Labor Day has come and gone, but even a short work week following a win over a top-5 team hardly lends itself to any extra rest as Ohio State prepares to face its next challenge.
work week done #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/uJqSamiDgU
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) September 9, 2022
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) September 10, 2022
NFL is in the air after Jordan Fuller and the Los Angeles Rams kicked off the professional football season this past Thursday against the Buffalo Bills. It has been a long wait for Buckeye fans anxious to watch the rest of Ohio State's NFL alumni, but most schools don't have the distinction of being able to boast an entire squad of starting-caliber fantasy football players.
Just had our draft, hows our squad lookin pic.twitter.com/8yd6xNuQib
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) September 8, 2022
But before the lot of professional Buckeyes make their 2022 debut, Ohio State will play their second game of the college football season against the Arkansas State Red Wolves at noon today. While Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Julian Fleming may potentially miss time again after dealing with injuries last week, the rest of the Buckeye offense will be eager to put up points against a far less intimidating defense than what Notre Dame offered in the opener.
The offensive production could come from anywhere today, as TreVeyon Henderson seeks his first 100 yard rushing performance going back to last year's win over Penn State while C.J. Stroud also attempts to kickstart his Heisman campaign. Arkansas State finished as a top-10 team in FBS passing yards per game a season ago, so it will be interesting to see how the Buckeye defense addresses the Red Wolves' aerial assault in wake of an impressive performance against the Fighting Irish.
Here are a variety of predictions from some select Buckeye football mavens on the 11W staff:
Eleven Warriors Staff Score Predictions
Chris Lauderback: Ohio State 52, Arkansas State 7. "The passing game sees extensive work with Emeka Egbuka and Marvin Harrison Jr. both going for 100+ yards and two scores."
Matt Gutridge: Ohio State 52, Arkansas State 10. "Ryan Day is 5-0 against Group of 5 teams during his tenure. The closest win was the 21-point victory over Tulsa, 41-20, in 2021. Provided Ohio State doesn't play Arkansas State with a hangover from last week, the Buckeyes should be able to pull away from the athletic Red Wolves. Especially if Stroud and company get off to a fast start."
Chase Brown: Ohio State 66, Arkansas State 10. "After a tone-setting win over Notre Dame in Week 1, Ryan Day and his team earn a well-deserved tune-up game against Arkansas State. The Red Wolves have more talent than a season ago but not enough to stop the Buckeyes. Ohio State wins big."
Kyle Jones: Ohio State 49, Arkansas State 7. "OSU wins Saturday."
Garrick Hodge: Ohio State 56, Arkansas State 7. "JSN or no JSN, Arkansas State is hardly capable of slowing down OSU’s offense, which will look more like itself this week against an inferior opponent. Arkansas State will also struggle to move the ball against the Buckeyes, setting up back-to-back strong weeks for Jim Knowles."
Josh Poloha: Ohio State 52, Arkansas State 7. "This will be a game in which Ohio State can play a bunch of different players on both sides of the ball, something it couldn't do in the season-opening win over Notre Dame. The offense will have an opportunity to get back in rhythm, the defense will (hopefully) continue its dominance, and plenty of second and third-string players (and even more players) will have an opportunity for some well-deserved game reps."
Ramzy Nasrallah: Ohio State 69, Arkansas State 6. "I don’t have any analysis for this one. You’re just going to have to trust me."
Jason Priestas: Ohio State 54, Arkansas State 6.
Andy Vance: Ohio State 49, Arkansas State 0.
Check out this week's Eleven Warriors Roundtable for scoring predictions from Griffin Strom, Johnny Ginter, and George Eisner.
Will Ohio State Cover?
The spread for this game is massive, with Ohio State expected to outscore Arkansas State by over six touchdowns at 44.5 points.
Given the projected difference, all but two of the Eleven Warriors staff have the Buckeyes covering today. Kyle Jones forecasts a 42-point win, while Johnny Ginter predicts the smallest margin of victory at 35. Ramzy Nasrallah has the largest blowout in mind at 63 points.
What About the Over?
A large spread finds itself complemented by a large total between both teams, with Ohio State and Arkansas State projected to combine for 68.5 points.
Surprisingly, even though most of the Eleven Warriors staff expect the Buckeyes to cover, only four believe this game will achieve the over. Chase Brown expects the largest point total at 76, while the shutout Andy Vance has in mind lends itself to the smallest tally at 49.
Eleven Warriors House Prop Bets
With a romp likely in store for this afternoon, let's make the speculation more interesting by examining some custom prop lines courtesy of Eleven Warriors. Comment your predictions below and compete for bragging rights.
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How many passing yards will C.J. Stroud finish with?
- 400 or more (+150)
- Less than 400 (-137)
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How many passing touchdowns will C.J. Stroud finish with?
- Four or more (-110)
- Less than four (-110)
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How many rushing yards will TreVeyon Henderson finish with?
- 150 or more (+194)
- Less than 150 (-200)
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How many points will Ohio State score in the first quarter?
- More than 14 (-100)
- 14 or less (-120)
Looking for a way to celebrate the Buckeyes' win over Notre Dame last week? The Catholics vs. Draft Picks t-shirt from Eleven Warriors Dry Goods may have already sold out, but there are plenty of other options available — such as the tee praising Ohio's tradition of going Undefeated Out of Conference.
