Week one is in the books and Ohio State took care of business and passed its first test against No. 5 Notre Dame. The defense looked fast and dominated the line of scrimmage holding the Irish to just 10 points total, none of which were scored in the second half.
The Buckeyes will now get a little rest before opening Big Ten play in a few weeks. First up, the Arkansas State Red Wolves which got off to a nice start with a 58-3 beating of Grambling State.
Don’t let that score fool you. The Red Wolves started the 2021 season in a similar fashion with a big win but finished the season with just 2 wins and 10 losses. This should be an opportunity for OSU to work on tightening up some loose ends on both offense and defense.
Records and Broadcast Information
Records
Ohio State (1-0), Arkansas State (1-0)
Broadcast, TV, Game Time
Date: Saturday, Sept. 10
Game Time: Noon EDT
Network: BTN
Venue: Ohio Stadium (Columbus, Ohio) Capacity: 104,944
All-Time Series: First ever meeting
Ohio State Potential Game Plan for Victory
As I mentioned in last week’s preview and prediction in the Notre Dame battle, I was a tad concerned that Ohio State would fall too much in love with the pass and forget about the run. And that seemed to be the case, especially in the first half and into the second half as well. The pass-happy playcalling kept putting the Bucks in long-distance situations on second and third downs.
TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams are one of, if not the best one-two punch in college football backfields. It was when Henderson and Williams were given the ball, that the offense seemed to open up and things did not feel forced. I know OSU has the premiere passing attack in the country right now, but the old adage remains true… the running game sets up the pass.
Both backs averaged six yards per carry against one of the best defensive fronts in the nation. The offensive line opened up holes and both Henderson and Williams took advantage. It sounds cliche, but running the ball effectively will make the passing game that much more efficient.
On the defensive side of things, what can we say? This looked like a unit on a mission and we haven’t seen this kind of attacking style for several years. The scary thing for upcoming opponents? Jim Knowles said they still have room to grow and the Bucks kept everything pretty basic. Just wait until the defense really starts to understand and opens things up. This could be a really fun unit to watch.
Two Key Players for Ohio State
Miyan Williams – Running Back
We all know TreVeyon Henderson is the feature back in Ohio State’s offense, but Miyan Williams showed how important he is on Saturday night against the Irish. Williams was able to spell Henderson for a few series and ended with just one fewer rushing attempts. Williams basically carried the team on his back on the final scoring drive powering through for a touchdown of his own. A good way to keep the running game strong and fresh is to keep giving “Chop” some touches.
@Miyannnn3 AKA “The Closer” is a straight bully…
👀🤯
P.S. (this is nothing new… He did it last year too). Good luck stopping the Two-Headed Monster.
—#tOSU #OhioState #Buckeyes #OhioStateBuckeyes #TheCloser #MiyanWilliams #GoBucks #TheShoe pic.twitter.com/pIDysNjLob
— 🆂🅰🅼🅼🆈 🆂🅻🅰🆅🅴🅽🆂 (@WhoDeyGuru) September 5, 2022
Tommy Eichenberg – Linebacker
One of the most maligned units on Ohio State’s defense in recent years has been the linebackers. Slow, poor angles, lost… were just a few of the words used to describe the position. But Tommy Eichenberg broke out in the Rose Bowl and from the looks of things really picked up Jim Knowles’ new defense quickly picking up nine tackles and two sacks against the Irish.
Tommy Eichenberg is applying the pressure 💪 pic.twitter.com/I5Jx6nn0Ad
— ESPN (@espn) September 4, 2022
The Prediction
Ohio State got off to a slow start Saturday night against Notre Dame. Things really started to feel out of sorts once Jaxon Smith-Njigba left with an injury. And only scoring 21 points? Well, there may have been some first-game jitters going on.
I don’t expect there to be much of that going on now. The Buckeyes will be the far superior team when Arkansas State comes to Columbus this week. And it won’t be pretty for the Red Wolves.
OSU rolls to an easy win.
Final Score
Ohio State 63, Arkansas State 13
TIPICO Line
Ohio State minus-44.5
