Brett Ludwiczak
Guest
Ohio State vs. Western Michigan: 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
Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images
The Buckeyes take on another MAC team this week when they host Western Michigan.
After opening up their 2024 season with a 52-6 win over Akron, Ohio State will host another MAC opponent on Saturday when the Western Michigan Broncos come to Columbus.
This marks the second time the Buckeyes have played MAC schools in back-to-back weeks. In 2015, Ohio State hosted Northern Illinois, followed by their first-ever meeting with Western Michigan.
In their only previous meeting, the Buckeyes defeated Western Michigan, who was coached at the time by current Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck, 38-12. Cardale Jones threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns in the victory, while Ezekiel Elliott added 124 yards rushing and a score. With their win over Akron last week, Ohio State improved their record to 37-1 against MAC schools, with the only loss coming against Akron back in 1894.
The blowout of the Zips was Ohio State’s 25th straight season-opening victory. The Buckeyes came out of the gates a little sluggish, punting on their first offensive drive. On the first defensive snap, cornerback Davison Igbinosun was flagged for targeting after he hit Akron quarterback Ben Finley while he was sliding. While the targeting aspect of the penalty was removed after replay, the Zips would go on to kick a field goal to take an early 3-0 lead.
Ohio State found their rhythm a bit after facing an early deficit, responding with Will Howard finding Jeremiah Smith for the wide receiver’s first collegiate touchdown. The two would hook up again for another score in the first half, making Smith the first Ohio State freshman receiver since Michael Wiley in 1996 to grab two receiving touchdowns in a game.
Smith finished with six catches for 92 yards, while Howards passed for 228 yards and three touchdowns in his Ohio State debut. Along with Smith’s output, Carnell Tate caught a touchdown, and Emeka Egbuka finished the game with four catches for 51 yards.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25605465/2168898437.jpg "COLLEGE FOOTBALL: AUG 31 Akron at Ohio State")
Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
While there was a lot to like through the air for the Buckeyes, the rushing attack didn’t make many waves against Akron. Quinshon Judkins struggled in his Ohio State debut, carrying the football 13 times for 55 yards, finding the end zone once.
TreVeyon Henderson led the team with 65 yards on eight carries. The 8.1 yards per carry Henderson averaged was his eighth game as a Buckeye where he averaged at least eight yards per carry.
James Peoples added a touchdown in the second half.
On the other side of the football, the Ohio State defense was suffocating in the opener. Jack Sawyer and the defensive line punished Ben Finley after he returned to the game following Akron’s first drive. Finley would eventually leave the game for good in the second quarter, leaving Tahj Bullock to take most of the snaps for the Zips.
J.T. Tuimoloau finished with a sack and a half, and Tyleik Williams was credited with a sack. The Buckeyes finished with double -digit tackles for loss for the first time in 17 games.
As good as the defensive line was for Ohio State, the secondary was even better against the Zips. Safety Lathan Ransom led the team with nine tackles and returned a fumble for a touchdown. Denzel Burke picked off a pass and now has 26 career pass breakups, which is sixth-most in school history. Burke is 10 PBUs away from tying Bradley Roby’s school record.
Alabama transfer Caleb Downs only made two tackles in his debut in the scarlet and gray, but he did have half a sack.
The linebackers were without Cody Simon in the opener, but Sonny Styles and C.J. Hicks filled in and had strong performances in Simon’s absence. Along with Styles and Hicks, Arvell Reese impressed in the second half, and Gabe Powers picked off a pass and returned it for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
If Simon isn’t able to go on Saturday night, at least it has become clear the linebackers have plenty of capable players to fill in.
Western Michigan had Wisconsin on the ropes in their season opener last Friday, taking a 14-13 lead early in the fourth quarter after running back Jalen Buckley’s 1-yard touchdown run. The Broncos forced the Badgers to punt on their next drive, but the punt bounced off a Western Michigan player, allowing Wisconsin to recover the fumble at the 20-yard-line of the Broncos. The Badgers would go on to score, taking the lead for good.
This marks Lance Taylor’s second year in charge in Kalamazoo after taking over for Tim Lester. Before becoming head coach at Western Michigan, Taylor was Notre Dame’s running backs coach and most recently Louisville’s offensive coordinator in 2022. Following a 4-8 season last year, Taylor is looking to lead the Broncos to their first bowl game since they beat Nevada in the 2021 Quick Lane Bowl.
