The Ohio State football team won its season opener against Indiana, but now return home to face the Youngstown State penguins.
Ohio State Buckeyes are back in action on Saturday in the Jim Tressel Bowl. The Buckeyes looked shaky in their week one win over Indiana, but there was much to build on. In his press conference this week, Ryan Day emphasized that Kyle McCord remains the starter. But Devin Brown will see extended minutes as well this Saturday.
Against the Penguins will be the first time we get to see Brown fully operate the offense in an in-game situation. he is the more athletic of the two quarterbacks, so be excited to see his play on the field. Also, look to see McCord have a better outing against the Penguins than he did against the Hoosiers. Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka will get more touches, and the running game should be improved due to the level of competition.
Chip Trayanum looked the best of Ohio State’s stable of running backs last week. Tony Alford should feed the hot hand and give Chip additional snaps to feature his athletic power run style. TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams should also have better days, but that is predicated on the offensive line’s play.
The boys up front struggled to generate push and get to the second level against Indiana. Struggle points were double teams and shedding blocks. The Hoosier LBs often penetrated the line of scrimmage untouched on off-tackle plays to slow down Henderson and Williams.
The Silver Bullets were the bright spot for the Buckeyes but may have their hands full this weekend as Youngstown State’s offense is higher powered. The Penguins put up 52 points in their opener against Valparaiso last weekend.
Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers lead the LB corps that anchors the defense. Youngster CJ Hicks has a promising future ahead of him. Expect to see his first meaningful snaps of the season should also come on Saturday.
The Penguins will throw the ball more than the Hoosiers, which means Saturday will provide a solid look at Ohio State’s secondary. Ohio State will overpower YSU in The Horseshoe as the Buckeyes cruise to victory in an in-state matchup.
Prediction: Ohio State 52, Youngstown State 6
Blake Biscardi, a native of Pickerington, Ohio, is The Silver Bulletin’s Senior Editor and Host of the Saturday Cadence podcast, a national college football show. As a trusted voice on Ohio State, the Big Ten, and College Football Playoff since 2016, Blake has worked multiple ventures, namely FanSided (2018-2021) before TSB. Blake is a proud member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and a two-time Graduate of Temple University in Philadelphia.