To quote the slack-jawed camel from that infamous insurance commercial:
"Guess what day it is? GUESS WHAT DAY IT IS?!?!?"
THE DAY IS HERE pic.twitter.com/ytuUw8a54o
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) September 2, 2023
Thankfully, far from hump day. Instead, it's opening day for THE Ohio State football season!
After another slog of an offseason that included a quarterback battle with resolution that came a bit too close for comfort to the start of the season, Buckeye fans can breathe easy as Ryan Day retakes the field with Kyle McCord and company today. Indiana will look to slow down a scarlet and gray attack that blew the doors off the stadium the last time it visited Bloomington, as TreVeyon Henderson fondly recalls.
Now just three hours away from kickoff, the ultimate opinion-shapers on Ohio State football at Eleven Warriors proudly offer their scoring predictions as well as a glimpse at the sports betting market for the first game on the Buckeyes' schedule.
Eleven Warriors Staff Score Predictions
Chase Brown: Ohio State 45, Indiana 14. "The Hoosiers and the Buckeyes. Ants and boots. Ohio State will do some stomping in its 2023 season opener behind stellar performances from Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, TreVeyon Henderson and an experienced defense that has much to prove this fall."
Chris Lauderback: Ohio State 45, Indiana 13. "I like TreVeyon Henderson to run for at least 150 and a couple touchdowns with the defense maintaining a shutout until late third quarter before IU manages some garbage time points."
Garrick Hodge: Ohio State 45, Indiana 7. "Ohio State may struggle to find its footing offensively for a quarter or two as a new quarterback and offensive line are broken in, but the veteran leadership on the defense will halt the Hoosiers in their tracks and allow the offense to eventually get into a rhythm as the Buckeyes cruise to a Week 1 victory."
George Eisner: Ohio State 45, Indiana 17. "Will Kyle McCord seek vindication from critics for Ryan Day's late vote of confidence in him? Does TreVeyon Henderson look for an encore trio of touchdowns in Bloomington after shredding the Hoosiers in 2021 — and more importantly, can he begin the new campaign with a clean bill of health? It will be interesting to see which player guide's Ohio State's offensive approach in the opener against one of last season's most porous defenses."
Johnny Ginter: Ohio State 42, Indiana 10. "It really doesn't matter who the quarterback is for either team because Ohio State's running game will be the story here. Buckeyes win big."
Matt Gutridge: Ohio State 48, Indiana 17. "Since 2015, Ohio State has opened the season against a Power 5 opponent six times. The Buckeyes are undefeated in those six games and have outscored their opponents 286-134. Only twice has Ohio State won by 30+ points in this scenario; hoping that number bumps to three later today."
Ramzy Nasrallah: Ohio State 52, Indiana 9. "Hoosiers are bad and broken, should only punish anyone that took OSU -43.5."
"The Hoosiers and the Buckeyes. Ants and boots." – CHASE BROWN
Andy Anders: Ohio State 52, Indiana 7. "There may be a time this season when Indiana pulls all its transfers together and becomes a decent team. I don't see that happening Week 1. With the recent downward momentum of the program and all there is to replace from a defense that was already worst in the Big Ten, I see Ohio State running away with this one quickly."
Jacob Rhee: Ohio State 41, Indiana 13. "Indiana’s patchwork secondary will be lost attempting to contain the best wide receiver room in America. Kyle McCord looks sharp and the Buckeyes coast to a win, but there are things to clean up on both sides of the ball."
Check out this week's Eleven Warriors Roundtable for score predictions from Dan Hope, Kyle Jones, and Josh Poloha.
Will Ohio State Cover?
While the spread for this contest opened at 27½ points, that amount since has gone up slightly towards a margin of 30½ in favor of the Buckeyes. Ohio State owns a 4-7 record against the spread in their previous 11 games with Indiana. The road team in this matchup also boasts a 6-1 record ATS in the last seven meetings between these schools.
Only two members of the Eleven Warriors staff do not believe the Buckeyes will cover the spread today. Jacob Rhee forecasts the shallowest margin of victory at just 28 points, while resident odds enthusiast George Eisner agrees that Ohio State gets the job done by a meager four touchdowns.
What About the Over?
The over/under point total interestingly witnessed a small decrease since open, with the initial approximation of 63 falling to as low as 59 at some books as of Saturday morning. Overs have cashed in six straight games between these teams, while the under has not hit in any contest since 2016.
In spite of that trend, most of the 11W staff believe the under will hit for the first time in seven years today. Given the recent change in the clock rules, it will be an interesting number to watch. Only Eisner and Ramzy Nasrallah have the over on their predictions for this contest, while Chase Brown and Andy Anders both approximated a push in their scores.
Interested in more betting analysis from Eleven Warriors? Check out the site's new series Easy Bucks for more detailed breakdowns on this weekend's lines and more.
Eleven Warriors House Prop Bets
Looking for more statistics to speculate on? Take a gander at our in-house prop betting lines for this matchup to get a greater sense of what oddsmakers are expecting from individual performances. Leave your predictions for us in the comments and compete for some bragging rights!
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How many receptions will Marvin Harrison Jr. finish with?
- 7 or more (+126)
- Less than 7 (-165)
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How many rushing yards will TreVeyon Henderson finish with?
- 83 or more (-110)
- Less than 83 (-110)
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How many receiving yards will Emeka Egbuka finish with?
- 75 or more (-115)
- Less than 75 (-105)
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Will Ohio State cover the halftime spread of 17 points?
- Yes (-110)
- No (-110)
Still need time to kill before kickoff? Gear up for the new season with a quick shopping spree around the Eleven Warriors Dry Goods store!
