The Buckeyes were one of the more vocal teams at wanting a 2020 fall football season, with the claim that they were a championship contender, and Ohio State managed to generally live up to the hype. After getting Nebraska as a warmup to start the season and shaking off the rust in the first half, the Buckeyes cruised to a win. The Buckeyes only played five games in the regular season, the closest being a win at Penn State in the team's second game of the season, and the most lopsided being a win against Michigan State in East Lansing. A closer than comfortable win over Northwestern in Indianapolis gave Ohio State its fourth-straight conference title, and fifth in the last seven seasons. A blowout win over Clemson in the Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal meant the season would end in dominant form for the Crimson Tide. Alabama waxed Ohio State by a final score of in the national title game.
The Buckeyes were led on offense by sophomore quarterback Justin Fields, an incoming transfer from Georgia that was granted a waiver for immediate eligibility by the NCAA. He led the Big Ten with 3,273 passing yards and 41 passing touchdowns to go along with 10 rushing touchdowns, and finished third in voting for the Heisman Trophy. K. Dobbins became the first Buckeye running back to eclipse the 2,000 yard mark, finishing tied atop the Big Ten with Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor at 2,003 yards and 21 touchdowns.
On defense, Ohio State was led by defensive end Chase Young, who led the country with 16.5 sacks and won several defensive player of the year awards while also finishing fourth in Heisman Trophy voting. He was also named a unanimous All-American, along with cornerback Jeff Okudah. Head coach Ryan Day was named Big Ten Coach of the Year by the media, becoming the first Ohio State head coach to win it since Earle Bruce in 1979.
The Nittany Lions bounced back from its first loss with a victory at home last week over feisty Indiana, but their pass defense has faltered in the past two games and allowed a combined 711 yards. On offense, Penn State possesses the skill to challenge Ohio State with quarterback Sean Clifford, receiver KJ Hamler , tight end Pat Freierrmuth and running back Journey Brown as the key players. Ohio State began the year ranked fifth in the preseason AP Poll. In the Big Ten Championship Game, Ohio State defeated Wisconsin a second time, by a score of 34–21 to win their third consecutive conference title.
In the final CFP rankings of the season, Ohio State dropped from first to second, passed by SEC champion LSU, which placed Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl to play defending national champion and third-seeded Clemson. The Ohio State University first fielded a football team in 1890, and the team became a charter member of the Ohio Athletic Conference in 1902 before joining the Big Ten in 1912. The Buckeyes won their first national championship in 1942 under coach Paul Brown, and they've won seven more, most recently in 2014 under Urban Meyer.
Ohio State has won 40 conference titles, including three while with the OAC, as well as eight divisional titles. The Buckeyes have also won eight Rose Bowl games, most recently after the 2018 season against Washington. After manhandling Maryland and Rutgers the past two weeks by a combined score of , Ohio State faces their first significant opponent since they disposed of No. 14 Wisconsin on Oct. 26.
Dobbins ranks fifth nationally in rushing yards with 1,289 despite carrying the ball only 42 times in the second half all season. Ohio State entered 2020 with high expectations and lived up to them. The Buckeyes went 5-0 against a truncated Big Ten schedule and won the conference. They then disposed of Clemson in the College Football Playoff before falling to Alabama in the national championship game. The Golden Gophers had finished the 2019 season as one of the bigger surprises in the country.
They finished 11-2 and capped off the season with a win over Auburn in the Outback Bowl. Unfortunately for the Gophers, COVID-19 and injuries wrought havoc on the team in 2020, and they limped to the finish line at 3-4. Thursday night's matchup between No. 4Ohio StateandMinnesotawill be a clash of two teams starting 2021 coming off entirely different seasons in 2020. Minnesota returns quarterback Tanner Morgan, who has gone 18-8 as a starter. Morgan had a breakout campaign in 2019 in which he threw 30 touchdowns to only seven interceptions with 3,253 passing yards. Even with the attrition at a number of key positions from last year's national championship runner-up squad, the Buckeyes are the most-stacked team talent-wise on the schedule.
The game is on the road and is second to last of the season on Nov. 20. Even a healthy Michigan State squad will struggle in this one. Ohio State would go on to score three more touchdowns in the second half including a 73-yard run from Master Teague III. Ohio State ended allowing only 199 total yards, 42 of which were passing. K. Dobbins finished the game with 121 yards rushing which put him into the top five in total rushing yards in Ohio State's history. Ohio State began the second half with most of their second string in the game.
Ohio State quarterback Chris Chugunov lead the offense into the red zone on the first drive of the second half, but fumbled the ball when he was sacked. On the next play, Maryland threw an interception which lead to a Buckeye touchdown two plays later. Ohio State would kick a field goal a drive later to give them a 52–0 lead. Maryland would be able to find the end zone twice, and Ohio State would find it three more times, to end the game 73–14.
