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LGHL Streaming expert has the best ways to watch Ohio State vs. Marshall for free without cable
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Streaming expert has the best ways to watch Ohio State vs. Marshall for free without cable
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images
You’ve got a number of free trials you can choose from of various lengths and breadths.
The No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes are back in action after an odd Week 3 bye. On Saturday, Sept. 21, they will welcome the Marshall Thundering Herd to Ohio Stadium. The Bucks and Broncos will kick off at 12 noon ET in a game airing on Fox. This will be OSU’s first Big Noon Game of the week, and with it comes the Big Noon Kickoff traveling road show. The pregame show will begin at 10 a.m. ET also on Fox.
This season, the Buckeyes will play on three different broadcast networks (CBS, Fox, and NBC), at least one cable channel (Big Ten Network), and exclusively on a streaming service (Peacock); it can be tough to keep up with where and how to watch your favorite team.
As cord-cutting has become far more the norm than the exception across the United States, it would not be a surprise if you gave up cable or a live-streaming service following last year’s season only to realize that it’s the day of the game and you have no way to watch it.
And I know it can be incredibly confusing to find the best way to watch a game in today’s entertainment landscape. Fortunately for you, I am something of a streaming expert... no really, I write about streaming services for a living. So, I am going to walk you through the best — and cheapest — ways for you to stream today’s game.
Game Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 21 at 12 noon ET
TV: Fox
Broadcasters: Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt
Betting Line: Ohio State -39.5 | 52.5 o/u
Best Streaming Option for All College Football Games:
If you’re either looking for a streaming service just for this weekend of football or to watch as much college football as possible, then Hulu + Live TV very well might be the perfect option. Everyone who signs up gets a three-day free trial, so you can watch the entire college football Saturday, NFL Sunday, and “Monday Night Football” without having to pay a single penny.
But, if you are looking for something for the whole season, then Hulu is great because it comes with ESPN+ (more on that below), so in addition to all of the channels available on the live streaming service, you also get all of the streaming-exclusive games via the worldwide leader’s platform.
Hulu + Live TV has one of the few guaranteed multi-day free trials in the industry and provides nearly all of the major cable channels on the market. The basic package comes with all of the major broadcast network channels — all of which have college football — ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC. It also has ESPN, ESPN2, Big Ten Network, FS1, FS2, ESPNU, CBS Sports Network, SEC Network, ACC Network, and the NFL Network (yes, they have college games) without having to sign up for any sports add-on plans. However, if you do want more sports, you can add NFL RedZone, MLB StrikeZone, FanDuel TV, the Tennis Channel, and more.
What’s great about Hulu + Live TV is that in addition to all of the broadcast and cable channels that you could possibly want, it also comes with the Disney Bundle for free. So, you also get the full on-demand Hulu library, Disney+, and ESPN+, which also has hundreds of college football games every season.
Currently, a subscription to Hulu + Live TV costs $76.99 per month after your three-day free trial. However, that will go up to $82.99 in mid-October. But between now and then, this is the best choice for watching college football
DIRECTV STREAM: $79.99 per month five-day free trial
Sling TV: As low as $40 per month | First month 50% off | Get four months with all sports channels for $199.
Fubo: $84.99 per month, at least a one-day free trial
YouTube TV: $72.99 per month
Below is your Ohio State vs. Marshall 2024 game thread. Be respectful, be kind and — as always — keep it classy, BuckeyeNation. If you like GIFs, lay ‘em on us. In all, be good fans, cheer for your teams, be cool to each other (even if somebody else isn’t) and everyone wins. Let’s finish the season strong!
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images
You’ve got a number of free trials you can choose from of various lengths and breadths.
The No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes are back in action after an odd Week 3 bye. On Saturday, Sept. 21, they will welcome the Marshall Thundering Herd to Ohio Stadium. The Bucks and Broncos will kick off at 12 noon ET in a game airing on Fox. This will be OSU’s first Big Noon Game of the week, and with it comes the Big Noon Kickoff traveling road show. The pregame show will begin at 10 a.m. ET also on Fox.
This season, the Buckeyes will play on three different broadcast networks (CBS, Fox, and NBC), at least one cable channel (Big Ten Network), and exclusively on a streaming service (Peacock); it can be tough to keep up with where and how to watch your favorite team.
As cord-cutting has become far more the norm than the exception across the United States, it would not be a surprise if you gave up cable or a live-streaming service following last year’s season only to realize that it’s the day of the game and you have no way to watch it.
And I know it can be incredibly confusing to find the best way to watch a game in today’s entertainment landscape. Fortunately for you, I am something of a streaming expert... no really, I write about streaming services for a living. So, I am going to walk you through the best — and cheapest — ways for you to stream today’s game.
How can I watch the No. 2 Ohio State vs. Western Michigan college football game?
Game Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 21 at 12 noon ET
TV: Fox
Broadcasters: Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt
Betting Line: Ohio State -39.5 | 52.5 o/u
Best Streaming Option for All College Football Games:
Hulu + Live TV | 3-Day Free Trial
If you’re either looking for a streaming service just for this weekend of football or to watch as much college football as possible, then Hulu + Live TV very well might be the perfect option. Everyone who signs up gets a three-day free trial, so you can watch the entire college football Saturday, NFL Sunday, and “Monday Night Football” without having to pay a single penny.
But, if you are looking for something for the whole season, then Hulu is great because it comes with ESPN+ (more on that below), so in addition to all of the channels available on the live streaming service, you also get all of the streaming-exclusive games via the worldwide leader’s platform.
Hulu + Live TV has one of the few guaranteed multi-day free trials in the industry and provides nearly all of the major cable channels on the market. The basic package comes with all of the major broadcast network channels — all of which have college football — ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC. It also has ESPN, ESPN2, Big Ten Network, FS1, FS2, ESPNU, CBS Sports Network, SEC Network, ACC Network, and the NFL Network (yes, they have college games) without having to sign up for any sports add-on plans. However, if you do want more sports, you can add NFL RedZone, MLB StrikeZone, FanDuel TV, the Tennis Channel, and more.
What’s great about Hulu + Live TV is that in addition to all of the broadcast and cable channels that you could possibly want, it also comes with the Disney Bundle for free. So, you also get the full on-demand Hulu library, Disney+, and ESPN+, which also has hundreds of college football games every season.
