Buckeyes enter top-15 matchup as double-digit favorite

Nakos updated headshotby:Pete Nakos•09/05/21•

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Ohio State accomplished its mission in Week 1: The Buckeyes escaped Minnesota 1-0. There is plenty they want to improve on, but Ryan Day’s team picked up a Big Ten win in the opening week of the season with a first-time starting quarterback.

But that’s now in the past, and the Buckeyes now shifts their attention to the top-15 showdown with Oregon. Ohio State has a chance to make a national statement that it can truly contend with Alabama for a national title this season.

First, the Buckeyes have to beat Oregon in Columbus. Ohio State has opened as a 14-point home favorite for Saturday’s top-15 showdown between the Buckeyes and Oregon, according to the folks at VegasInsider.com. The over/under has also been set at 62.5.

Ohio State will use this next week of preparation to evaluate the season opener. The Buckeyes rotated in a handful of players on both sides of the ball. Now they’ll need to locate their go-to guys before Saturday’s huge matchup in the Horseshoe.

“There were a lot of guys who played a lot of football,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said on Thursday night. “We have an opportunity. We’ve recruited a lot of young players — and we lost those four linebackers — and you can see we tried to match some personnel a little bit differently. 

“We’re going to have to go back and assess and really get a feel for that. … I think it’s going to sort itself out a bit. But we do like playing depth and guys who deserve to play are going to.”

The Buckeyes will be back on the field Saturday, and they’ll do so as a double-digit favorite in a top-15 matchup.

  • Ohio State is 2-4-1 against the spread in its last seven games. And the total has gone over in six of Ohio State’s last seven games.
  • Oregon is 1-5 against the spread in its last six games. The total has gone over in six of Oregon’s last nine games on the road.
  • Ohio State is 1-5 against the spread in its last six games at home. The under has hit in four of the Buckeyes’ last six games at the Horseshoe.
  • Ohio State is 24-1 SU in its last 25 games at home.
  • Oregon is 17-4 SU in its last 21 games.