Early look at Ohio State Buckeyes: Elite in just about every way
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The Longhorns got off to a strong start to the season, dominating Texas State 59-7. This week, the dial gets turned up multiple notches, as Ohio State comes to Austin for a Top 5 matchup. The Buckeyes, like Texas, got a comfortable 56-3 win over Ball State in Week One. Similar to last season, it’ll be the No. 1 team in the country going on the road, with a betting line under 2 points, according to BetMGM.
Here’s how the Buckeyes stack up coming into Austin this weekend:
Ohio State Buckeyes Offense
As you can imagine, this Buckeyes offense is incredibly dangerous. The Julian Sayin-Jeremiah Smith combination looked as lethal as ever in Week One, with Smith reeling in 8 catches for 151 yards and two scores. Devin McCuin, the UTSA transfer, shined as well, racking up 6 catches for 97 yards and a score. Sayin was his normal self, completing over 80% of his passes, totalled 320 yards and 3 TDs. The passing offense is, predictably, one of the toughest in the country to defend.
The run game looked solid against Ball State, averaging 6.8 yards/carry. Florida transfer Ja’Kobi Jackson, Bo Jackson, Legend Bey and Isaiah West all flashed. Like the Texas backfield, there were a few explosive runs that aided the overall numbers, but the talent in the backfield is clear. Once again like Texas, the offensive line had minor lapses in the run game but put together a positive performance. Overall, it’s the offense many expected to see from Ohio State: explosive, fast and talented. Will Muschamp will have his hands full preparing for Arthur Smith and this Buckeye offense.
Ohio State Buckeyes Defense
A major storyline of the offseason was the departures on the defensive side of the ball. Caleb Downs, Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles all went in the Top 11 of the NFL Draft, leaving tons of experience and talent to replace. Well, the reloaded defense passed with flying colors in Week One, giving up just 165 total yards, giving up 3.2 yards/pass and 2 yards/rush. It was absolute domination from the Buckeyes in Week One, as many would expect against Ball State.
The Buckeyes have NFL players on every level of this defense. Kenyatta Jackson Jr. is a top tier edge rusher that led the country in pressures this weekend, according to PFF. In the linebacking core, Riley Pettijohn, Tarvos Alford, Payton Pierce and Christian Alliegro are all future NFL players. Devin Sanchez, Earl Little, Jermaine Matthews and more lead a remarkably talented secondary. This is not a unit that’ll give Arch Manning and company many openings. They’ll need to take advantage of the openings when they present themselves.
Ohio State Buckeyes Special Teams
Considering the offensive success, there was not much learned about the Buckeyes special teams in Week One. Connor Hawkins, Baylor transfer and starting kicker, attempted just extra points, making all seven. Senior punter Joe McGuire only punted three times on Saturday, averaging 41 yards/punt. Ohio State finished 67th in the country on special teams, according to SP+. It’s hard to know how much that has been improved upon after Week One.
Ohio State Buckeyes Overall
Breaking News: Ohio State is very good. This is a team, like Texas, that has future NFL talent in every position group. The WR room, led by Jeremiah Smith, is one of the best in the country. The RB room is pack-filled with dangerous players with the ball in their hands. Finally, the facilitator of the offense, Julian Sayin, is one of the most efficient, accurate QBs in recent college football memory. On defense, they lost quite a bit to the NFL Draft, but seemingly “reloaded” as they always do.
The coaching staff consists of 1 of 4 head coaches to have a National Championship on their resume, along with two former NFL head coaches as coordinators. Needless to say, this is an elite program with top-tier players and coaches. They will present all types of issues for the Longhorns that Sarkisian and company will need to answer. Many are dubbing it an “all-time game” and it definitely has the makings of one.
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This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Early look at Ohio State Buckeyes: Elite in just about every way
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