Currently, a subscription to Hulu + Live TV costs $76.99 per month after your three-day free trial. However, that will go up to $82.99 in mid-October. But between now and then, this is the best choice for watching college football
Other Streaming Options for the Ohio State and Akron Game:
DIRECTV STREAM: $79.99 per month five-day free trial
Sling TV: As low as $40 per month | First month 50% off | Get four months with all sports channels for $199.
Fubo: $84.99 per month, at least a one-day free trial
YouTube TV: $72.99 per month
Join the conversation
Below is your Ohio State vs. Marshall 2024 game thread. Be respectful, be kind and — as always — keep it classy, BuckeyeNation. If you like GIFs, lay ‘em on us. In all, be good fans, cheer for your teams, be cool to each other (even if somebody else isn’t) and everyone wins. Let’s finish the season strong!
Continue reading...
LGHL “Pace and Poise”: Jake Diebler preparing his Buckeyes to speed things up in year one
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“Pace and Poise”: Jake Diebler preparing his Buckeyes to speed things up in year one
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Ohio State was one of the slowest power-conference teams over the past seven seasons.
First-year head coach Jake Diebler doesn’t want his first Ohio State team to operate a reckless, “run and gun” offense that sacrifices composure and execution for the sole purpose of moving fast. He does, however, want his Buckeyes to move at a pace much faster than fans are accustomed to seeing out over the past several years.
“We just have to play with pace and poise,” Diebler told Land-Grant Holy Land last week. “That’s kind of what we say around here — play with pace and poise. You can’t be all pace, no poise.”
Ohio State played with plenty of poise under Diebler last season once he was promoted to interim head coach — and ultimately the full-time head coach — of the program he grew up admiring as a northwest Ohio kid. The Buckeyes went 8-3 under Diebler last season after playing to a 14-11 record in Chris Holtmann’s seventh season until the latter was fired in mid-February.
Ohio State routinely clocked in outside of the top 200 in adjusted tempo under Holtmann. Despite yearly conversations about playing with pace that popped up in the pre-season, it just never happened under Holtmann — who is now the head coach at DePaul.
Here are Ohio State’s ranks in adjusted tempo over the past seven seasons, out of all Division-I teams. Adjusted tempo is a statistic used by statistician Ken Pomeroy to measure a team’s pace, and is the average number of possessions a team has per 40 minutes.
2017-18: 238 out of 351
2018-19: 274 out of 353
2019-20: 280 out of 353
2020-21: 251 out of 357
2021-22: 289 out of 358
2022-23: 247 out of 363
2023-24: 251 out of 362
If things go to plan this year for Diebler, that trend is going to stop with his first Ohio State team.
“Call it respect to the coaches in the Big Ten, but I just don’t really want to go up against a set defense over and over and over again,” Diebler said. “I think it makes it very challenging. So our intent with the pace that we’re playing at is to get the defense on their heels as quickly as possible. If we can create an advantage early in the (shot) clock, we want to take that advantage. If we can create a mismatch early in the (shot) clock with our pace, we want to maintain that mismatch.”
Diebler was tasked with recruiting reinforcements out of the transfer portal this spring following the departures of Scotty Middleton, Roddy Gayle, Felix Okpara, and Bowen Hardman. At the same time, Diebler had to make calls and fill out his own coaching staff, leaving much of the transfer portal search up to him.
One goal for Diebler was to add more athleticism and speed to the roster — players who are capable of not just playing multiple positions, but also to play at the speed that he envisions this team playing at.
To that end, he added:
In an ideal world, Diebler sees his first team finding success because his lead guards, Johnson and Bruce Thornton, push the pace and keep opponents on their heels. So far Diebler — who coached Johnson during his first stint at Ohio State — likes the chemistry that he is seeing between his two guards.
“You see a natural chemistry and it’s fun to watch both guys be able to play off each other, playmaker for each other,” Diebler said.
He went on: “We certainly have some talented pieces, starting with those two. But those guys really want to win, and they want to win for Ohio State. And I think that’s so great, it sets a great tone for our entire team. But whether it’s Bruce creating for Meechie, or Meechie creating for Bruce, certainly both guys are two-way players, which is important, two-way players at the guard position. So I’ve been impressed with just the natural chemistry that has formed really early on — started this summer and is continuing to develop as we get into fall practice.”
And although Johnson and Thornton have not played on the same team before, that doesn’t mean the two weren’t previously acquainted. During the summer of 2021, Johnson was Thornton’s host on an official visit to Columbus.
Now things have come full circle for the fifth-year senior from Cleveland and the junior guard from just north of Atlanta. Johnson returned to Ohio State to finish his career on a high note and get the Buckeyes back into the NCAA Tournament. Thornton is looking to put the last two seasons of missing the tournament behind him and help carry his team on a deep March run with the head coach who recruited him to Ohio State four years ago.
And in the words of the great Ricky Bobby, they want to go fast.
Continue reading...
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Ohio State was one of the slowest power-conference teams over the past seven seasons.
First-year head coach Jake Diebler doesn’t want his first Ohio State team to operate a reckless, “run and gun” offense that sacrifices composure and execution for the sole purpose of moving fast. He does, however, want his Buckeyes to move at a pace much faster than fans are accustomed to seeing out over the past several years.
“We just have to play with pace and poise,” Diebler told Land-Grant Holy Land last week. “That’s kind of what we say around here — play with pace and poise. You can’t be all pace, no poise.”
Ohio State played with plenty of poise under Diebler last season once he was promoted to interim head coach — and ultimately the full-time head coach — of the program he grew up admiring as a northwest Ohio kid. The Buckeyes went 8-3 under Diebler last season after playing to a 14-11 record in Chris Holtmann’s seventh season until the latter was fired in mid-February.
Ohio State routinely clocked in outside of the top 200 in adjusted tempo under Holtmann. Despite yearly conversations about playing with pace that popped up in the pre-season, it just never happened under Holtmann — who is now the head coach at DePaul.
Here are Ohio State’s ranks in adjusted tempo over the past seven seasons, out of all Division-I teams. Adjusted tempo is a statistic used by statistician Ken Pomeroy to measure a team’s pace, and is the average number of possessions a team has per 40 minutes.
