LGHL Ohio State opens as 7.5-point favorites over Tennessee
- News
- 0 Replies
Ohio State opens as 7.5-point favorites over Tennessee
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
The Buckeyes get to host a College Football Playoff game.
Ohio State ended the regular season in incredibly disappointing fashion, finishing 10-2 on the year after falling to its bitter rival as a result of its head coach trying to prove a point from a statement made four years ago by a coach that is no longer employed by said opponent... but I digress.
Even despite the loss to Michigan, the Buckeyes have been rewarded with a home game in the College Football Playoff as the No. 8 seed, hosting No. 9 Tennessee. Not only that, but Ohio State has finally escaped the shackles of Big Noon, with the matchup set to kick off at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC on Saturday, Dec. 21.
With Ryan Day likely coaching for his job, the head coach will look to right his wrongs from The Game as more than a touchdown favorite at home against Josh Heupel’s Volunteers.
When Ohio State actually plays up to its talent, the Buckeyes are one of the best teams in the country. Outside the loss to the Wolverines, the scarlet and gray’s only other defeat came at the hands of No. 1 Oregon — a matchup OSU lost on the road by one point in early October. On the flip side, Ohio State picked up wins over a pair of other College Football Playoff teams with a 20-13 victory over Penn State on the road and a 38-15 drubbing of Indiana in the penultimate game of the season.
The Buckeyes’ strength offensively — if the coaching staff allows it to be — are their wide receivers. Freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith, senior Emeka Egubka and rising star Carnell Tate form one of the best trios in the country. Smith led the team with 934 yards and a Big Ten-high 10 receiving touchdowns, while Egbuka added 743 yards and nine touchdowns and Tate tallied 583 yards and four scores. Quarterback Will Howard, while having a few off games, has been a steady, efficient presence, completing over 72% of his passes with 27 touchdowns to eight picks.
Ohio State’s defense has been one of the top units nationwide, leading all of FBS allowing only 10.9 points per game. Jim Knowles’ group has really shined since the defensive coordinator took over full control following the loss to the Ducks, and guys like Caleb Downs and Cody Simon have helped lead the way. Downs is one of college football’s best defenders, consistently making plays at all three levels of the defense, while Simon has been the quarterback of the unit from his middle linebacker spot.
Tennessee had a bit of an up-and-down season, and like Ohio State finished 10-2 while missing its conference title game. The Volunteers lost an early October game to an Arkansas team that would go on to finish .500, and also dropped a 31-17 road contest against Georgia. Unlike the Buckeyes, Heupel’s group doesn’t have any wins over CFP teams to hang its hat on, as their best wins likely came against a three-loss Alabama and a 7-5 Florida.
What the Vols do have is one of the nation’s best offenses, ranking eighth in FBS in scoring with 37.2 points per game. That unit is led by redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who threw for over 2,500 yards with 19 touchdowns and only five picks. Tennessee features a potent rushing attack, headed by Dylan Sampson’s SEC-leading 1,485 yards and 22 touchdowns. Dont’e Thornton is the leader through the air, totaling 647 receiving yards on a whopping 25.9 yards per catch.
For as good as they are offensively, Tennessee is likely even better defensively, ranking fifth nationally allowing 13.9 points per game. The Volunteer defense lays claim to one of the best pass rushers in the country in James Pearce Jr. The junior defensive lineman leads the team with 7.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss, and will be a tough matchup for Ohio State’s battered offensive line. In the secondary, defensive backs Jermod McCoy and Will Brooks have combined for seven interceptions.
It will be interesting to see which version of Ohio State we get in two weeks. When the Buckeyes play to their strengths, attacking teams through the air on offense and swarming them with creative blitz packages on defense, they are tough to beat. When their head coach goes into his shell, as he has been one to do in big games, they play conservative on both sides of the ball and open themselves up to getting beat. Even with his job on the line, Day can’t afford to catch scared against Tennessee.
On top of improved play-calling, Ohio State will need to shore up its offensive line play and its special teams if it wants its season to continue beyond the first round. If the Buckeyes can play its style of football and improve along the margins, then they could be staring at a rematch against Oregon in the second round.
Continue reading...