Ohio State opened the game with a 10-play, 70-yard drive that resulted in a 20-yard touchdown pass from Justin Fields to Chris Olave. Northwestern followed with a quick first down run by Kyric McGowan on their first offensive play but after a Chase Young sack that put them well behind the chains, they were forced to punt. The Wildcats were able to force a three-and-out from the Buckeyes and muster together a nine-play, 44-yard drive that resulted in a 33-yard Charlie Kuhbander field goal to make the score 7–3. Michigan State would not score any more during the game though they did attempt a 27-yard field goal in their opening possession of the second half. Ohio State would score again in the fourth quarter making the final 34–10. Notably, Justin Fields would throw his first interception of the season and fumble the ball away in the second half.
Rankings from AP PollThe 2019 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented Ohio State University during the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Buckeyes played their home games at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. This was the Buckeyes' 130th overall season and 107th as a member of the Big Ten Conference. They were led by Ryan Day, in his first season as Ohio State's full-time head coach. While the team was second stingiest in the league for rushing, giving up just 97.6 yards per game, a shaky secondary left Ohio State dead last in the Big Ten, giving up 304 yards per game on average . Despite giving up a lot of yards in the air, the Buckeyes held opponents to just 25.8 points per game, fifth best in the conference.
The secondary needs to step up for this unit to improve over last season's performance. The offense was No. 1 in the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 41 points per game. The team also led in rushing yards (256.9 ypg), but was third in passing (262.5 ypg). Finally, the Buckeyes were first in the league in first down conversions, averaging 24.9 per game. At the receiver position, the new quarterback has no lack of talent to throw to.
Returning to Columbus is unanimous All-Big Ten first-team coaches' selection Chris Olave, who led the Buckeyes last season in yards , receptions , and touchdown catches . Also back is Garrett Wilson, who earned unanimous All-Big Ten first-team honors from the coaches as well. Wilson was second on the team in yards , second in receptions , and second in touchdowns . Wilson added two rushing attempts for 67 total yards as well. Miyan Williams is possibly poised to be the number two back after he had 64 total yards on 10 attempts last season.
Also possibly seeing time will be highly-touted recruits and true freshmen TreVeyon Henderson and Evan Pryor. The team loses Trey Sermon in the backfield, Ohio State's leading rusher last season, after he was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in April. COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ryan Day has never lost a regular season game as Ohio State's head coach. While Ohio State has long-running rivalries against Illinois and Penn State, their rivalry against Michigan is one of the most heated feuds in all of sports, dating back to 1897. Columbus, Ohio, is home to one of the most legendary college football programs of all time, whose success is still going strong after 130 years. The Ohio State Buckeyes play out of Ohio Stadium, which opened in 1922 and currently seats 102,780.
They are coached by Ryan Day, who, in his first year leading Ohio State in 2019, oversaw a 13-1 season and a College Football Playoff berth. Which college football picks can you make with confidence in Week 1, and which national title contender will go down hard? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread-- all from a proven computer model that has returned over $3,600 in profit over the past five-plus seasons -- and find out. ESPN's Bill Connelly lists Nchami as the second scariest pass rushing linebacker in college football. The three games between the teams from 2016 through 2018 were settled by a combined five points, and Penn State was threatening in a second-half comeback attempt in 2019 before the Buckeyes left with a win. Mike Yurcich, newly hired as offensive coordinator and a former quarterbacks coach at Ohio State, could have a big hand in getting the program back on track.
Tulsa was among the top teams from the Group of Five conferences last season as it snapped a three-year bowl drought and reached the American Conference championship game. A majority of starters from a stingy defense have returned, though sack leader and unanimous All-American linebacker Zaven Collins is not among them after he became a first-round NFL draft pick in April. Here's a look at the Week 5 Top 25 schedule and scores, with No. 2 Georgia hosting No. 8 Arkansas and more huge matchups.
Ohio State began the game by forcing the Terrapins to a three-and-out. On the Buckeyes' ensuing possession, Ohio State drove 47 yards in six plays to score a touchdown on a 12-yard pass from Justin Fields to Binjimen Victor. Ohio State would force another three-and-out on Maryland's next possession and would score again on an 11-play, 71-yard drive, giving the Buckeyes a 14–0 lead. Following the second scoring drive, the Buckeyes would conduct a successful onside kick and score again, giving OSU a 21–0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Ohio State would score three more touchdowns on their next three drives giving Ohio State a 42-0 halftime lead. Ohio State received the second-half kick which ended after failing to convert a first down. The Badgers were able to partially block their punt and it only went 13 yards, giving Wisconsin prime field position. In three plays, Wisconsin scored on a 26-yard touchdown pass from Jack Coan to AJ Taylor, making the score 10–7. Following the Wisconsin score, Ohio State would go on to score touchdowns on their next four drives, while Wisconsin would punt twice and fumble twice.
Nebraska began the game on a 31-yard drive that ended in an Adrian Martinez interception. The Buckeyes were able to take advantage of the turnover and drive 50 yards to score a Justin Fields touchdown run. The Buckeyes forced a three-and-out and scored another touchdown following a 60-yard drive. For the remainder of the half, Ohio State would score three more touchdowns and a field goal while intercepting two more Martinez passes and forcing three Cornhuskers' punts. The Buckeyes found quick success on their opening possession on a 51-yard touchdown run from Georgia transfer Justin Fields.