2017-18: 238 out of 351
2018-19: 274 out of 353
2019-20: 280 out of 353
2020-21: 251 out of 357
2021-22: 289 out of 358
2022-23: 247 out of 363
2023-24: 251 out of 362
If things go to plan this year for Diebler, that trend is going to stop with his first Ohio State team.
“Call it respect to the coaches in the Big Ten, but I just don’t really want to go up against a set defense over and over and over again,” Diebler said. “I think it makes it very challenging. So our intent with the pace that we’re playing at is to get the defense on their heels as quickly as possible. If we can create an advantage early in the (shot) clock, we want to take that advantage. If we can create a mismatch early in the (shot) clock with our pace, we want to maintain that mismatch.”
Let's make it official.
Welcome Hme @MeechieJohnson0
Meechie Johnson Jr. has officially been added to our 2024-25 roster.#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/xLQfioVMTn
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) April 9, 2024
Diebler was tasked with recruiting reinforcements out of the transfer portal this spring following the departures of Scotty Middleton, Roddy Gayle, Felix Okpara, and Bowen Hardman. At the same time, Diebler had to make calls and fill out his own coaching staff, leaving much of the transfer portal search up to him.
One goal for Diebler was to add more athleticism and speed to the roster — players who are capable of not just playing multiple positions, but also to play at the speed that he envisions this team playing at.
To that end, he added:
- Micah Parrish, a lanky, left-handed guard who played at San Diego State the past two seasons.
- Aaron Bradshaw, a lean, seven-foot-tall center from Kentucky who was a five-star recruit in the 2023 class
- Sean Stewart, a former five-star forward in the 2023 class that set the vertical jump record at Duke, previously held by Zion Williamson
- Ques Glover, a quick, twitchy 6-foot tall guard who previously played at Florida and Samford
- Meechie Johnson, an All-SEC guard at South Carolina last season who played his first two years at Ohio State
In an ideal world, Diebler sees his first team finding success because his lead guards, Johnson and Bruce Thornton, push the pace and keep opponents on their heels. So far Diebler — who coached Johnson during his first stint at Ohio State — likes the chemistry that he is seeing between his two guards.
“You see a natural chemistry and it’s fun to watch both guys be able to play off each other, playmaker for each other,” Diebler said.
He went on: “We certainly have some talented pieces, starting with those two. But those guys really want to win, and they want to win for Ohio State. And I think that’s so great, it sets a great tone for our entire team. But whether it’s Bruce creating for Meechie, or Meechie creating for Bruce, certainly both guys are two-way players, which is important, two-way players at the guard position. So I’ve been impressed with just the natural chemistry that has formed really early on — started this summer and is continuing to develop as we get into fall practice.”
And although Johnson and Thornton have not played on the same team before, that doesn’t mean the two weren’t previously acquainted. During the summer of 2021, Johnson was Thornton’s host on an official visit to Columbus.
Now things have come full circle for the fifth-year senior from Cleveland and the junior guard from just north of Atlanta. Johnson returned to Ohio State to finish his career on a high note and get the Buckeyes back into the NCAA Tournament. Thornton is looking to put the last two seasons of missing the tournament behind him and help carry his team on a deep March run with the head coach who recruited him to Ohio State four years ago.
And in the words of the great Ricky Bobby, they want to go fast.
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State v. Marshall: 2024 game preview and prediction
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Ohio State v. Marshall: 2024 game preview and prediction
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Saturday’s game will be the third meeting between the Buckeyes and Thundering Herd.
After rolling through the first two games of their 2024 regular season schedule, Ohio State had the first of their first two bye weeks last week. The Buckeyes will be back in action on Saturday, hosting the Marshall Thundering Herd in their final non-conference game of the regular season before jumping into Big Ten play next week. Last time Ohio State played they easily took care of business against Western Michigan, shutting out the Broncos 56-0.
Saturday’s contest will be the third time Ohio State and Marshall have met, with the Buckeyes winning the first two meetings, although the record books will only show Ohio State holding a 1-0 edge since the 45-7 Buckeye in 2010 was vacated due to the “Tatgate” scandal. The first time the teams played was back in 2004. Ohio State won that game 24-21 thanks to a game-winning 54-yard field goal from Mike Nugent.
The Buckeyes enter this game averaging 543.5 yards per game, ranking eighth in the country, while also giving up an FBS-low 138 yards per game. Ohio State, Tennessee, and Louisville are the only teams in the country to be ranked in the top-10 in both categories. The Buckeyes can attribute their success on both sides of the football to the tremendous number of veterans they field, as they have 21 players with at least 10 starts.
In their season opener against Akron, Ohio State struggled to run the football, finishing with 170 yards on the ground. The rushing attack from the Buckeyes looked a lot crisper against Western Michigan, as Ohio State found the end zone six times on the ground, tying for the highest total under Ryan Day which came in 2019 against Maryland. The 273 rushing yards were the most by the offense since they rolled up 340 yards on the ground against Indiana in 2022.
Quinshon Judkins was the leading rusher for the Buckeyes against Western Michigan, finishing with 108 yards, notching his first 100-yard rushing game as a Buckeye. Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson each rushed for two touchdowns against the Broncos, while James Peoples found the end zone for the second straight game.
Judkins and Henderson are each nearing 3,000 career yards rushing and 40 rushing touchdowns. Judkins enters this week’s game with 2,888 yards rushing and 37 scores, and Henderson has 2,876 yards and 39 touchdowns. With 124 yards rushing, Henderson will not only hit 3,000 career yards rushing, he will also pass Carlos Snow for 12th-most in school history.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25629878/2170748695.jpg "Western Michigan v Ohio State")
Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images
The running backs weren’t the only ones to have fun against Western Michigan. Jeremiah Smith continued the outstanding start to his Buckeye career with a 70-yard touchdown catch, finishing with 119 yards receiving, which were the fourth-most by an Ohio State true freshman receiver in a game. Smith is the first Buckeye receiver to amass at least 200 total receiving yards in their first two games.
Along with Smith’s historic start to his career, Emeka Egbuka continues to work his way up the school’s receiving record books. Egbuka is now the 13th Buckeye in school history to crack 2,000 career receiving yards, with five of receivers reaching that mark in the last six years.
