No. 3 – Ohio State Buckeyes Season Preview

Ryan Day has been fantastic through his first 25 games at the helm of Ohio State. Day is 23-2 as the head coach of the Buckeyes, and both of his losses came in the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes are considered favorites to return to the CFP in 2021, as they are widely expected to win the Big Ten, but they will have a new starter at quarterback and only 11 starters return from the 2020 team.

Ohio State Regular Season Win Total

Over 11 Wins -110

Under 11 Wins -120

OFFENSE

C.J. Stroud has the first shot at replacing Justin Fields. Stroud didn’t throw a pass last season for the Buckeyes, but he has reportedly been impressive throughout the offseason. However, there is a lot of attention on Quinn Ewers. The former No. 1 overall prospect in the Class of 2022 has already signed a million-dollar endorsement deal, and some believe he will be the starting quarterback by the end of the season.

The ground game is in good shape with Master Teague III leading the way. Teague is ready to carry the load, but it won’t be just him as Miyan Williams and TreVeyon Henderson are expected to shine too when on the gridiron.

This is probably the best receiving tandem in the nation. Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave are both all-conference receivers, and they combined to catch 93 passes for 1,452 yards with 13 touchdowns in eight games last season. The son of an all-time great receiver was part of the most recent class too, and Marvin Harrison Jr. could make an impact as a true freshman.

There is a lot of beef on this offensive line. Thayer Munford is moving inside from left tackle, and there are four tackle recruits that are starting up front. That should help the power run game grind out big yards.

DEFENSE

Ohio State had some issues on defense in 2020. The Buckeyes had a hard time stopping Indiana and Alabama, so the secondary is a potential concern. Opponents averaged 304 YPG through the air against the Buckeyes last season.

Haskell Garrett is an elite nose tackle on the interior, Tyreke Smith is a solid defensive presence on the edge, and Jack Sawyer might be ready to contribute as a true freshman. That should make sure this run defense is solid again.

There are some new faces in the linebacking corps though. All three starting linebackers from 2020 are no longer with the program, so players like Dallas Gant and Teradja Mitchell will have to fill their shoes.

This secondary must improve in 2021 if Ohio State is going to contend for a national championship. Sevyn Banks needs to play much better after what we saw against Alabama, and Cameron Brown looks to be healthy after tearing his Achilles.

SCHEDULE

The Buckeyes have a tricky start to the season. Ohio State must go on the road to take on Minnesota on Thursday night and hosts Oregon the following week. They also have a back-to-back stretch against Indiana and Penn State in late October, so it might be difficult for the Buckeyes to win 11 games despite having the most talent in the Big Ten by a mile.

PREDICTION

Oddsmakers set a great number here. Ohio State is probably going to go 11-1 this season, but the Buckeyes have finished the last two regular seasons undefeated. That makes the over a slightly better play than the under.

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