After playing in the most-watched and most-anticipated game of college football’s opening weekend, the spotlight on Ohio State won’t be as bright in its second game of the 2022 season.
While no one should have been shocked Ohio State had to battle for a victory against then-fifth-ranked Notre Dame, everyone would be surprised if the Buckeyes didn’t cruise to a win this week against Arkansas State. Ohio State is favored by 44.5 points, likely the most points the Buckeyes will be favored by all season, against its first-time opponent from the Sun Belt who won just one game against FBS competition in 2021.
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ARKANSAS STATE RED WOLVES |
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1-0 ROSTER / SCHEDULE |
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NOON – SATURDAY, SEPT. 11 OHIO STADIUM COLUMBUS, OHIO |
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BIG TEN NETWORK FOX SPORTS |
However, Ryan Day doesn’t want his team to take its foot off the gas pedal now. Just one game into the season, Ohio State is still far from achieving its goals. So while the Buckeyes should improve to 2-0 this week regardless of whether or not they play their best football, Day doesn’t want to see his team play down to its competition.
“No matter who you play, we have to play the same way, period,” Day said this week. “When you have that mindset going into a season, that's different than like you're saying where it's like, ‘Okay, I gotta get up for this game. But then over here, I can take a deep breath.’ We cannot do that. You do that. That's how you get yourself set up (for failure).
“That's why the theme this year has gotta be competitive stamina. Bring it every single week, no matter who you're playing, whether it's the No. 2 team in the country, No. 1 team in the country or somebody that's not ranked.”
After scoring only 21 points last weekend, there is plenty Ohio State can improve upon this week. And the Buckeyes intend to play the Red Wolves with the same intensity and physicality they demonstrated against the Fighting Irish.
“We got to treat everybody as if we're playing the best team, and I think we can’t set our standard low,” said Ohio State defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau. “I think every game we respect and treat every opponent like it's the best team we're gonna play or it's our last game we're gonna play. And we're doing the same thing we did against Notre Dame in the film room, trying to study. And I think there's no time to take your foot off the gas. I think all gas, no brakes and just making sure we know our plays and we're playing Buckeye ball.”
The Headlines
A Chance to Build Offensive Momentum
Even though Ohio State scored fewer points against Notre Dame than it had in any previous game since Day became head coach, he and the Buckeyes weren’t going to let that dampen their enthusiasm about beginning the season with a win over a marquee opponent. While Ohio State led the nation in points and yards per game last season, the Buckeyes say they aren’t concerned about putting up big numbers; they just want to find a way to win every week.
“Hopefully, we are the No. 1 offense, we want to be, but it's not our main goal anymore. We just want to win games,” Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud said this week. “At the end of the day, that's all that matters.”
Notre Dame’s defense could prove to be one of the nation’s best this season, and things rarely go perfectly in the first game of the year. Still, Ohio State knows it didn’t perform up to its potential offensively against the Fighting Irish, so improving on the side of the ball will undoubtedly be a priority in Week 2.
“The focus can't be on the number of points or the number of yards. The focus has to be on winning games. Now that being said, we can do a much better job of execution, especially in the first half,” Day said. “There's things in there, there's penalties, there's some things in there we gotta really clean up, and that's part of week two of growing and building.”
Ohio State’s offense should have a much easier go of things against Arkansas State. The Red Wolves were dominant on defense in Week 1, holding Grambling State to only three points on 102 total yards, but that came against an FCS opponent. Arkansas State had one of the worst defenses in the country in 2021, allowing 505.9 yards per game, and will be at a significant talent disadvantage against Ohio State’s offense.
The Buckeyes’ efforts to get momentum going on offense would be bolstered if Jaxon Smith-Njigba is available to play. However, that remains in question after he left the Notre Dame game with a hamstring injury. Day has expressed hope that Smith-Njigba will be able to play this week but said Tuesday the Buckeyes will only play him if they feel he is 100% healthy.
It might not be clear until game time whether Smith-Njigba will play against Arkansas State, though Ohio State will release its status report of game-time decisions and unavailable players at 10 a.m. Saturday. Day indicated Thursday he is expecting starting center Luke Wypler to be available. Still, right guard Matt Jones took some reps at center this week after Wypler left Ohio Stadium in a walking boot following last weekend’s game. Day also expressed hope Julian Fleming will be able to return to the receiver rotation this week after missing the season opener with an injury.
A Chance for Backups, Freshmen to Play
Regardless of who is available or unavailable for Saturday’s game, Ohio State won’t want any of its starters to be playing four full quarters against Arkansas State. If all goes according to plan, the Buckeyes will likely begin pulling established starters like Stroud out of the game at halftime.
