The Newly No.1-Ranked Ohio State Buckeyes Remain in Columbus This Week As They Host The Grambling State Tigers

The top-ranked team in the college football world is now your Ohio State Buckeyes after an exhilarating win over the then No. 1-ranked Texas Longhorns last week, in a top-three matchup that had a little bit of everything. All eyes were on Columbus, literally. The game was the most-viewed week one game ever, and it seemed like everyone was in or around Columbus.

Ryan Day’s squad showed flashes of a team that could go back-to-back en route to their 14-7 victory over a formidable opponent. The defense showed no signs of slowing down, after being one of the best in the country last year. The offense made enough plays when they needed to, and new starting quarterback Julian Sayin looked comfortable in his first start and first important snaps.

FCS opponent Grambling State comes to Columbus after the Buckeyes original game against UConn fell through. The Buckeyes are hosting an FCS team for the fifth time, and the Tigers come to the Shoe after defeating Langston 55-7 in week one. They will have their hands full all day long against this hungry bunch with both new and old faces leading the charge. Let’s break down the action and what to expect come Saturday afternoon.

The Buckeyes Will Look To Improve On Their Week One Performance

The biggest question going into the Ohio State vs. Texas matchup was what we were going to see out of new starting quarterback Julian Sayin. He looked as comfortable as you could be against the top-ranked team in the country with a stellar defense. He stayed strong in the pocket and delivered very accurate throws throughout the game, and dealt with some drops especially early.

The offensive line did not give up a sack and were able to hold off some of the big names for the Longhorns, who seemed to do most of their work talking on social media. The running game was one of the weak spots for the Buckeyes and will definitely be worked on throughout the week and against Grambling. Ohio State finished the game with just 77 yards on the ground and 2.3 yards per carry. The longest rushes by the two backs were eight and six yards, which will need to improve to help out Sayin and open up the passing game.

It is hard to find where to start with the silver bullets defense. They played their tails off and made life difficult for Arch Manning and the Longhorns offense. Texas was held scoreless until the 3:28 mark in the fourth quarter, and Manning never really got going until the game was almost over.

Starting in the secondary, the defensive backs for the Buckeyes showed up and showed out. Davison Igbinosun came up huge with ten tackles, while Jaylen McClain filled in nicely on a big stage and had eight tackles. Jermaine Matthews Jr. forced the only turnover of the game with a great read on an Arch Manning throw. Caleb Downs did what Caleb Downs does, including a big tackle on fourth down to seal the victory.

One of the best Buckeyes all day long was linebacker Arvell Reese. He had the only sack by either team and contributed nine tackles. Reese and Block O recipient Sonny Styles form arguably the best linebacker duo in the entire country, and both showcased their abilities against a good offense. Styles had what would’ve been the second turnover of the game but it was called back after the ball very slightly hit the ground.

The defensive line didn’t register any sacks or tackles for loss, but were able to flush Manning from the pocket and make life difficult for him at times. It was a great sight watching C.J. Hicks, a guy who has battled and waited his turn, get his big moment on the last Longhorns offensive play when he hit Manning and forced a short throw. Kayden McDonald was another notable Buckeye on the defensive line this week, contributing eight tackles which was tied for the third-most on the team.

Grambling Comes To The Shoe For The First Time

The Grambling Tigers will visit the Shoe for their first-ever matchup with Ohio State, and are coming off of a dominant 55-7 win last week against the Langston Lions. It was 35-0 at halftime, and looks like a variety of players were able to get into the game and make an impact.

On offense, quarterback C’zavian Teasett went 20/25 for 203 passing yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. The Tigers had 11 different players catch a pass, and four players had over 30 yards with Tyson George leading the way with 63 yards and a touchdown. 

On the ground, the Tigers had four players rush for 46 or more yards and had four players with a rushing touchdown. Tre Bradford and Clyde McClendon Jr. led the attack with 56 and 51 rushing yards respectively.

The Tigers defense held Langston to 129 passing yards and just 14/32 through the air, also forcing an interception. Only one player had more than two catches and more than 14 yards. The defensive line stifled the running game, allowing -32 rushing yards and -1.5 yards per rush. Isaac Washington and Katrevrick Banks both recovered fumbles while Tyrell Raby had the lone interception and returned it 29 yards. Grambling outgained Langston 466 yards to 97 yards on the day.

Ohio State Rolls Early and Often

After a defensive battle week one against a team that will be among the best in college football this season, this game will give Ohio State a great chance to get more game reps and work through some things they struggled with in the opener. This will be a good chance to get the running game going against a team that allowed -32 rushing yards in their week one game.

Brian Hartline and the passing game could and should practice some more down the field throws, getting guys like Jeremiah Smith and Max Klare some more work in open space. On the defensive side of the ball, Matt Patricia will look to get to the quarterback more and register some sacks, while forcing a few turnovers.

Saturday at 3:30 the Buckeyes will improve to 2-0 to start what should be the first of three relaxing weeks for Buckeyes fans. After this game the Buckeyes face Ohio University before their first bye week, followed by their first Big Ten matchup and first road game at the Washington Huskies.

The game isn’t currently available on most betting sites due to a blowout being expected. ESPN Analytics gives the Buckeyes a 99 percent chance to win this matchup. Most games like this involve the Scarlet and Gray capitalizing early and often with big plays on offense and turnovers and sacks on defense. I think Sayin gets the chance to throw some passes deep and I believe James Peoples will have a much better game behind our offensive line. On the outside, I could see Brandon Inniss and eventually Quincy Porter making some plays.

It would be nice to see some big plays from the stars of the defense before letting them get some rest and seeing young talent like Devin Sanchez. I think there will be a few turnovers and definitely more sacks than last game when the defense had one sack. The new No. 1-ranked team in the country will flex their muscles and cruise in this one. As Lee Corso said last week in his final College GameDay appearance, give me my first love.

Prediction: Ohio State 56 Grambling 6