Ohio State football: 3 biggest concerns against Minnesota

C.J. Stroud needs to be ready for his first collegiate action

Anytime a new quarterback starts for a team, the first game is always a little nerve-wracking. Especially when the previous quarterback was one of the best ever for that school. C.J. Stroud has the unenviable position to take the first snap for Ohio State after Justin Fields put together two historic years for the school. By all accounts, Stroud is a gifted player and clearly separated himself from a talented quarterback room, but practice is very different from games.

To make things more difficult for Stroud he will be playing his first game at night, on the road, on a Thursday against a team that could quietly be contenders in the West. There will be plenty of nerves for Stroud. He should be able to quiet those quickly and get in a rhythm, but what Ohio State does not have is a known quantity at running back.

Usually, this would be a situation where the rushing attack gets priority until the quarterback feels comfortable. for the Buckeyes, both quarterback and running back will have to get comfortable at the same time.

Ohio State has players across the board who were highly regarded recruits, now it is time to see if they can translate their game onto the college field. And they need to do it quickly against Minnesota for the Buckeyes to get the season started on the right foot.