COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State football did not take control of its season-opening victory over Notre Dame until well into the fourth quarter.
Based on past precedent, it might have Saturday’s game against Arkansas State locked up by the fourth possession.
Ohio State scored 44 or more first-half points four times last season. That included the 49-0 halftime lead over Michigan State. Picking the Buckeyes to lead 42-0 at halftime is not all that outrageous of a prediction.
So I added a degree of difficulty by saying OSU will also hold Arkansas State to four or fewer first downs. It allowed only four first downs while building a 44-7 lead at Indiana last season. All four came on the lone IU touchdown drive.
A similar performance might be the best-case scenario of what OSU is capable of right now. The defense’s confidence has not been this high since that first half against Michigan State. The offense will be out to prove that, no matter how much Ryan Day might value winning ugly, he also values having an explosive offense that can blow opponents off the field.
Former Buckeye Rob Harley, now Arkansas State’s defensive coordinator, will have a tough assignment on his return trip to Ohio Stadium. Ohio State was not clicking on all cylinders in the season opener. It will be seeking more precision and polish for Week 2, and the Red Wolves will likely feel the brunt of that mission.
Watch the video above for our Outrageous Predictions and listen to Buckeye Talk’s six episodes a week discussing all angles of the Ohio State football season.
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