With two more receptions, Egbuka will tie Ted Ginn Jr. for 12th-most in school history, and he will also move into 12th place in career receiving yardage with 85 more yards, passing Dee Miller’s career total of 2,090 yards.
Will Howard hasn’t had to put up huge numbers through his first two games as a Buckeye, all he has had to do is play smart football, which is exactly what he has done. Howards has completed 35 of his 54 pass attempts for 520 yards with four passing touchdowns. Against Western Michigan, Howard rushed for his first touchdown as a Buckeye.
Since Ohio State had such a big lead against the Broncos, Alabama transfer Julian Sayin was able to toss the first touchdown pass of his college career, finding Bennett Christian for a 55-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
As good as the Ohio State offense has been through two games, the defense has been even better. Along with allowing the fewest yards per game in the country, the Buckeyes haven’t allowed their opponents this year to take a snap inside the red zone. Georgia, Ole Miss, and Ohio State are the only teams in the country who have yet to allow a touchdown so far this season.
The six points the Buckeyes have allowed so far this season are their third-lowest total through two games since 1950. The only seasons where they allowed less points through two games was in 1960 and 1963 when they pitched shutouts in their first two games of the season.
Following the missed field goal attempt from Western Michigan in the first half, Ohio State kept the next 10 drives from the Broncos from crossing midfield. When the game went final, Western Michigan finished with just 99 yards of total offense.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25629876/2170139390.jpg "COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEP 07 Western Michigan at Ohio State")
Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
While the defense had little problem shutting down Akron, the group got even stronger in the second game with the return of linebacker Cody Simon, who registered a sack in the shutout. The linebacker group is looking very impressive to start the season with Simon, Sonny Styles, and C.J. Hicks all making plays. A surprise at the position has been Arvell Reese, with the sophomore from Cleveland impressing when his number has been called so far this year.
Leading the team in tackles through two games is safety Lathan Ransom, who has 11 stops so far. Along with Ransom, lining up at safety is Caleb Downs, who showed last year at Alabama the type of playmaker he can be. About the only negative play from the secondary this year has been Denzel Burke’s targeting penalty in the first half against Western Michigan. Since the penalty happened in the first 30 minutes of the game, Burke won’t miss any time in this week’s game.
The secondary has definitely benefited from the pressure the defensive line has been putting on opposing quarterbacks. J.T. Tuimoloau and Tyleik Williams each have a sack and a half this season, while Jack Sawyer has a sack to go along with what feels like relentless quarterback pressure.
When the defensive line is playing like they have through two games, it makes the jobs of the rest of the defense so much easier, and increases the probability of negative plays and turnovers.
Marshall enters Saturday’s game having split their first two games of the 2024 season, beating Stony Brook 45-3 in their opener before losing at Virginia Tech 31-14 two weeks ago. Like Ohio State, the Thundering Herd had a bye week heading into this week’s matchup.
Marshall is looking for their second win over a top-10 team in the last three years, as back in 2022 the Thundering Herd beat Notre Dame 26-21 in South Bend a week after the Fighting Irish opened the season with a loss to the Buckeyes in Columbus.
Charles Huff is in his fourth year as Marshall head coach, posting a 23-18 record during his time in Huntington. Prior to taking over for Doc Holliday, Huff was associate head coach and running backs coach at Alabama for two seasons. Huff has plenty of familiarity with the Ohio State program since he was running backs coach at Penn State from 2014 to 2017.
The Thundering Herd have made a bowl game in each of the last three seasons under Huff, most recently losing the Frisco Bowl to UTSA 35-17 in December.
After last year’s starting quarterback Cam Fancher transferred to Florida Atlantic, North Texas transfer Stone Earle has started the first two games of the season for Marshall, completing 23 of his 52 pass attempts for 228 yards, tossing three touchdowns and an interception. The redshirt senior has also rushed for 86 yards on 18 carries.
One of Earle’s backups will have a familiar name to football fans, as Cole Pennington is the son of legendary Marshall quarterback Chad Pennington. The redshirt sophomore started the win over Georgia Southern last year. In the win over Stony Brook, not only did Earle and Pennington throw touchdown passes, but so did Braylon Braxton, marking the third time in school history three quarterbacks threw touchdown passes in the same game.
Lining up in the backfield with Earle is running back A.J. Turner, who has 222 yards and a touchdown on just 14 carries this season. Turner not only ripped off an 80-yard touchdown run in the season opener, he had a 69-yard rush against Virginia Tech, making him the third player and school history to have runs of at least 69 yards in back-to-back games. Ethan Payne has Marshall’s other rushing touchdown this year.
The wide receiving corps for the Thundering Herd is filled with transfer, most notably Christian Fitzpatrick, who started his career at Michigan State where he was an opponent of the Buckeyes three times. Fitzpatrick has already hauled in two touchdowns this season. Joining Fitzpatrick in the two touchdown club through two games is Middle Tennessee State transfer Elijah Metcalf, who had 54 catches for over 600 yards and five touchdowns. Also in the group are transfers from Florida State, Ole Miss, North Carolina, and Tulsa.
Much like the wide receivers, the offensive line has a number of transfers that have started in the first two games. Marshall did return center Logan Osburn and Columbus product Jalen Slappy at right guard, with the two combining for 37 starts entering this season. Joining them are Baylor transfer Elijah Ellis and Southern Miss transfer Bryce Ramsey on the left side of the line, and right tackle Jeremy Jones from Tulsa.
Making the most noise on the defensive line so far for the Thundering Herd is defensive end Mike Green, who had two sacks against Virginia Tech. The Virginia transfer leads the team with 3.5 sacks through two games. Deeve Harris is now playing at the fourth school in his college career. Minnesota, Old Dominion, and Colorado were the previous stops for Harris. Dylan Davis has a sack and a half this year, as well as some familiarity with Big Ten football after transferring from Illinois.
Tying for the team lead in tackles this year for Marshall are linebackers Jaden Yates and Landyn Watson, with both making 20 stops this year. Yates played his high school football at Gahanna Lincoln and was first team all-state in 2022. Watson started his college at career at TCU before transferring to Marshall prior to last season. This year Watson is seeing a lot more playing time after being credited with just four tackles last year.
