After a needed rest, the Ohio State football team is returning to the gridiron this weekend, as a cross-country trip to Seattle is on the way to take on Washington. Not long ago, the Buckeyes were double-digit favorites and expected to cruise to a lopsided win.
That's no longer the case? Ohio State opened as 14-point favorites, but in a bit of a surprise, that line has shrunk by nearly six points. That's right, the Buckeyes are now favored by 8.5 points instead of two TDs. Washington is a perfect 4-0 on the year, but it has played a cupcake schedule. Is Vegas seeing something that we're not?
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Ohio State football is favored by 8.5 points against Washington this week
The Buckeyes will enter this Saturday's contest with a 3-0 record, of course highlighted by the season-opening win against Texas in Columbus. Washington is also 3-0 on the season, including the blowout win in the Apple Cup this past weekend against Washington State.
Is that why the odds have shifted a bit? With the greatest of respect for the Cougars, this team has been totally underwhelming under first-year head coach Jimmy Rogers and the defense has been a major letdown. QB Demond Williams Jr. sliced the Cougs up for 298 yards and four passing TDs.
The Ohio State defense is going to provide a totally different kind of challenge for the Huskies and Matt Patricia is going to be ready to contain Williams, who is also known for making some pretty darn head-turning plays with his legs. It's going to be on Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith to get things going on offense, which fans are confident about.
We understand that playing against the Dawgs on Montlake is tough, as it's one of the best environments in the college game. However, Ohio State is the No. 1 team in the country for a reason and the Buckeyes will remind everyone of that in this matchup. We think the Huskies might keep things close through three quarters, but people in Columbus are confident Ohio State should pull away in double-digit fashion in the fourth. Only time will tell if that happens or not.