2024-09-22 00:50:03
The reunion of Ryan Day and Chip Kelly is off to a great start at Ohio State. Day convinced his former college coach to leave his position at the head of the UCLA program to serve as the Buckeyes’ offensive coordinator and so far it’s resulted in the Buckeyes scoring 108 points in their first two games. Just in case those weren’t enough, the Buckeyes defense has allowed only six points through that same span.
So, yeah, this Ohio State team looks pretty good. Of course, the competition the Buckeyes have faced so far hasn’t been incredible, and that won’t change this week with Marshall. The Thundering Herd enter the game with a record of 1-1. While the Herd were impressive in a 45-3 win over Stony Brook to start the season, they struggled quite a bit in a 31-14 loss at Virginia Tech.
This will mark the third meeting between the programs, with the last coming in 2010. The Buckeyes won that game 45-7, but their meeting in 2004 was much closer, as Ohio State squeaked by 27-24.
How to watch Ohio State vs. Marshall live
Date: Saturday, September 21 | Time: 12 p.m. ET
Location: Ohio Stadium — Columbus, Ohio
TV: Fox | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)
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Ohio State vs. Marshall: Need to know
Ohio State has won 41 straight against unranked opponents: While beating bad teams doesn’t do much to impress pollsters or selection committees, a good team takes care of business against lesser competition. Do you keep the same level of performance, or do you play to your opponent? Considering the Buckeyes have won 41 straight games against unranked opponents, it’s clear this is a team you can’t accuse of looking past anybody. Ohio State’s last loss to an unranked team came during the 2018 season when they lost a shocker to Purdue 49-20. Ryan Day took over from Urban Meyer the next season, and it hasn’t happened since.
Freshman WR Jeremiah Smith is the real deal: The Ohio State freshman does not look like a freshman. There are NFL teams watching him that are unhappy about the league’s rule that a player needs to be three years removed from high school before entering the league, because Smith looks like he could help some NFL teams now. Smith caught 11 passes for 211 yards and 3 touchdowns in his first two games, becoming the first true freshman WR to have over 200 yards receiving in their first two games. He’s already tied for fifth place with Chris Olave and Marvin Harrison Jr. for most receiving touchdowns by a freshman.
Marshall won its last game against a ranked opponent: Listen, Ohio State doesn’t struggle with unranked teams, and the Big Ten doesn’t struggle with the Sun Belt (38-4 all-time), but don’t overlook the Herd! The last time Marshall went on the road to face a ranked team, nobody expected them to win that game, either. A few hours later and Marshall pulled off a shocking 26-21 win over No. 8 Notre Dame during the 2022 season.
Ohio State vs. Marshall prediction, picks
Could Marshall pull off a shocker? Sure, anything is possible, but odds are this will be another lopsided affair. The Buckeyes have not allowed a touchdown this season, and even if they remove their starters early, it hasn’t stopped them from scoring points in either of their first two games. The Buckeyes gave themselves a three-game preseason with this nonconference schedule, and they’re likely to find themselves in another blowout. Pick: Ohio State -40.5
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