That will depend on if and how quickly Ohio State can build a comfortable lead and put the game out of reach for their opponents. But the Buckeyes need to get their backups game experience when they can, and Saturday projects to be the season’s most sure-fire opportunity for Ohio State to play deep into its bench.
Beyond the fact that Arkansas State shouldn’t give Ohio State anywhere near as much competition as Notre Dame did, Day also anticipates more Buckeyes getting on the field this week simply because he anticipates the game will have a faster tempo than last week’s game, which only featured 120 total snaps from scrimmage between the two teams.
“We'll see. Whatever it takes to win the game first, and then we'll go from there,” Day said. “But yeah, we want to start getting more and more guys in the game. You know, guys deserve to play. And I think when you start to see more plays, then that will happen.”
Assuming that does happen, Saturday could mark the Ohio State debut for many members of the Buckeyes’ 2022 freshman class. Only two true freshmen (defensive end Caden Curry and walk-on kicker Jayden Fielding) saw playing time against Notre Dame, and both were only on special teams. But Ohio State will likely make a concerted effort to get more of its freshmen – at least those who it believes have earned the opportunity to play – on the field this week.
Devin Brown could throw his first passes on Saturday as the Buckeyes’ third-string quarterback, while Dallan Hayden will likely see plenty of work as their third-string running back. The aforementioned injuries at wide receiver open the door wider for Kyion Grayes, Kaleb Brown, Caleb Burton and Kojo Antwi to take their first snaps as Buckeyes against Arkansas State, while Curry, C.J. Hicks, Kye Stokes, Sonny Styles and Jyaire Brown are among the top candidates to play their first defensive snaps for Ohio State this weekend.
A First-Time Opponent
Although Ohio State has been playing football since 1890 and Arkansas State has been playing football since 1911, Saturday will be the first time the Buckeyes and Red Wolves have ever played each other. It will be only the second time Ohio State has played a game against the Sun Belt Conference, having previously hosted Troy in 2008. (Ohio State has also played Marshall twice, but Marshall was a member of the MAC and Conference USA at the time of those games.)
The Red Wolves will be looking to build off their season-opening 58-3 win over Grambling State after going just 2-10 – with only one win over an FBS opponent – in 2021, their first season under the leadership of Butch Jones, who is now coaching his fourth FBS team after previously serving as the head coach at Tennessee (2013-17), Cincinnati (2010-12) and Central Michigan (2007-09).
Like last week with Marcus Freeman and James Laurinaitis, Arkansas State’s trip to the Shoe will also serve as a homecoming for multiple former Ohio State players. Red Wolves defensive coordinator Rob Harley played for the Buckeyes from 2001-05, while Arkansas State running back Brian Snead – who transferred to Arkansas State this offseason after a two-year stint at Austin Peay – briefly played for Ohio State in 2018 until he was dismissed from the program.
Keep An Eye on These Guys
QB James Blackman
Now in his second season at Arkansas State after four years at Florida State, Blackman has played a lot of college football. The Seminoles’ starter for most of the 2017 and 2019 seasons, Blackman has thrown for 6,999 yards and 53 touchdowns with 30 interceptions across 40 games between the two schools.
Blackman completed only 59.6 percent of his passes for the Red Wolves in 2021 before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. Still, the strong-armed 6-foot-5 quarterback started the season well last week, completing 15 of 20 passing attempts for 210 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for two touchdowns.
“They go as the quarterback goes,” Ohio State safeties coach Perry Eliano said this week. “He's a big target back there. He stands tall in the pocket.”
RB Johnnie Lang
While Snead will be the more recognizable name to Ohio State fans, the star of Arkansas State’s rushing attack in its season opener was Lang, who had 124 yards and a touchdown on just 13 carries as well as a 23-yard catch against Grambling State.
An Iowa State transfer, Lang is small (5-foot-8, 193-pound) but shifty. He’s also a dangerous punt and kickoff returner with a 62-yard punt return for a touchdown last season against Tulsa.
DE Kivon Bennett
Another sixth-year senior with Power 5 roots, Bennett earned second-team All-Sun Belt honors in 2021, when he led the Red Wolves with 16.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss and had 58 total tackles.
Bennett, who was at Tennessee for four seasons before the Volunteers dismissed him in December 2020, has recorded 112 total tackles with 29.5 tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks and two touchdowns on fumble recoveries in his college career. The 6-foot-2, 241-pound edge rusher is the son of NFL and Alabama great Cornelius Bennett.