The elder statesman of the secondary is J.J. Roberts, who was honorable mention All-Sun Belt last year after transferring from Wake Forest. So far this season Roberts has 11 tackles, which is most among the team’s defensive backs. Another returning starter is nickelback Jadarius Green-McKnight, who has appeared in 22 games for Marshall since 2022 since transferring from Florida State. Jordan Reagan has the team’s lone interception this year.
This game should play out a lot like what was seen from Ohio State against Akron and Western Michigan. There really is no reason the Buckeyes should struggle with Marshall. Ohio State has superior depth and talent at each position. The only question is will we see the Buckeyes have a bit of a slow start like we saw against Akron since they are coming off a bye and there are times when it takes a couple drives to knock some rust off after a week off.
This is a game where Ryan Day is going to want his team build off what they showed over the first two games. Against Western Michigan, the Buckeyes looked a lot more comfortable running the football. The offensive line will get a boost with the return of Donovan Jackson after the leader of the line missed the first two games. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly will have a lot of fun blending the run and pass with the offense at full strength.
Even if Ohio State takes a couple drives to get going at least they know they have one of the best defenses in the country backing them up. With top talent at every level of the defense, teams are going to struggle to put points on the board against the Buckeyes. Marshall will have their work cut out for them to even reach double digits in this game. The pressure the defensive line creates will likely fluster quarterback Stone Earle early and often.
While winning is the main goal, managing your starters after building a lead is just as important. With this being the longest season of college football ever, Ohio State has to avoid injuries and keep players fresh. Next week the Buckeyes hit the road for the first time this year as they open up Big Ten play. If they go in healthy, Michigan State is going to have a hard time keeping the game close.
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Saturday’s game will be the third meeting between the Buckeyes and Thundering Herd.
After rolling through the first two games of their 2024 regular season schedule, Ohio State had the first of their first two bye weeks last week. The Buckeyes will be back in action on Saturday, hosting the Marshall Thundering Herd in their final non-conference game of the regular season before jumping into Big Ten play next week. Last time Ohio State played they easily took care of business against Western Michigan, shutting out the Broncos 56-0.
Saturday’s contest will be the third time Ohio State and Marshall have met, with the Buckeyes winning the first two meetings, although the record books will only show Ohio State holding a 1-0 edge since the 45-7 Buckeye in 2010 was vacated due to the “Tatgate” scandal. The first time the teams played was back in 2004. Ohio State won that game 24-21 thanks to a game-winning 54-yard field goal from Mike Nugent.
The Buckeyes enter this game averaging 543.5 yards per game, ranking eighth in the country, while also giving up an FBS-low 138 yards per game. Ohio State, Tennessee, and Louisville are the only teams in the country to be ranked in the top-10 in both categories. The Buckeyes can attribute their success on both sides of the football to the tremendous number of veterans they field, as they have 21 players with at least 10 starts.
Coming off a complete performance against Western Michigan
In their season opener against Akron, Ohio State struggled to run the football, finishing with 170 yards on the ground. The rushing attack from the Buckeyes looked a lot crisper against Western Michigan, as Ohio State found the end zone six times on the ground, tying for the highest total under Ryan Day which came in 2019 against Maryland. The 273 rushing yards were the most by the offense since they rolled up 340 yards on the ground against Indiana in 2022.
Quinshon Judkins was the leading rusher for the Buckeyes against Western Michigan, finishing with 108 yards, notching his first 100-yard rushing game as a Buckeye. Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson each rushed for two touchdowns against the Broncos, while James Peoples found the end zone for the second straight game.
Judkins and Henderson are each nearing 3,000 career yards rushing and 40 rushing touchdowns. Judkins enters this week’s game with 2,888 yards rushing and 37 scores, and Henderson has 2,876 yards and 39 touchdowns. With 124 yards rushing, Henderson will not only hit 3,000 career yards rushing, he will also pass Carlos Snow for 12th-most in school history.
The running backs weren’t the only ones to have fun against Western Michigan. Jeremiah Smith continued the outstanding start to his Buckeye career with a 70-yard touchdown catch, finishing with 119 yards receiving, which were the fourth-most by an Ohio State true freshman receiver in a game. Smith is the first Buckeye receiver to amass at least 200 total receiving yards in their first two games.
Along with Smith’s historic start to his career, Emeka Egbuka continues to work his way up the school’s receiving record books. Egbuka is now the 13th Buckeye in school history to crack 2,000 career receiving yards, with five of receivers reaching that mark in the last six years.
With two more receptions, Egbuka will tie Ted Ginn Jr. for 12th-most in school history, and he will also move into 12th place in career receiving yardage with 85 more yards, passing Dee Miller’s career total of 2,090 yards.
Will Howard hasn’t had to put up huge numbers through his first two games as a Buckeye, all he has had to do is play smart football, which is exactly what he has done. Howards has completed 35 of his 54 pass attempts for 520 yards with four passing touchdowns. Against Western Michigan, Howard rushed for his first touchdown as a Buckeye.
Since Ohio State had such a big lead against the Broncos, Alabama transfer Julian Sayin was able to toss the first touchdown pass of his college career, finding Bennett Christian for a 55-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Not giving an inch
As good as the Ohio State offense has been through two games, the defense has been even better. Along with allowing the fewest yards per game in the country, the Buckeyes haven’t allowed their opponents this year to take a snap inside the red zone. Georgia, Ole Miss, and Ohio State are the only teams in the country who have yet to allow a touchdown so far this season.
The six points the Buckeyes have allowed so far this season are their third-lowest total through two games since 1950. The only seasons where they allowed less points through two games was in 1960 and 1963 when they pitched shutouts in their first two games of the season.
Following the missed field goal attempt from Western Michigan in the first half, Ohio State kept the next 10 drives from the Broncos from crossing midfield. When the game went final, Western Michigan finished with just 99 yards of total offense.
While the defense had little problem shutting down Akron, the group got even stronger in the second game with the return of linebacker Cody Simon, who registered a sack in the shutout. The linebacker group is looking very impressive to start the season with Simon, Sonny Styles, and C.J. Hicks all making plays. A surprise at the position has been Arvell Reese, with the sophomore from Cleveland impressing when his number has been called so far this year.
