Gene Ross
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Ohio State opens as 3.5-point favorites over Oregon
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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One of the Buckeyes’ biggest matchups of the season is upon us...
Ohio State remained unbeaten on the year following a 35-7 victory over Iowa. The Buckeyes had some self-inflicted mistakes in the first half that resulted in just a 7-0 lead at the break, but a big third quarter paved the way for a blowout win against a respectable Big Ten foe. Now, Ryan Day’s group will face their toughest test of the year, with a trip to Eugene, Oregon to battle the No. 3-ranked Ducks.
Ohio State took a bit to get going against Iowa, but once they did the Buckeyes showed off the high-powered offense that makes them so dangerous. Will Howard scored five total touchdowns, four through the air and one with his legs, as Emeka Egbuka had a huge day with three touchdown receptions — more than doubling his season total. Jeremiah Smith made another incredible one-handed grab for a touchdown, while Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson combined to rush for 139 yards on 5.8 yards per carry.
Defensively, Ohio State smothered the Hawkeyes’ offense, only allowing 145 total yards and 0 points over the first three quarters before the backups came into the game. The Buckeyes forced a trio of turnovers on three consecutive drives, including a pair of strip sacks on Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara and an interception by Davison Igbinosun. Ohio State held star running back Kaleb Johnson to just 86 yards rushing on 15 carries, 28 of which came on the Hawkeyes’ lone touchdown against the second-string defense.
After five games, Ohio State ranks No. 4 in the nation offensively with 46 points per game and No. 1 defensively, allowing only 6.8 points per game. Howard has thrown a pick in each of the last three games, but has been great overall for the Buckeyes with over 1,200 yards passing and 16 total touchdowns. Henderson and Judkins are both averaging at least 7.8 yards per carry, and Egbuka and Smith are both over 430 yards receiving with 11 touchdowns combined.
Oregon, meanwhile, is coming off a 31-10 win over Michigan State. The Ducks racked up 477 yards of offense, led by Dillon Gabriel’s 257 yards passing with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Jordan James had a big day on the ground, rushing for 166 yards and a touchdown, while Tez Johnson led the way through the air with 10 catches for 84 yards and a score. Oregon held the Spartans to 250 total yards, coming away with five sacks, six tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
Offensively, Oregon ranks No. 32 in the country in scoring, averaging 35 points per game. Gabriel has completed almost 78% of his passes for just under 1,500 yards with 11 touchdowns and three interceptions. James has been far and away the team’s top ball-carrier, totaling 552 yards rushing with five touchdowns. Johnson has been Gabriel’s favorite target, hauling in a whopping 43 catches — more than double the next-highest on the team — for 395 yards and five scores.
On defense, Oregon ranks No. 21 nationally, allowing 17 points per game. The Ducks lead the conference in pass breakups with 31, led by Washington transfer Jabbar Muhammad with six. Oregon sits fifth in the Big Ten with 16 sacks on the year, with defensive lineman Jordan Burch recording a team-high five in addition to his team-best seven tackles for loss. One of the top players for the unit overall has been linebacker Bryce Boettcher, leading the team with 32 total tackles to go along with an interception and three pass breakups.
This will be the toughest test yet for either program, and one of the biggest matchups of the college football season overall. Ohio State on paper should have the upper hand, especially offensively. The Buckeyes have scored at least 38 points four times this season, while the Ducks have only reached the mark once. Then again, Oregon has played a more difficult schedule, facing Boise State and Oregon State in the non-conference slate. Still, there is a reason Ohio State begins the week as the favorite.
It’s hard to get a true read on how this game will play out. The home crowd at Autzen Stadium will be raucous, and surely the Ducks will have some sort of cool new uniform to debut against Ohio State. It will be by far the most hostile environment the Buckeyes have played in front of this season, so they will have to be up to the task and try to neutralize the fans early on.
It should be an entertaining matchup this Saturday, and one that will tell us a lot about the national title aspirations of both of these programs.
