You know it’s real when the staff picks show up. How does everyone here see the game going? Well, I’ve only read my own picks, but I’m assuming there’s going to be a whole lot of Scarlet and Gray pickin’ going on. Which players will be picked to shine? Will there be any random predictions? Is there a hater among the bunch? Read and find out.
Tony Gerdeman
I don’t know if Dwayne Haskins will throw for 300 yards this week, but I’m pretty sure he’s going to have at least 230 yards passing in the first half. Expect Parris Campbell to have 100 of that.
The Buckeyes will do what they want in the run game, and we might even see a freshman go over 100 yards in this one.
Defensively, the Buckeyes will have to tackle because quarterback Jake Luton will be getting rid of the ball quickly. I don’t see Oregon State running the ball well, or doing much of anything well. They may punt nicely.
They will not block Nick Bosa all that well.
Ohio State 62, Oregon State 14
Tom Orr
After one of the more bizarre and controversial lead-ins to any season in Ohio State history, the Buckeyes and their fans finally get to actually enjoy a few hours of football. Given the nearly month-long media blackout, we have even more unanswered questions than normal this year.
The left tackle spot is still unsettled and we’ve never seen the five projected offensive line starters play together. Dwayne Haskins is a first-time starter. No one outside of the program has ever seen Tate Martell take a “live” snap, and it’s not clear how he’ll be deployed.
The passing down package for the defensive line, known as the Rushmen, still isn’t set. Is Tuf Borland going to play? How settled is the depth chart at linebacker? Is Isaiah Pryor really set as the starter opposite Jordan Fuller, as the depth chart suggests? Or will Pryor and Jahsen Wint rotate, as Greg Schiano said?
Is this the year Demario McCall finally makes an impact on special teams? What will the Buckeyes do about the new kickoff rule?
Fortunately for Ohio State, there is one question that has a definite answer. Is Oregon State an even remotely competent opponent? No. No, they are not.
Ohio State 48, Oregon State 6
Caroline Rice
This game will show the strengths of the Buckeyes. We’ll be able to see how this Ohio State team looks with all of the changes that have taken place. This will be a good opportunity for the Buckeyes to test their offense out a bit and see what they are made of with Dwayne Haskins behind center. I’m expecting a huge game for Haskins as well as J.K Dobbins and Mike Weber. The Beavers have a very weak and thin defensive line that will not be able to stop the Buckeye offense.
The Beavers are just not that good right now. They have some talented players and an experienced running back in Artavis Pierce, but the team is just not good. It’s as simple as that. They haven’t been able to beat a conference opponent, and I don’t think they’ll be able to to beat this Ohio State team. The Buckeyes will come out hungry and angry.
Ohio State 63, Oregon State 7
Mike Meihls
If the NCAA instituted a relegation rule, Oregon State would have been moved down years ago.
On paper, this game isn’t close. Even without Urban Meyer, Ohio State’s underclassmen team would win.
I expect a few things: to see the defense dominate, a little bit of Haskins getting to air the ball out to prove to to him he can do it, a steady diet of JK & Weber, and a lot of backups playing.
I want to say this is a 63-3 or 63-10 game, but Ohio State seems to give up a fluke TD in these games, so I’m going 63-17, in favor of the good OSU.
Ohio State 63, Oregon State 17
Chip Minnich
Every indication is that Ohio State will rout Oregon State easily.
Oregon State may be in the Pac-12, but it would be fair to say that new head coach Jonathan Smith has a major rebuilding project ahead of him, and starting on the road against one of the most talented teams in the nation is quite a chore.
Even without Urban Meyer on the sidelines, the talent differential between these two teams is stark, and Ohio State will be able to have their starters out by halftime, if they choose to do so.
Ohio State 56, Oregon State 3
Adam Borland
With almost no focus this past month on the team, players, and actual football, I’d imagine these Buckeyes are as motivated and mad as they come. Not like, “My computer just started doing updates” mad. More along the lines of, “That driver in front of me just came to a complete stop inside of the roundabout” mad.
Sure, Ohio State is without its head coach for the opener. However, this team is one of the most talented in the country, is playing at home, and has a chip on their collective shoulders.
Opposite the Buckeyes, the Beavers of Oregon State are not good at football.
Ohio State 56, Oregon State 14
Brandon Zimmerman
I’m really excited to see a Dwayne Haskins run offense.
I’ve mentioned many times that I feel like this offense has the potential to be the most explosive we have seen at Ohio State and that says something.
On defense, I just want to enjoy the trio of Chase Young/Nick Bosa/Jonathon Cooper wreaking havoc on the Oregon State offense.
I expect a lot of quick routes by the Beavers with some success early.
In the end, this angry team is going to score a lot of angry touchdowns and not give up many angry points.