Starting at quarterback for Western Michigan will be Hayden Wolff, who was 12-of-18 for 141 against Wisconsin, throwing an interception in the loss. Malique Dieudonne caught two passes for 45 yards to lead the team. After not getting much through the air against the Badgers, things aren’t going to get any easier against Burke, Downs, Ransom, and the rest of the Ohio State secondary.
The most productive offensive player last week for the Broncos was running back Jalen Buckley, who carried the football 16 times for 64 yards, finding the end zone twice. Buckley is coming off a season where he ran for 1,003 yards and scored 10 touchdowns on the ground in 2023. Last year Buckley had four games where he cracked 100 yards rushing. Overall, Western Michigan gained 120 yards rushing on their 33 carries in Madison.
What could turn into a strength this year for Western Michigan is their veteran offensive line that is made up of seniors or graduate students. At center is Jacob Gideon, who has made preseason watch lists for the Rimington Trophy, the Outland Trophy, and the Lombardi Award. New to the line this year isguard Quinn Murphy, who started his career at Notre Dame before coming to Western Michigan as a graduate transfer.
Against Wisconsin, the defense of the Broncos held their own for most of the game, giving up just under 400 yards of total offense to the Badgers. In the fourth quarter with Western Michigan up by one point, they were put in a tough spot after the Badgers recovered a punt that was touched by a Bronco, giving Wisconsin a very short field. Even though Western Michigan will be playing an even tougher offense this week, they know they can stand toe-to-toe with a Big Ten foe.
Expect to hear linebacker Donald Willis’ name called a lot this week. The senior recorded 10 tackles last week against the Badgers, with one of those stops coming behind the line of scrimmage. In 11 games last year, Willis was credited with 40 tackles and tied for the team lead with 4.5 sacks.
Joining Willis at linebacker will be Jake Wahlberg and Damari Robinson. Wahlberg and Robinson each had over 60 tackles last year, with Wahlberg finishing the year with 6.5 TFLs. Even though he isn’t listed as a starter on the depth chart, Boone Boonema should see plenty of action after making nine stops last week.
In the secondary, the Broncos will start a number of upperclassmen on Saturday night. Cornerback Bilhal Kone was all over the field against Wisconsin, tying Willis for the team lead in tackles. Safeties Tate Hallock and Aaron Wofford were the top two tacklers on the team last season, and they had two interceptions each. Rounding out the group is redshirt junior Nyquann Washington at cornerback.
The area where Western Michigan could be a little more vulnerable is on the defensive line. While the Broncos have a quartet of juniors, Wisconsin was able to push them around a little and were able to roll up 196 yards on the ground. Isaiah Green was the leading tackler of the unit, finishing with six tackles and a sack, while Tyson Lee did pounce on a fumble.
The defensive line will be going up against an Ohio State offensive line that will be wanting to rebound from a subpar performance when it comes to creating holes for their running backs.
Even though Ohio State beat Akron by 46 points, there were some areas that the coaching staff undoubtedly were unhappy with — most notably the inability of the Buckeyes to run the football effectively.
There are reasons for optimism, though. The line was without Donovan Jackson, who was held out of the game due to injury. Plus, it will likely take some time for TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins to get used to the running back rotation that will be employed.
What will be fun to see is how quarterback Will Howard and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith build off their Ohio State debuts last week. After a few early jitters, Smith looked incredible last week, grabbing two touchdowns against Akron. It’s obvious Howard and Smith have built an early rapport, as Smith was the most targeted Buckeye receiver in the opener.
Expect Emeka Egbuka to continue to move up the Ohio State receiving ranks. Egbuka needs 36 yards to pass Ted Ginn Jr. for 13th most in school history when it comes to career yardage.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25605467/2169770415.jpg "Akron v Ohio State")
Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images
Last week there was the excitement of the season opener at home. Now comes a game under the lights for the Buckeyes. Expect to see an even more complete performance from Ryan Day’s team, as they know they have a bye next week and there is nothing worse than having to sit with a subpar performance for two weeks.
Also, you have to wonder what where Western Michigan is at mentally after having an upset of Wisconsin in their grasp last week before a costly turnover cost them the game. While the Broncos have a lot of veterans on their roster, they expended a lot of energy and emotion to come up empty, and now they have to hit the road again this week to take on one of the best teams in the country.
In the NFL, often times a team struggles in the second of two consecutive away games, and that feels like the case here. Ohio State is too talented for Western Michigan to keep pace, and the Buckeyes will have a little extra juice this week with the game being played under the lights.
