looked to Carlos Hyde and Rod Smith to take the bulk of the carries. Hyde, who just had 141 yards the entire season last year, finished strong with 93 yards against Akron. Freshman Smith added 74 yards and a touchdown. 

Ohio State spread out its receptions among freshmen Verlon Reed and Devin Smith, and junior tight end Jake Stoneburner. Though Stoneburner caught three touchdowns on Saturday, he did not lead the team in yards received.

The Bottom Line: With several Buckeyes continuing to serve their suspensions for last year's memorabilia scandal, Ohio State counted on its freshmen to carry the team. While the Buckeyes have more talent, given Toledo's experience, the Rockets have the slight advantage.  

The Defense

Toledo: Toledo returns an experienced defensive line, allowing 28.5 points per game last season. Though senior Malcolm Riley played tackle last year, he moved to defensive end this season, which allowed more size on the line. Riley led the Rockets with 44 tackles last year. Against New Hampshire, Toledo forced five turnovers against New Hampshire, two interceptions and three fumbles.  

Ohio State: Ohio State is led by Nathan Williams, who is on this season's Ted Hendricks watch list. Ohio State forced two turnovers against Akron, an interception and a fumble. The Buckeyes also handed Akron five sacks, totaling 35 yards for a loss.  

The Bottom Line: Ohio State's silver bullets are known for their hard-nosed defense. With new coach Luke Fickell, expect more aggression and assertion. The Buckeyes have the advantage.

The Coaches

Toledo: The Rockets are led by third-year coach Tim Beckman. Beckman, who worked as the cornerbacks coach at Ohio State, helped Jim Tressel lead a defense that was ranked number one in the nation. Beckman also worked in Auburn and Oklahoma State.

After Beckman took over an unsuccessful Toledo program 2008, he led a victory over Colorado the next year in the Glass Bowl. Since then, Toledo had the top recruiting class in the Mid-American Conference.

Ohio State: First year head coach Luke Fickell has never left Ohio. Except when he spent one brief year at Akron as the defensive coordinator, Fickell has always been a Buckeye. Fickell was named Ohio State's head coach after Jim Tressel announced his resignation in May.

Though only his first year, coach Fickell is already making changes, including hiring former player (and current brother-in-law) Mike Vrabel as the new linebackers coach.

The Bottom Line: Both coaches are fairly new, and Beckman does have an edge in experience. However, the Buckeyes have a greater overall talent that Fickell can manipulate in a variety of ways. The advantage goes to Ohio State.  

The Bottom Line

Though Tim Beckman will certainly not let his Rockets go down without a fight, Ohio State will have another easy victory. In 2009, Ohio State shutout Toledo 38-0. This was Beckman's first year, and he certainly has gained experience.

However, Coach Fickell's Buckeyes still have a chip on their shoulder, and they are determined to shock the world this season.

Score Prediction: Ohio State 34, Toledo 10