Ohio State football needs to keep emotions in check

The Ohio State football team has its first game of the season one week from today. It’s going to be the most anticipated non-conference matchup in all of college football. There will be a lot of hoopla around the game and the celebration of the 2002 national championship team.

With everything going on around the game, the Buckeyes need to work hard to keep their emotions in check during this game. They have to make sure that they aren’t too hyped up where they start making mental errors because they are caught up in the emotions of a season-opener against a top-five team.

I’m sure this is something that Ryan Day will stress with his team this week leading up to the game. They have done all of the preparation in terms of game planning and working to be a better team than they were a year ago. They just have to stay mentally sharp.

With a veteran team on the offensive side of the ball, I don’t see that being too much of an issue. C.J. Stroud has dealt with the hype of a big-time early-season non-conference matchup. He was only starting the second game of his career when he lost to Oregon last year.

Stroud will learn from that experience and should be a lot better this time around against Notre Dame. I’m not worried about his mental focus at all. The defense is a different story. They really have to be mentally sharp because they have a new defensive scheme they are trying to remember.

It’s going to be an emotionally charged atmosphere next weekend. Hopefully, the Ohio State football team can navigate the pitfalls successfully and come out with a great early-season win that will help bolster their CFP resume.