Marshall Football will take the field in Columbus, Ohio, at the historic Ohio Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 21, to face the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes, who have outscored their opponents 108-6 in their first two matchups.
The Herd will have its work cut out for them with Ohio State bolstering one of the most dominating squads in all of college football. The offense is scattered with athletic weapons that are protected by a strong offensive line.
“They had a lot of guys come back, so there’s already a lot of that rhythm and continuity, especially on the defense,” said Noah Weiskopf, sports editor at Ohio State’s student newspaper, “The Lantern.” “Offensively, they had a decent amount of guys returning, but they’ve also added some pieces.”
Some of the added pieces that Weiskopf mentioned consist of one of the top rushers in the country last season, Quinshon Judkins, along with quarterback Will Howard.
Howard has many options to throw the ball to. Freshman Jeremiah Smith may prevail as the top receiver after tallying 119 yards in the Buckeye’s dominating win over the Western Michigan Broncos.
While the Buckeyes dominated their second game against the Broncos, they showed some weaknesses in game one despite routing Akron 52-6.
“They didn’t have too much consistency in the first half against Akron. Will Howard didn’t look too comfortable. But as that game went on, he got a little more comfortable,” Weiskopf said. “Akron gave them a couple of fits in the first half in terms of running the ball. They couldn’t really get anything going.”
On the defensive side of the ball, the Marshall offense will have to face one of the best defenses in all of college football.
“They had one of the best defenses in the country last year, and it doesn’t look like they’re slowing down at all,” Weiskopf said. “They haven’t allowed a team in the red zone yet in two games.”
Despite Ohio State being heavily favored, Weiskopf said there are some things that Herd may be able to exploit to keep the game close.
“If Marshall wants to win the game, the first step is controlling the line of scrimmage. Outside of that, explosive plays I’d say are the biggest thing,” Weiskopf said. “If you can get a couple of 50-plus-yard touchdowns, that kind of stuff will help a lot.”
Win or lose, the Herd will be facing one of the most prestigious college football programs in the country and can focus on learning and improving from their matchup against the Buckeyes.
Weiskopf said. “I think it’s a really important game for Marshall. I think that they have to give it their all to get something out of it.”
As for the final score of the matchup, Weiskopf predicts 49-7 in favor of the Buckeyes.