Leading the team in tackles through two games is safety Lathan Ransom, who has 11 stops so far. Along with Ransom, lining up at safety is Caleb Downs, who showed last year at Alabama the type of playmaker he can be. About the only negative play from the secondary this year has been Denzel Burke’s targeting penalty in the first half against Western Michigan. Since the penalty happened in the first 30 minutes of the game, Burke won’t miss any time in this week’s game.
The secondary has definitely benefited from the pressure the defensive line has been putting on opposing quarterbacks. J.T. Tuimoloau and Tyleik Williams each have a sack and a half this season, while Jack Sawyer has a sack to go along with what feels like relentless quarterback pressure.
When the defensive line is playing like they have through two games, it makes the jobs of the rest of the defense so much easier, and increases the probability of negative plays and turnovers.
How Marshall has fared this year
Marshall enters Saturday’s game having split their first two games of the 2024 season, beating Stony Brook 45-3 in their opener before losing at Virginia Tech 31-14 two weeks ago. Like Ohio State, the Thundering Herd had a bye week heading into this week’s matchup.
Marshall is looking for their second win over a top-10 team in the last three years, as back in 2022 the Thundering Herd beat Notre Dame 26-21 in South Bend a week after the Fighting Irish opened the season with a loss to the Buckeyes in Columbus.
Charles Huff is in his fourth year as Marshall head coach, posting a 23-18 record during his time in Huntington. Prior to taking over for Doc Holliday, Huff was associate head coach and running backs coach at Alabama for two seasons. Huff has plenty of familiarity with the Ohio State program since he was running backs coach at Penn State from 2014 to 2017.
The Thundering Herd have made a bowl game in each of the last three seasons under Huff, most recently losing the Frisco Bowl to UTSA 35-17 in December.
Marshall on offense
After last year’s starting quarterback Cam Fancher transferred to Florida Atlantic, North Texas transfer Stone Earle has started the first two games of the season for Marshall, completing 23 of his 52 pass attempts for 228 yards, tossing three touchdowns and an interception. The redshirt senior has also rushed for 86 yards on 18 carries.
One of Earle’s backups will have a familiar name to football fans, as Cole Pennington is the son of legendary Marshall quarterback Chad Pennington. The redshirt sophomore started the win over Georgia Southern last year. In the win over Stony Brook, not only did Earle and Pennington throw touchdown passes, but so did Braylon Braxton, marking the third time in school history three quarterbacks threw touchdown passes in the same game.
Lining up in the backfield with Earle is running back A.J. Turner, who has 222 yards and a touchdown on just 14 carries this season. Turner not only ripped off an 80-yard touchdown run in the season opener, he had a 69-yard rush against Virginia Tech, making him the third player and school history to have runs of at least 69 yards in back-to-back games. Ethan Payne has Marshall’s other rushing touchdown this year.
The wide receiving corps for the Thundering Herd is filled with transfer, most notably Christian Fitzpatrick, who started his career at Michigan State where he was an opponent of the Buckeyes three times. Fitzpatrick has already hauled in two touchdowns this season. Joining Fitzpatrick in the two touchdown club through two games is Middle Tennessee State transfer Elijah Metcalf, who had 54 catches for over 600 yards and five touchdowns. Also in the group are transfers from Florida State, Ole Miss, North Carolina, and Tulsa.
Much like the wide receivers, the offensive line has a number of transfers that have started in the first two games. Marshall did return center Logan Osburn and Columbus product Jalen Slappy at right guard, with the two combining for 37 starts entering this season. Joining them are Baylor transfer Elijah Ellis and Southern Miss transfer Bryce Ramsey on the left side of the line, and right tackle Jeremy Jones from Tulsa.
The defense of the Thundering Herd
Making the most noise on the defensive line so far for the Thundering Herd is defensive end Mike Green, who had two sacks against Virginia Tech. The Virginia transfer leads the team with 3.5 sacks through two games. Deeve Harris is now playing at the fourth school in his college career. Minnesota, Old Dominion, and Colorado were the previous stops for Harris. Dylan Davis has a sack and a half this year, as well as some familiarity with Big Ten football after transferring from Illinois.
Tying for the team lead in tackles this year for Marshall are linebackers Jaden Yates and Landyn Watson, with both making 20 stops this year. Yates played his high school football at Gahanna Lincoln and was first team all-state in 2022. Watson started his college at career at TCU before transferring to Marshall prior to last season. This year Watson is seeing a lot more playing time after being credited with just four tackles last year.
The elder statesman of the secondary is J.J. Roberts, who was honorable mention All-Sun Belt last year after transferring from Wake Forest. So far this season Roberts has 11 tackles, which is most among the team’s defensive backs. Another returning starter is nickelback Jadarius Green-McKnight, who has appeared in 22 games for Marshall since 2022 since transferring from Florida State. Jordan Reagan has the team’s lone interception this year.
Prediction
This game should play out a lot like what was seen from Ohio State against Akron and Western Michigan. There really is no reason the Buckeyes should struggle with Marshall. Ohio State has superior depth and talent at each position. The only question is will we see the Buckeyes have a bit of a slow start like we saw against Akron since they are coming off a bye and there are times when it takes a couple drives to knock some rust off after a week off.
This is a game where Ryan Day is going to want his team build off what they showed over the first two games. Against Western Michigan, the Buckeyes looked a lot more comfortable running the football. The offensive line will get a boost with the return of Donovan Jackson after the leader of the line missed the first two games. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly will have a lot of fun blending the run and pass with the offense at full strength.
Even if Ohio State takes a couple drives to get going at least they know they have one of the best defenses in the country backing them up. With top talent at every level of the defense, teams are going to struggle to put points on the board against the Buckeyes. Marshall will have their work cut out for them to even reach double digits in this game. The pressure the defensive line creates will likely fluster quarterback Stone Earle early and often.
While winning is the main goal, managing your starters after building a lead is just as important. With this being the longest season of college football ever, Ohio State has to avoid injuries and keep players fresh. Next week the Buckeyes hit the road for the first time this year as they open up Big Ten play. If they go in healthy, Michigan State is going to have a hard time keeping the game close.
LGHL score prediction: Ohio State 45, Marshall 7
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LGHL MC&J: Tennessee-Oklahoma is Week 4’s spotlight game nationally
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MC&J: Tennessee-Oklahoma is Week 4’s spotlight game nationally
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images
Oklahoma plays their first game in the SEC against a man who led them to a national title.