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
Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images
The Buckeyes take on another MAC team this week when they host Western Michigan.
After opening up their 2024 season with a 52-6 win over Akron, Ohio State will host another MAC opponent on Saturday when the Western Michigan Broncos come to Columbus.
This marks the second time the Buckeyes have played MAC schools in back-to-back weeks. In 2015, Ohio State hosted Northern Illinois, followed by their first-ever meeting with Western Michigan.
History against Western Michigan and the MAC
In their only previous meeting, the Buckeyes defeated Western Michigan, who was coached at the time by current Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck, 38-12. Cardale Jones threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns in the victory, while Ezekiel Elliott added 124 yards rushing and a score. With their win over Akron last week, Ohio State improved their record to 37-1 against MAC schools, with the only loss coming against Akron back in 1894.
Slow start against Akron before finding their rhythm
The blowout of the Zips was Ohio State’s 25th straight season-opening victory. The Buckeyes came out of the gates a little sluggish, punting on their first offensive drive. On the first defensive snap, cornerback Davison Igbinosun was flagged for targeting after he hit Akron quarterback Ben Finley while he was sliding. While the targeting aspect of the penalty was removed after replay, the Zips would go on to kick a field goal to take an early 3-0 lead.
Ohio State found their rhythm a bit after facing an early deficit, responding with Will Howard finding Jeremiah Smith for the wide receiver’s first collegiate touchdown. The two would hook up again for another score in the first half, making Smith the first Ohio State freshman receiver since Michael Wiley in 1996 to grab two receiving touchdowns in a game.
Smith finished with six catches for 92 yards, while Howards passed for 228 yards and three touchdowns in his Ohio State debut. Along with Smith’s output, Carnell Tate caught a touchdown, and Emeka Egbuka finished the game with four catches for 51 yards.
While there was a lot to like through the air for the Buckeyes, the rushing attack didn’t make many waves against Akron. Quinshon Judkins struggled in his Ohio State debut, carrying the football 13 times for 55 yards, finding the end zone once.
TreVeyon Henderson led the team with 65 yards on eight carries. The 8.1 yards per carry Henderson averaged was his eighth game as a Buckeye where he averaged at least eight yards per carry.
James Peoples added a touchdown in the second half.
Tough nuts to crack
On the other side of the football, the Ohio State defense was suffocating in the opener. Jack Sawyer and the defensive line punished Ben Finley after he returned to the game following Akron’s first drive. Finley would eventually leave the game for good in the second quarter, leaving Tahj Bullock to take most of the snaps for the Zips.
J.T. Tuimoloau finished with a sack and a half, and Tyleik Williams was credited with a sack. The Buckeyes finished with double -digit tackles for loss for the first time in 17 games.
As good as the defensive line was for Ohio State, the secondary was even better against the Zips. Safety Lathan Ransom led the team with nine tackles and returned a fumble for a touchdown. Denzel Burke picked off a pass and now has 26 career pass breakups, which is sixth-most in school history. Burke is 10 PBUs away from tying Bradley Roby’s school record.
Alabama transfer Caleb Downs only made two tackles in his debut in the scarlet and gray, but he did have half a sack.
The linebackers were without Cody Simon in the opener, but Sonny Styles and C.J. Hicks filled in and had strong performances in Simon’s absence. Along with Styles and Hicks, Arvell Reese impressed in the second half, and Gabe Powers picked off a pass and returned it for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
If Simon isn’t able to go on Saturday night, at least it has become clear the linebackers have plenty of capable players to fill in.
Lance Taylor’s second year in charge at Western Michigan
Western Michigan had Wisconsin on the ropes in their season opener last Friday, taking a 14-13 lead early in the fourth quarter after running back Jalen Buckley’s 1-yard touchdown run. The Broncos forced the Badgers to punt on their next drive, but the punt bounced off a Western Michigan player, allowing Wisconsin to recover the fumble at the 20-yard-line of the Broncos. The Badgers would go on to score, taking the lead for good.
This marks Lance Taylor’s second year in charge in Kalamazoo after taking over for Tim Lester. Before becoming head coach at Western Michigan, Taylor was Notre Dame’s running backs coach and most recently Louisville’s offensive coordinator in 2022. Following a 4-8 season last year, Taylor is looking to lead the Broncos to their first bowl game since they beat Nevada in the 2021 Quick Lane Bowl.
