Last week, the Ohio State Buckeyes cruised to a victory by beating Ball State 56-3. Now, they have a much tougher test against Texas in Week 2. The Buckeyes are 2-0 against the Longhorns in the last two seasons, although this is the first time they will face them on the road.
Last week, I only hit one out of my three bold predictions. This week, the bold predictions get a little tougher to make since Texas is such a better team than the Cardinals were. We start out with the offensive side of the ball, specifically with Jeremiah Smith's production.
1. Jeremiah Smith has 100+ yards receiving
While Texas hasn't been able to beat the Buckeyes, they have done a great job of slowing down Jeremiah Smith. Smith is the best player in college football, and the Longhorns have done a good job limiting his ability. In the last two games, Smith has combined for just seven catches for 46 yards. He has yet to score a touchdown.
While Texas will have a similar game plan to keep him limited, Smith is just too good to be shut down against the same team three years in a row. I expect him to have over 100 yards receiving in this game. I also expect him to have a touchdown, although I am less confident in that prediction.
Smith is going to have an impact on this game even if he doesn't have a lot of catches. Just his presence will have an effect on what Texas does defensively when he's on the field.
2. Bo Jackson eclipses 100 yards rushing
Running the ball in the first half was a major issue in Week 1 against Ball State. Bo Jackson wasn't able to find much room to run the ball. He did break off a 65-yard touchdown run. That accounted for most of the 83 yards he had during the game. However, Week 2 will sing a different tune.
Steve Sarkisian's squad gave up 161 yards on the ground against Texas State in Week 1. With that being the case, the Buckeyes will have an opportunity to run it well early, especially if they are too preoccupied with stopping Smith on the outside. A year ago, they ran it for just 77 yards against Texas.
This week, I believe the offensive line and Jackson will get it together. I expect Jackson to have 100+ yards in this game. He might even break off another big run to help reach that total.
3. Ohio State will force two turnovers
Defensively, the Buckeyes absolutely shut down Arch Manning and the Longhorns a year ago. They had him unsure of his reads all game long. In fact, Manning only threw for 170 yards. He also threw an interception, and that seems likely to happen again this week.
I believe the Buckeyes will force two turnovers in this game. They were able to get a pick last week against Ball State, and that was by TJ Alford. The secondary might get in on the action this week with interceptions.
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