The Ohio State football program is looking to get a fourth win this afternoon against Washington. Both teams come into this game undefeated, but the Buckeyes are coming off a bye week. They have had a couple of weeks to prepare for this game and the travel to the West Coast.
Ohio State is the top-ranked team in the country, but you wouldn't know it based on what the betting line has done for this game. A couple of weeks ago, the Ohio State Buckeyes were 13.5-point favorites. Now, according to DraftKings, the Buckeyes are 8.5-point favorites.
It's one of the rare times that the top-ranked team in the country will be a single-digit favorite against an unranked opponent, but that is the case for this one. While Washington is a good team, the Buckeyes shouldn't have anything to fear in terms of losing this game.
The Ohio State Buckeyes should beat Washington by double-digits
Julian Sayin might not let the ball fly as much as he did against Grambling State, but he won't be as conservative with it as he was against Texas. Even though this is his first road start, Ryan Day should have enough trust in him to throw the ball down the field.
The defense is going to be as great as it has been all season, although it might not look that way in the first half. Demond Williams Jr. is a crafty quarterback from both inside and outside the pocket, so it might take a half for the Buckeyes to figure out the proper game plan for him.
Final prediction: Ohio State 31 Washington 17
I don't see a scenario in which Ohio State loses this game coming off a bye week. They have had too much time to prepare for this game, and they are well-rested. Unlike Washington, they don't have any injuries to speak of. They will be able to substitute for depth without any problems.
The Ohio State Buckeyes should walk out with a solid win against a team that is better than others are giving them credit for. The Huskies could win eight or nine games this season.