The offense went on to score three more touchdowns in the first quarter to take a 28–0 lead. The remainder of the half resulted only in a 28-yard FAU field goal to give the Buckeyes a 28-3 halftime lead. The last two national champions were among the all-time greatest teams in college football history – there's no shame in not being 2019 LSU or 2020 Alabama. There might not be a national title so far under Day, but 20-2 is a fat load of alright.
Sevyn Banks was exposed a lot against Alabama in the title game, but was still ninth on the team in total tackles and led the team in passes defended . Banks added 38 yards on a fumble recovery for a touchdown to go with 19 solo tackles, four assisted, and 0.5 for loss. Josh Proctor also looks to have a good season at the strong safety spot after totaling 20 tackles last season, along with one interception, one pass defended, and a fumble recovery. As what likely comes as no surprise to readers of this column, today's edition marks the final opponent ranking in Michigan State's fall schedule, and the Ohio State Buckeyes get the nod. The game is scheduled for the second to last week of the regular season in Columbus on Nov. 20. Here is the 2019 MSU football schedule, with later-season start times typically announced during the season six or 12 days before the games.
I would rather play those games early in the season instead of week 10 or 11 to dummy down the schedule like some conferences do. Ohio State gets a bye week a little earlier than normal as it will hit after the week four game against Rutgers. Under the revised schedule, teams will play conference opponents they originally were set to meet and will have one additional cross-division game. It's always a bit unusual when a college football game is not played on a Saturday, but that's the case with Ohio State vs. Minnesota as the Buckeyes and Golden Gophers will face one another on Thursday.
The No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes (9-0, 6-0) defeated the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (2-7, 0-6) by a score of 56–21 in a Big Ten East matchup at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey. Ohio State was heavily favored in the game, with the line being 52 points. It also was the largest spread in Big Ten Conference history and the largest for both teams. This was also the largest spread in the NCAA since the 1989 NCAA Division I-A football season. After the Buckeyes were forced to punt the ball on their initial possession, the Spartans fumbled the ball twice in four plays giving the Buckeyes two recoveries deep in their own territory. The turnovers resulted in three points from two field goal attempts.
The Buckeyes would take a ten-point lead early in the second quarter, which was matched by the Spartans on the following drive, making the score 10–7, Ohio State. Michigan State was able to get another field goal before the end of the half, while Ohio State scored 17 additional points, making the halftime score 27–10, Ohio State. The Buckeyes finished the 2018 season 13–1, 8–1 in Big Ten play to win the East division. They defeated Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship 45–24. However, despite a 12–1 record, they failed to receive an invitation to the College Football Playoff. Instead, they received a bid to the Rose Bowl where they defeated Washington 28–23.
This was the final season for Urban Meyer as the Buckeyes' head coach, who coached at Ohio State for seven seasons. In January 2019, it was announced Georgia Quarterback Justin Fields would be transferring to Ohio State. Against Cincinnati, the sophomore quarterback finished 20-of-25 for 224 yards and two touchdowns and he's now tied with Dwayne Haskins and J.T.
Barrett for the most total touchdowns thrown in the first two games of the season for the Buckeyes. From Clemson to Alabama and Georgia, college football heavyweights have started the season on the front foot courtesy of free-scoring offenses. Ohio State and Arkansas State, from the Sun Belt Conference, will be meeting for the first time on the gridiron Sept. 10, 2022, at Ohio Stadium. The Red Wolves, from Jonesboro, Arkansas, are coached by Blake Anderson. The game will be the middle of three consecutive home games to open the 2022 season after the season opener versus Notre Dame and one week before a game against Toledo. As a longtime Big Ten member, Ohio State has its share of rivalries.
But as any college football fan knows, "Beat Michigan Week" trumps them all in Columbus. The Buckeyes and Wolverines first battled in 1897, with the rivalry reaching its zenith during "The Ten Year War" between legendary coaches Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler. "The Game" has been played annually since 1918, with Ohio State hosting in even-numbered years. I hope by "culture change" he don't mean he will go easier on the players now. They were so out of shape he worked the heck out of them to get them national contenders again.
I know he wanted them playing at a frenetic pace and that's why they had to be in better shape. With the QB they got this year they will need that face pace play to be successful imo. It nice to have the facilities and amenities to keep them entertained and comfy, but don't get too comfy . I heard the offense really struggled in the intrasquad scrimmage over the weekend. That could mean either the offense is not very good or the defense is lights out.
Lost in the run to yet another Big Ten championship and to the College Football Playoff National Championship appearance was how the defense was just okay. Haskell Garrett returns to the interior of the line and will cause havoc against opposing offensive lines in 2021. He garnered unanimous second-team All-Big Ten media honors while totaling 20 tackles, 12 solo, eight assisted, four tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception returned for a touchdown, and a pass defended. Senior Tyreke Smith and junior Zach Harrison are listed as the replacements at defensive tackle to anchor the line. Harrison had the best stat line of the two in 2021, racking up two sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss to go with a fumble recovery and two passes defended.