Western Michigan’s offense at a glance
Starting at quarterback for Western Michigan will be Hayden Wolff, who was 12-of-18 for 141 against Wisconsin, throwing an interception in the loss. Malique Dieudonne caught two passes for 45 yards to lead the team. After not getting much through the air against the Badgers, things aren’t going to get any easier against Burke, Downs, Ransom, and the rest of the Ohio State secondary.
The most productive offensive player last week for the Broncos was running back Jalen Buckley, who carried the football 16 times for 64 yards, finding the end zone twice. Buckley is coming off a season where he ran for 1,003 yards and scored 10 touchdowns on the ground in 2023. Last year Buckley had four games where he cracked 100 yards rushing. Overall, Western Michigan gained 120 yards rushing on their 33 carries in Madison.
What could turn into a strength this year for Western Michigan is their veteran offensive line that is made up of seniors or graduate students. At center is Jacob Gideon, who has made preseason watch lists for the Rimington Trophy, the Outland Trophy, and the Lombardi Award. New to the line this year isguard Quinn Murphy, who started his career at Notre Dame before coming to Western Michigan as a graduate transfer.
What we’ll see from the defense of the Broncos
Against Wisconsin, the defense of the Broncos held their own for most of the game, giving up just under 400 yards of total offense to the Badgers. In the fourth quarter with Western Michigan up by one point, they were put in a tough spot after the Badgers recovered a punt that was touched by a Bronco, giving Wisconsin a very short field. Even though Western Michigan will be playing an even tougher offense this week, they know they can stand toe-to-toe with a Big Ten foe.
Expect to hear linebacker Donald Willis’ name called a lot this week. The senior recorded 10 tackles last week against the Badgers, with one of those stops coming behind the line of scrimmage. In 11 games last year, Willis was credited with 40 tackles and tied for the team lead with 4.5 sacks.
Joining Willis at linebacker will be Jake Wahlberg and Damari Robinson. Wahlberg and Robinson each had over 60 tackles last year, with Wahlberg finishing the year with 6.5 TFLs. Even though he isn’t listed as a starter on the depth chart, Boone Boonema should see plenty of action after making nine stops last week.
In the secondary, the Broncos will start a number of upperclassmen on Saturday night. Cornerback Bilhal Kone was all over the field against Wisconsin, tying Willis for the team lead in tackles. Safeties Tate Hallock and Aaron Wofford were the top two tacklers on the team last season, and they had two interceptions each. Rounding out the group is redshirt junior Nyquann Washington at cornerback.
The area where Western Michigan could be a little more vulnerable is on the defensive line. While the Broncos have a quartet of juniors, Wisconsin was able to push them around a little and were able to roll up 196 yards on the ground. Isaiah Green was the leading tackler of the unit, finishing with six tackles and a sack, while Tyson Lee did pounce on a fumble.
The defensive line will be going up against an Ohio State offensive line that will be wanting to rebound from a subpar performance when it comes to creating holes for their running backs.
Prediction
Even though Ohio State beat Akron by 46 points, there were some areas that the coaching staff undoubtedly were unhappy with — most notably the inability of the Buckeyes to run the football effectively.
There are reasons for optimism, though. The line was without Donovan Jackson, who was held out of the game due to injury. Plus, it will likely take some time for TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins to get used to the running back rotation that will be employed.
What will be fun to see is how quarterback Will Howard and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith build off their Ohio State debuts last week. After a few early jitters, Smith looked incredible last week, grabbing two touchdowns against Akron. It’s obvious Howard and Smith have built an early rapport, as Smith was the most targeted Buckeye receiver in the opener.
Expect Emeka Egbuka to continue to move up the Ohio State receiving ranks. Egbuka needs 36 yards to pass Ted Ginn Jr. for 13th most in school history when it comes to career yardage.
Last week there was the excitement of the season opener at home. Now comes a game under the lights for the Buckeyes. Expect to see an even more complete performance from Ryan Day’s team, as they know they have a bye next week and there is nothing worse than having to sit with a subpar performance for two weeks.
Also, you have to wonder what where Western Michigan is at mentally after having an upset of Wisconsin in their grasp last week before a costly turnover cost them the game. While the Broncos have a lot of veterans on their roster, they expended a lot of energy and emotion to come up empty, and now they have to hit the road again this week to take on one of the best teams in the country.
In the NFL, often times a team struggles in the second of two consecutive away games, and that feels like the case here. Ohio State is too talented for Western Michigan to keep pace, and the Buckeyes will have a little extra juice this week with the game being played under the lights.
LGHL score prediction: Ohio State 51, Western Michigan 13
Continue reading...