Last week ATS: 8-12 (3-4 National, 5-8 B1G)
Season ATS: 31-30 (9-9 National, 22-21 B1G)
You can find my picks for all this week’s games involving Big Ten teams here.
Stanford v. Syracuse (-8.5) - Friday 7:30 p.m. ET - ESPN
It hasn’t taken Kyle McCord long to get comfortable in Syracuse. The former Ohio State quarterback has thrown for over 700 yards and eight touchdowns in the first two games of the season. The Orange have a sneaky good offense with McCord, big target Orande Gadsden II and running back LeQuint Allen.
Following a loss to TCU to open the season, the Cardinal easily defeated Cal Poly 41-7. Quarterback Ashton Daniels has some play-making ability, the issue is Stanford doesn’t have much around him. A long trip east against a team that has started hot under new head coach Fran Brown isn’t a spot I like for the Cardinal.
McCord continues his torrid start to the season as the Orange look like they could be a sleeper in the ACC.
Syracuse 38, Stanford 20
Georgia Tech v. No. 19 Louisville (-10.5) - 3:30 p.m. ET - ESPN2
It’s pretty wild that while some teams have only played two games heading into this week, Georgia Tech is getting ready to play their fifth game of the year. The Yellow Jackets got an early start to their season, playing Florida State in Ireland. The only setback of the season for Georgia Tech came on the road against Syracuse, but Haynes King and the Yellow Jackets fought all the way until the end.
I still have no idea what we have with Louisville. The Cardinals have only played Austin Peay and Jacksonville State, easily defeating both opponents. Taking the snaps for Louisville is former Oregon and Texas Tech quarterback Tyler Shough, who has thrown six touchdowns so far this year. With how much more Georgia Tech has been on the field, I feel like they could be a little sharper in this game.
Even if the Yellow Jackets don’t end up winning, I like them to cover the double-digit spread.
Georgia Tech 34, Louisville 31
No. 12 Utah (-1.5) v. No. 14 Oklahoma State - 4:00 p.m. ET - FOX
Utah hasn’t really looked all that sharp to start the season, letting Baylor hang around a couple weeks ago, followed by struggling early against Utah State with quarterback Cam Rising sidelined due to a finger injury. Having said all that, the Utes have won each of their three games by at least 11 points.
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Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images
Oklahoma State feels like they are all gas and no brakes with running back Ollie Gordon II and a trio of talented receivers led by Brennan Presley. Like Utah, the Cowboys have a quarterback that has been in college for nearly a decade. Alan Bowman has eight touchdown passes through three games, all of which were Oklahoma State wins. The Cowboys were tested in Stillwater a couple weeks ago as Arkansas took them to double overtime.
This game has the potential to be wild like the Arkansas game was. I give the edge to Utah because they feel a little more well-round on both sides of the football, and I trust Kyle Whittingham more than Mike Gundy. The Utes keep their CFP hopes alive with a big win.
Utah 35, Oklahoma State 27
Cal v. Florida State (-2.5) - 7:00 p.m. ET - ESPN2
Right now Florida State is the laughingstock of college football. Now is the perfect time to buy low! Unlike last week when they had a potent Memphis offense to prep for, Cal isn’t nearly as threatening on that side of the football. I know the Golden Bears have Jaydn Ott but the running back is banged up and didn’t play last week against San Diego State.
What the Seminoles have to do is limit mistakes from quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei. If they can get the former Clemson and Oregon State quarterback to be a game manager, they can stop their slide. They don’t need a big play from Uiagalelei, they just need him to make the smart play. Uiagalelei limits the mistakes and Florida State finally wins one.
Florida State 28, Cal 20
No. 6 Tennessee (-6.5) v. No. 15 Oklahoma - 7:30 p.m. ET - ABC
This is certainly the game I’m looking forward to most this week. Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel welcoming his alma mater into the SEC is an incredible storyline. The Volunteers have been ruthless this year, beating their first three opponents by nearly 60 points per game. In their latest blowout, Tennessee shutout Kent State 71-0 last week. Running back Dylan Sampson already has nine rushing touchdowns this season.
Oklahoma has had a bit of an odd start to the season. Even though the Sooners have won their first three games, they haven’t been all that impressive. Quarterback Jackson Arnold has made some plays, but nothing about what I’ve seen so far makes me think they can keep pace with Tennessee. While the atmosphere in Norman could help them a little bit, it’s not anything the Volunteers haven’t seen playing in the SEC.
Heupel and company continue to look like a serious playoff contender with a big road win.
Tennessee 41, Oklahoma 24
Baylor v. Colorado (-1.5) - 8:00 p.m. ET - FOX
I’ve picked against Colorado the last two games, splitting those contests. While I’m not in love with Deion Sanders’ team, I recognize they are more talented than Baylor. Last week Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter had a relatively easy win and will go into this game with confidence as Deion does all he can to keep these two relevant in the Heisman Trophy race.
After playing the first two games of the season, Toledo transfer quarterback Dequan Finn didn’t see any action last week in the win over Air Force, as Sawyer Robertson took the snaps for the Bears. No matter who plays this week for Baylor, I think they are going to have a tough time keep pace with the Buffaloes in Boulder.
Colorado keeps people caring for a little while longer with another win.
Colorado 37, Baylor 23
No. 13 Kansas State (-6.5) v. BYU - 10:30 p.m. ET - ESPN
Kansas State looked really good last Friday, dismantling Arizona in Manhattan. Now the Wildcats head to Provo, where it’s never easy to win. Avery Johnson and DJ Giddens have been a great one-two punch for Kansas State, allowing the Wildcats to wear down opposing defenses. Add in an opportunistic Kansas State defense and the Wildcats definitely are going to be a factor in the Big 12 this year.
On offense, BYU has quarterback Jake Retzlaff and not much else. Along with throwing seven touchdowns, Retzlaff is also the team’s leading rusher. Honestly though, the offense hasn’t had to do so much since the defense of the Cougars has been dominant, not allowing more than 15 points in a game so far this year.
Normally I might put more stock into BYU as a home dog, but Kansas State has already hit the road and beat a game Tulane squad. The Wildcats are a little too dynamic for the Cougars in this one.
Kansas State 33, BYU 21
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Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images
Oklahoma plays their first game in the SEC against a man who led them to a national title.
