OPPONENT:Â Ohio (1-1, 0-0 MAC)
The Buckeyes will take a step up in competition this week, upgrading from an FCS opponent to a MAC opponent. But while fans might look at “MAC opponent” and are 100 percent sure it will be yet another blowout win by the Buckeyes, not so fast.
Ohio will be an interesting challenge for Ohio State, specifically quarterback Parker Navarro. Should OSU win big over the Bobcats? Definitely. And Ryan Day seems to be one of the best coaches in the game at having his team ready for unranked opponents. The Buckeyes will very likely win this game with ease as well, thanks to the talent advantage that they have at every position, there are just more ways for this one to go wrong since those gaps aren’t as large.
The Bobcats are coming off of a MAC championship season, returning the most important piece of the puzzle in Navarro. He threw for 2,423 yards, 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, which isn’t eye-popping, but he also added 1,046 rushing yards for another 18 scores with his legs, averaging 80.5 yards per game on the ground.
In the first two games the Bobcats have played, both against Power Four opponents, he has been even better, with 180 rushing yards on 27 carries and one touchdown. He showed that his passing might not have made much improvement over last season when he threw three interceptions against West Virginia in a 17-10 Week 2 win.
Navarro’s favorite target has been slot receiver Chase Hendricks, who has 17 catches for 236 yards and a touchdown in two games. Two pass catchers have five catches for the Bobcats, next closest in receptions.
Tight ends Caleb Gossett, Jake Bruno and Mason Williams are red zone threats (if the Bobcats manage to get there against the Buckeyes). But Navarro nor his receivers have gone up against a secondary like Ohio State’s which refers to itself by the “Best In America” moniker that they very well could earn this season.
Going into the season, it was the Bobcats defense that raised more questions. Against West Virginia, it was able to hold the Mountaineers to just 72 rushing yards.
It’s nitpicking with the Buckeyes resume this season, but the run game has been one of its weakest points. This game might be a better one to get some good work in for both the offensive line to get some push and the running backs to try to identify holes to punch through.
Linebackers Jack Fries and Michael Molnar are the two leading tacklers for the Bobcats through two games, with 15 and 14 stops, respectively. Ohio has managed five sacks so far and could try to force Julian Sayin out of the pocket if they can get through the Buckeyes very good pass protection, since the young QB has already proven to be a very accurate passer.
Like Jeremiah Smith said after the win over Grambling State, the Buckeyes aren’t taking anyone lightly. This could just be another easy game for OSU, or it could become this year’s Notre Dame, which lost to a good MAC team in Northern Illinois early in the season in 2024.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
- QB Parker Navarro — Even though the Buckeyes will almost certainly win this game, watch how well they are able to contain the rushing quarterback. It will be a good test for some of their games down the line against Big Ten quarterbacks who can run the ball as well.
- WR Chase Hendricks — Has good speed, and has already caught 17 passes in just two games for two straight 100-plus yard games.
- CB Tank Pearson — Led the Bobcats last season with four interceptions. Julian Sayin likely learned from his mistake against Grambling State, but if he remains aggressive he will need to be careful throwing Pearson’s way.
- RB Sieh Bangura — Bangura transferred out of Ohio two years ago to go to Minnesota then transferred back for this season. He is the lead back for the Bobcats with 152 yards and a touchdown
SERIES HISTORY: This will be the seventh time Ohio State matches up with Ohio. The series has gone exactly how one would expect. The Buckeyes have won all six games to this point.
Check back every Monday at BuckeyeSports.com for a brief preview of the Buckeyes’ upcoming opponent, with stories and features throughout the week.
Photo courtesy of Ohio Athletics