Ohio State 73, Oregon State 13
Triple digit explosion? The season hasn’t started but the craziness has already begun. Oregon State is the equivalent of Rutgers or Maryland playing three times zones away and Ohio State’s third string is better than their starters so the Buckeyes should win by 50 or so without a sweat. I don’t buy Ryan Day pouring on the gas to humiliate Oregon State or the team winning out of anger, lol. I hope they win as a result of a good week of practice and good game prep. Play a good game of football and if you’re that far ahead put in the backups. We need to have something left for Rutgers. If any team should yield triple digits. Damn, them and Maryland have no more business in this conference than Oregon State would. I’d rather play a good MAC team. 56-6 will be the exact score. Or that could be the Rutgers score. Same difference. Go Buckeyes. Kick some Beaver! Am I allowed to say that? Beaver! Beaver! Beaver! I feel so dirty.
Nope, Rutgers, even down 8 players would beat the crap out of Oregon State. Oregon State is a really bad football team. Their new coach inherited a roster weaker than 75% of FCS schools.
FTR. It was a Buckeye Captain who stated that anger was driving this team. If it’s good enough for him to say, it’s good enough to repeat.
LOL. I said that backups would be in, but, the backups to the backups are better than Oregon State. Heck, I can’t imagine Mike Weber or JK Dobbins playing more than a a snap or 2 in the second half.
Yep, the only way to prevent Oregon State getting triple digits against them is Dave left, Dave left, Dave left, Dave left……….with a walk-on at tailback because the 2 true freshmen, Master Teague III and Brian Snead are far better than the Oregon State 1st team.
A tale of 2 teams. One is a dynamic team with an offense that annually is among the best and highest scoring. Experience galore regardless who is playing QB.. Oregon State is a really bad roster from bottom to bottom. Why 2 bottoms and no top? Because they don’t have any players, none, who would push for starting time at Rutgers, although a couple might push, likely unsuccessfully, to earn a start at Prairie View. Mix with the time difference a first year HC. Last year was last year but when you allow a Minnesota squad to put 48 on you, the state of your program is no very encouraging. But to be fair…….They did manage to beat mighty Portland State 35 – 32, who didn’t win a game in 2017 in the FCS, and mostly got mauled throughout the season.
In summary……….the Buckeyes can name their score in this game because the Beavers are NOT a good football program. They can sneak up on a Stanford squad about mid season and play them tough, but that’s not going to happen in a couple hours.
They say..respect your opponent. They’ve been given 17 million dollars worth of respect to take the crushing they’re going to get.
So name the score then. One hundred and something to what? Come on, Mr Big mouth. Let’s see what you’ve got. .
I don’t believe that Day has the guts to let this team play a full game. 81 – 10. Originally I had it 77 – 0, again, held from triple digits because of Day being soft.
How’s that Little Big Mouth?
The only way the Beavers keep the Buckeyes away from a triple digit explosion is if the interim hc turns soft and feels sorry for them. The big problem for Oregon State isn’t the passing game of the Buckeyes, it’s the ground game. Chances are Mike Weber and JK Dobbins won’t play more than a token snap or 2 each in the second half. THAT’S BAD NEWS for them. In the first half those 2 Buckeyes backs will run the Beavers legs off. The heat will play a part in sapping their energy and then Coach Alford will release the “Destroyer of Worlds” on them by the name of Master Teague III. When they get used to “trying” to brace for Master………..Brian Sneak will literally run what little life the Beavers defense might have had completely out of them. Master Teague and Brian Sneak will be hungry to show what they can do……..and their ceiling is really high. The Buckeye backfield alone will account for right around 500 yards.
Playing in this kind of game with the weather being sweltering and humidity physically crippling is a chore on its own.Oregon State just doesn’t have a capable roster to rotate guys freely and hope to come close to matching up. Doing so traveling across the Country from 3 time zones away makes it that much more brutal. THEN facing what is GOING to be a loud and angry crowd will compound their issues. That’s all before they have to face a Buckeye team that is loaded 3 and 4 deep with some of the best, and most talented players in the Country who have been angered into a fighting mood by recent events? It’s going to get ugly for the Beavers.
I suspect Oregon State limps home realizing that 17 million dollars in guarantee’s just wasn’t worth it.
Really rather surprised to see the staff making picks as if it were mid-season. The offense will do well but not as well as most of the staff are predicting. Tom, I think, is closest to where the offense will be (though even I think they’ll score a few more points than he predicts just because the Beavs are that bad). Conversely, I don’t think the defense is gonna be as porous to a bad team as most of the staff are predicting, though they’re a lot closer on that score.
I think that a very open flood of players will keep the score down but I also think that the Beavs won’t score a point on the 1st team defense.
Buckeyes 52 OSU Light 10 (originally had ’em for 3 until I thought about the reserves late game)
The other OSU’s D is terrible. Expect them to tire quickly. It’s all a matter how quickly this O gets gong; whether from the get go, the 2nd quarter or the 2nd half.
Still the plan is to play a lot of backups, probably early on is what I’m thinking.