Last week ATS: 8-12 (3-4 National, 5-8 B1G)
Season ATS: 31-30 (9-9 National, 22-21 B1G)
You can find my picks for all this week’s games involving Big Ten teams here.
National games (All games Saturday unless otherwise noted)
Stanford v. Syracuse (-8.5) - Friday 7:30 p.m. ET - ESPN
It hasn’t taken Kyle McCord long to get comfortable in Syracuse. The former Ohio State quarterback has thrown for over 700 yards and eight touchdowns in the first two games of the season. The Orange have a sneaky good offense with McCord, big target Orande Gadsden II and running back LeQuint Allen.
Following a loss to TCU to open the season, the Cardinal easily defeated Cal Poly 41-7. Quarterback Ashton Daniels has some play-making ability, the issue is Stanford doesn’t have much around him. A long trip east against a team that has started hot under new head coach Fran Brown isn’t a spot I like for the Cardinal.
McCord continues his torrid start to the season as the Orange look like they could be a sleeper in the ACC.
Syracuse 38, Stanford 20
Georgia Tech v. No. 19 Louisville (-10.5) - 3:30 p.m. ET - ESPN2
It’s pretty wild that while some teams have only played two games heading into this week, Georgia Tech is getting ready to play their fifth game of the year. The Yellow Jackets got an early start to their season, playing Florida State in Ireland. The only setback of the season for Georgia Tech came on the road against Syracuse, but Haynes King and the Yellow Jackets fought all the way until the end.
I still have no idea what we have with Louisville. The Cardinals have only played Austin Peay and Jacksonville State, easily defeating both opponents. Taking the snaps for Louisville is former Oregon and Texas Tech quarterback Tyler Shough, who has thrown six touchdowns so far this year. With how much more Georgia Tech has been on the field, I feel like they could be a little sharper in this game.
Even if the Yellow Jackets don’t end up winning, I like them to cover the double-digit spread.
Georgia Tech 34, Louisville 31
No. 12 Utah (-1.5) v. No. 14 Oklahoma State - 4:00 p.m. ET - FOX
Utah hasn’t really looked all that sharp to start the season, letting Baylor hang around a couple weeks ago, followed by struggling early against Utah State with quarterback Cam Rising sidelined due to a finger injury. Having said all that, the Utes have won each of their three games by at least 11 points.
Oklahoma State feels like they are all gas and no brakes with running back Ollie Gordon II and a trio of talented receivers led by Brennan Presley. Like Utah, the Cowboys have a quarterback that has been in college for nearly a decade. Alan Bowman has eight touchdown passes through three games, all of which were Oklahoma State wins. The Cowboys were tested in Stillwater a couple weeks ago as Arkansas took them to double overtime.
This game has the potential to be wild like the Arkansas game was. I give the edge to Utah because they feel a little more well-round on both sides of the football, and I trust Kyle Whittingham more than Mike Gundy. The Utes keep their CFP hopes alive with a big win.
Utah 35, Oklahoma State 27
Cal v. Florida State (-2.5) - 7:00 p.m. ET - ESPN2
Right now Florida State is the laughingstock of college football. Now is the perfect time to buy low! Unlike last week when they had a potent Memphis offense to prep for, Cal isn’t nearly as threatening on that side of the football. I know the Golden Bears have Jaydn Ott but the running back is banged up and didn’t play last week against San Diego State.
What the Seminoles have to do is limit mistakes from quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei. If they can get the former Clemson and Oregon State quarterback to be a game manager, they can stop their slide. They don’t need a big play from Uiagalelei, they just need him to make the smart play. Uiagalelei limits the mistakes and Florida State finally wins one.
Florida State 28, Cal 20
No. 6 Tennessee (-6.5) v. No. 15 Oklahoma - 7:30 p.m. ET - ABC
This is certainly the game I’m looking forward to most this week. Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel welcoming his alma mater into the SEC is an incredible storyline. The Volunteers have been ruthless this year, beating their first three opponents by nearly 60 points per game. In their latest blowout, Tennessee shutout Kent State 71-0 last week. Running back Dylan Sampson already has nine rushing touchdowns this season.
Oklahoma has had a bit of an odd start to the season. Even though the Sooners have won their first three games, they haven’t been all that impressive. Quarterback Jackson Arnold has made some plays, but nothing about what I’ve seen so far makes me think they can keep pace with Tennessee. While the atmosphere in Norman could help them a little bit, it’s not anything the Volunteers haven’t seen playing in the SEC.
Heupel and company continue to look like a serious playoff contender with a big road win.
Tennessee 41, Oklahoma 24
Baylor v. Colorado (-1.5) - 8:00 p.m. ET - FOX
I’ve picked against Colorado the last two games, splitting those contests. While I’m not in love with Deion Sanders’ team, I recognize they are more talented than Baylor. Last week Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter had a relatively easy win and will go into this game with confidence as Deion does all he can to keep these two relevant in the Heisman Trophy race.
After playing the first two games of the season, Toledo transfer quarterback Dequan Finn didn’t see any action last week in the win over Air Force, as Sawyer Robertson took the snaps for the Bears. No matter who plays this week for Baylor, I think they are going to have a tough time keep pace with the Buffaloes in Boulder.
Colorado keeps people caring for a little while longer with another win.
Colorado 37, Baylor 23
No. 13 Kansas State (-6.5) v. BYU - 10:30 p.m. ET - ESPN
Kansas State looked really good last Friday, dismantling Arizona in Manhattan. Now the Wildcats head to Provo, where it’s never easy to win. Avery Johnson and DJ Giddens have been a great one-two punch for Kansas State, allowing the Wildcats to wear down opposing defenses. Add in an opportunistic Kansas State defense and the Wildcats definitely are going to be a factor in the Big 12 this year.
On offense, BYU has quarterback Jake Retzlaff and not much else. Along with throwing seven touchdowns, Retzlaff is also the team’s leading rusher. Honestly though, the offense hasn’t had to do so much since the defense of the Cougars has been dominant, not allowing more than 15 points in a game so far this year.
Normally I might put more stock into BYU as a home dog, but Kansas State has already hit the road and beat a game Tulane squad. The Wildcats are a little too dynamic for the Cougars in this one.
Kansas State 33, BYU 21
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