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 Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
One of the Buckeyes’ biggest matchups of the season is upon us...
Ohio State remained unbeaten on the year following a 35-7 victory over Iowa. The Buckeyes had some self-inflicted mistakes in the first half that resulted in just a 7-0 lead at the break, but a big third quarter paved the way for a blowout win against a respectable Big Ten foe. Now, Ryan Day’s group will face their toughest test of the year, with a trip to Eugene, Oregon to battle the No. 3-ranked Ducks.
Betting Odds: Ohio State -3.5 | O/U 52.5 (per FanDuel Sportsbook)
Ohio State took a bit to get going against Iowa, but once they did the Buckeyes showed off the high-powered offense that makes them so dangerous. Will Howard scored five total touchdowns, four through the air and one with his legs, as Emeka Egbuka had a huge day with three touchdown receptions — more than doubling his season total. Jeremiah Smith made another incredible one-handed grab for a touchdown, while Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson combined to rush for 139 yards on 5.8 yards per carry.
Defensively, Ohio State smothered the Hawkeyes’ offense, only allowing 145 total yards and 0 points over the first three quarters before the backups came into the game. The Buckeyes forced a trio of turnovers on three consecutive drives, including a pair of strip sacks on Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara and an interception by Davison Igbinosun. Ohio State held star running back Kaleb Johnson to just 86 yards rushing on 15 carries, 28 of which came on the Hawkeyes’ lone touchdown against the second-string defense.
After five games, Ohio State ranks No. 4 in the nation offensively with 46 points per game and No. 1 defensively, allowing only 6.8 points per game. Howard has thrown a pick in each of the last three games, but has been great overall for the Buckeyes with over 1,200 yards passing and 16 total touchdowns. Henderson and Judkins are both averaging at least 7.8 yards per carry, and Egbuka and Smith are both over 430 yards receiving with 11 touchdowns combined.
Oregon, meanwhile, is coming off a 31-10 win over Michigan State. The Ducks racked up 477 yards of offense, led by Dillon Gabriel’s 257 yards passing with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Jordan James had a big day on the ground, rushing for 166 yards and a touchdown, while Tez Johnson led the way through the air with 10 catches for 84 yards and a score. Oregon held the Spartans to 250 total yards, coming away with five sacks, six tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
Offensively, Oregon ranks No. 32 in the country in scoring, averaging 35 points per game. Gabriel has completed almost 78% of his passes for just under 1,500 yards with 11 touchdowns and three interceptions. James has been far and away the team’s top ball-carrier, totaling 552 yards rushing with five touchdowns. Johnson has been Gabriel’s favorite target, hauling in a whopping 43 catches — more than double the next-highest on the team — for 395 yards and five scores.
On defense, Oregon ranks No. 21 nationally, allowing 17 points per game. The Ducks lead the conference in pass breakups with 31, led by Washington transfer Jabbar Muhammad with six. Oregon sits fifth in the Big Ten with 16 sacks on the year, with defensive lineman Jordan Burch recording a team-high five in addition to his team-best seven tackles for loss. One of the top players for the unit overall has been linebacker Bryce Boettcher, leading the team with 32 total tackles to go along with an interception and three pass breakups.
This will be the toughest test yet for either program, and one of the biggest matchups of the college football season overall. Ohio State on paper should have the upper hand, especially offensively. The Buckeyes have scored at least 38 points four times this season, while the Ducks have only reached the mark once. Then again, Oregon has played a more difficult schedule, facing Boise State and Oregon State in the non-conference slate. Still, there is a reason Ohio State begins the week as the favorite.
It’s hard to get a true read on how this game will play out. The home crowd at Autzen Stadium will be raucous, and surely the Ducks will have some sort of cool new uniform to debut against Ohio State. It will be by far the most hostile environment the Buckeyes have played in front of this season, so they will have to be up to the task and try to neutralize the fans early on.
It should be an entertaining matchup this Saturday, and one that will tell us a lot about the national title aspirations of both of these programs.
Continue reading...