In a little under 100 hours, Ohio State will begin its 2018 season against the Oregon State Beavers in front of nearly 105,000 screaming fans who just want to see football.
The last time the Buckeyes opened their season against a Pac-12 school was back in 2003, when they handed Washington a 28-9 whipping. The Beavers are expected to get beat by an even larger margin — to bet against the spread, you'll have to take Ohio State by 38-plus.
But that's why they play the game. Stranger things have happened, right? After all, TTUN got beat by Appalachian State in their 2007 opener ... no, we haven't forgotten.
Heading into Saturday's 12:07 p.m. kickoff, here's your weekly look at whose stock is up and whose stock is down.
Stock Up
Ryan Day, Acting Head Coach
During a press conference Monday morning at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, standing in for suspended head coach Urban Meyer, Day met for the first time this season with local and national media.
He was peppered with questions about his relationship with Meyer, his team's position battles, Buckeyes starting quarterback Dwayne Haskins and how he feels about taking the field for the first time as a head coach.
And under fire, he handled each with poise.
Day oozed of charisma, professionalism and leadership. He was quick to give credit and made sure it was known that the current opportunity he has isn't about him. Even without Meyer on the sidelines Saturday, the Buckeyes are in great hands. If Day were my life coach, I'd also be routinely running through walls. Impressive to say the least.
Baron Browning, Sophomore Linebacker
During the spring, Browning found himself in a dogfight for the starting middle linebacker gig. Competing against Justin Hilliard and an injured Tuf Borland, the former five-star recruit from Fort Worth, Texas, was named the team's starter at the position on Monday.
Browning doesn't have extensive starting experience and only tallied 14 tackles last year. But he's widely considered of one of the best young Buckeyes, possessing every skill needed to be a top-notch college linebacker. He can blitz, he attacks downhill, he disrupts the backfield and he can drop back into pass coverage. He's the total package.
Pete Werner, Sophomore Linebacker
Sticking with the linebacker theme, Werner also received a starting nod Monday afternoon, which many thought to be a surprise. Werner possesses the unknown to most fans but drew high praise from Schiano.
"He's made a quite an ascension, right? You saw him kind of grow up on the special teams last year," Schiano said of Werner. "He had a great spring, he really, really worked hard to change his body, to mature his body and he's a much bigger man now than he was as a freshman. I think with every rep he gains valuable experience. He's getting better and better. So his arrow is certainly pointed up."
Schiano could've practically written Werner's piece in this article with that quote.
Joe Burrow, LSU Junior Quarterback
You all know what you're about to read — Burrow was named the Tigers' starting quarterback Monday afternoon by LSU's coaching staff. So from now on, it's not "Joe Burrow," it's "Joe Burrow, QB1."
QB1 pic.twitter.com/NbZTBf7ca8
— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) August 27, 2018
In 10 appearances with the Buckeyes over the past two years, Burrow completed 29-of-39 passes for 287 yards and a pair of scores. It apparently didn't take him long to make a good impression in the Bayou. He'll start his season at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, when LSU faces the eighth-ranked Miami Hurricanes on ABC.
Stock Down
Brady Taylor, Senior Center
The fact that Taylor has been in competition with junior Michael Jordan and freshman Josh Myers for Ohio State's starting center position has been no secret. Monday, however, Jordan was announced as the starter, leaving Taylor to fill a backup role.
Taylor has played behind back-to-back Rimington Award winners over the last two years in Pat Elfein and Billy Price. If Jordan is up to the task, Taylor may end his career playing behind back-to-back-to-back winners. But there is some good news as Day said "(Taylor) has been playing some guard, playing some center. Our plan is that Brady is going to play as well along the way." It's a silver lining to losing a starting job, but it is something.
Branden Bowen, Junior Guard
You may remember that Bowen suffered a leg injury against Maryland in Week 6 last season after battling to win a starting job. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to get back on track since. Demetrius Knox, who stepped in for Bowen last year, was named the starter at right guard Monday.
Day's announcement of Taylor taking reps at guard makes Bowen's chances of starting at some point this season all the more dim. The 6-foot-7, 312-pound junior has six career starts under his belt. But if he's to get a seventh, he'll have his work cut out for him.
Keandre Jones, Junior Linebacker
After playing in all 14 games for the Buckeyes in 2016, Jones' name emerged as a frontrunner to start at a linebacker position this fall. But his hopes were dashed Monday when Schiano named Browning, Werner and Malik Harrison as the team's three starters.
Schiano did mention the depth at the position, but it seems unlikely he will leapfrog any of those three or Tuf Borland — once he returns from injury — on the depth chart.
"I think we have more than three starting quality linebackers, so we're going to play the guys that we think (are best)," Schiano said. "The other thing you do is packages. So you try to utilize the talents of your guys. So we have different packages (for) situational football that will allow certain guys to get on the field." Is Jones one of those guys?
Oregon State's Offensive Tackles
I mean ... would you want to block Nick Bosa or Chase Young? Last season, the Beavers' offensive line allowed 18 quarterback sacks and haven't exactly improved since. Bosa and Young are currently somewhere salivating after combining for 13 sacks last year.
Bosa is a preseason All-American, and for good reason, while Young has shown glimpses of being an elite pass-rusher on the edge. If I'm Oregon State quarterback Jake Luton, I'm bringing an extra flak jacket.