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
The Buckeyes get to host a College Football Playoff game.
Ohio State ended the regular season in incredibly disappointing fashion, finishing 10-2 on the year after falling to its bitter rival as a result of its head coach trying to prove a point from a statement made four years ago by a coach that is no longer employed by said opponent... but I digress.
Even despite the loss to Michigan, the Buckeyes have been rewarded with a home game in the College Football Playoff as the No. 8 seed, hosting No. 9 Tennessee. Not only that, but Ohio State has finally escaped the shackles of Big Noon, with the matchup set to kick off at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC on Saturday, Dec. 21.
With Ryan Day likely coaching for his job, the head coach will look to right his wrongs from The Game as more than a touchdown favorite at home against Josh Heupel’s Volunteers.
Betting Odds: Ohio State -7.5 | O/U 47.5 (per FanDuel Sportsbook)
When Ohio State actually plays up to its talent, the Buckeyes are one of the best teams in the country. Outside the loss to the Wolverines, the scarlet and gray’s only other defeat came at the hands of No. 1 Oregon — a matchup OSU lost on the road by one point in early October. On the flip side, Ohio State picked up wins over a pair of other College Football Playoff teams with a 20-13 victory over Penn State on the road and a 38-15 drubbing of Indiana in the penultimate game of the season.
The Buckeyes’ strength offensively — if the coaching staff allows it to be — are their wide receivers. Freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith, senior Emeka Egubka and rising star Carnell Tate form one of the best trios in the country. Smith led the team with 934 yards and a Big Ten-high 10 receiving touchdowns, while Egbuka added 743 yards and nine touchdowns and Tate tallied 583 yards and four scores. Quarterback Will Howard, while having a few off games, has been a steady, efficient presence, completing over 72% of his passes with 27 touchdowns to eight picks.
Ohio State’s defense has been one of the top units nationwide, leading all of FBS allowing only 10.9 points per game. Jim Knowles’ group has really shined since the defensive coordinator took over full control following the loss to the Ducks, and guys like Caleb Downs and Cody Simon have helped lead the way. Downs is one of college football’s best defenders, consistently making plays at all three levels of the defense, while Simon has been the quarterback of the unit from his middle linebacker spot.
Tennessee had a bit of an up-and-down season, and like Ohio State finished 10-2 while missing its conference title game. The Volunteers lost an early October game to an Arkansas team that would go on to finish .500, and also dropped a 31-17 road contest against Georgia. Unlike the Buckeyes, Heupel’s group doesn’t have any wins over CFP teams to hang its hat on, as their best wins likely came against a three-loss Alabama and a 7-5 Florida.
What the Vols do have is one of the nation’s best offenses, ranking eighth in FBS in scoring with 37.2 points per game. That unit is led by redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who threw for over 2,500 yards with 19 touchdowns and only five picks. Tennessee features a potent rushing attack, headed by Dylan Sampson’s SEC-leading 1,485 yards and 22 touchdowns. Dont’e Thornton is the leader through the air, totaling 647 receiving yards on a whopping 25.9 yards per catch.
For as good as they are offensively, Tennessee is likely even better defensively, ranking fifth nationally allowing 13.9 points per game. The Volunteer defense lays claim to one of the best pass rushers in the country in James Pearce Jr. The junior defensive lineman leads the team with 7.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss, and will be a tough matchup for Ohio State’s battered offensive line. In the secondary, defensive backs Jermod McCoy and Will Brooks have combined for seven interceptions.
It will be interesting to see which version of Ohio State we get in two weeks. When the Buckeyes play to their strengths, attacking teams through the air on offense and swarming them with creative blitz packages on defense, they are tough to beat. When their head coach goes into his shell, as he has been one to do in big games, they play conservative on both sides of the ball and open themselves up to getting beat. Even with his job on the line, Day can’t afford to catch scared against Tennessee.
On top of improved play-calling, Ohio State will need to shore up its offensive line play and its special teams if it wants its season to continue beyond the first round. If the Buckeyes can play its style of football and improve along the margins, then they could be staring at a rematch against Oregon in the second round.
Continue reading...
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25779770/OhioState_1_120324.png)
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25779771/OhioState_2_120324.png)