Game Week Talk
“This is as complete of a football team that I’ve seen in a long time.”– Butch Jones on Ohio State
Arkansas State’s head coach was impressed by what he saw from Ohio State’s Week 1 film against Notre Dame. He knows his team has a “monumental challenge” in front of it on Saturday. Still, he also views it as a “great opportunity” for his team to play on a bigger stage than usual, even though he says the Red Wolves need to focus on their preparation rather than the stage.
“It’s kind of a relief when everybody’s counted you out, because then you aren’t playing for any pressure … nobody thinks you can (win), so you might as well just go out there and put on the best performance you can.”– Arkansas State defensive tackle TW Ayers
Ayers isn’t letting it bother him that the Red Wolves are massive underdogs entering Saturday’s game. Instead, he’s excited for the opportunity to see how he stacks up against one of college football’s elite teams, describing this week’s game as “a chance to kind of compare yourself and see where you are just compared to all these guys that you see on TV.”
“We don't take anybody lightly, when it comes to a game where I’m not too – Arkansas State’s a good team. Shoot, they won last game, they’re 1-0 like us.”– C.J. Stroud
Stroud seemingly came dangerously close to admitting that he wasn’t worried about Arkansas State but pulled himself back before giving the Red Wolves any bulletin-board material, instead praising them for their Week 1 win.
Get Smart
| Ohio State | Pos | Arkansas State |
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| OFFENSE | ||
| C.J. STROUD | QB | JAMES BLACKMAN |
| TREVEYON HENDERSON | RB | JOHNNIE LANG |
| MARVIN HARRISON JR. | WR | TE’VAILANCE HUNT |
| EMEKA EGBUKA | WR | CHAMP FLEMINGS |
| XAVIER JOHNSON | WR | JEFF FOREMAN |
| CADE STOVER | TE | EMMANUAL STEVENSON |
| PARIS JOHNSON JR. | LT | MAKILAN THOMAS |
| DONOVAN JACKSON | LG | MEKHI BUTLER |
| LUKE WYPLER | C | ETHAN MINER |
| MATT JONES | RG | JORDAN RHODES |
| DAWAND JONES | RT | ROBERT HOLMES |
| DEFENSE | ||
| J.T. TUIMOLOAU | DE | THURMAN GEATHERS |
| TARON VINCENT | DT | JOHN MINCEY |
| MIKE HALL | DT | TW AYERS |
| ZACH HARRISON | DE | KIVON BENNETT |
| STEELE CHAMBERS | WLB | JADEN HARRIS |
| TOMMY EICHENBERG | MLB | JORDAN CARMOUCHE |
| TANNER MCCALISTER | NB/LB | MELIQUE STRAKER |
| DENZEL BURKE | CB | KENNETH HARRIS |
| CAMERON BROWN | CB | LEON JONES |
| RONNIE HICKMAN | S | EDDIE SMITH |
| LATHAN RANSOM | S | TREVIAN THOMAS |
- Ohio State has won its last 64 consecutive games against non-Power 5 teams, dating back to a Liberty Bowl loss to Air Force at the end of the 1990 season.
- Arkansas State earned a 35-31 win over Kansas State in 2020 but has lost all its other 56 games against Power 5 opponents dating back to 1994.
- Arkansas State has lost all nine games it has played against Big Ten schools, most recently losing 43-36 at Nebraska in 2017.
- Arkansas State’s roster includes 37 players who started their college careers at other colleges before transferring to Arkansas State.
- Magnus Haines, a reserve punter from Massillon who transferred to Arkansas State from Kent State this offseason, is Arkansas State’s only player from Ohio.
How It Plays Out
Line: Ohio State -44.5, O/U 68.5
The outcome of Saturday’s game really shouldn’t ever be in question. Barring a massive letdown from the Buckeyes, Ohio State’s superior talent should lead the home team to a decisive victory.
The Buckeyes would feel much better about a win over Arkansas State, though, if their offense can get back to putting up big numbers and their defense can be as dominant as it was against Notre Dame. Day said Thursday that the Buckeyes “want to get to a fast start in this game,” which means pulling away in the first half so their backups can get extended playing time in the second half.
A 44.5-point spread is a lofty one, especially considering the possibility that an early exit for Ohio State’s starters could allow Arkansas State to make the final score look closer than the game actually is. But past results suggest a 45-plus point win for the Buckeyes is well within the realm of possibility – Arkansas State lost 52-3 in its only game against a Power 5 opponent (Washington) in 2021 – and 10 of our 14 staffers who submit weekly predictions believe the Buckeyes will ultimately finish Saturday’s game with a cover.
| Eleven Warriors Staff Prediction | ||||
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56 | 10 |
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