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Three bold predictions for the Ohio State football season

With the Ohio State football team about to start their season next weekend, we give you some bold predictions for how the season plays out.

By Ryan Stano

Nov 25, 2023; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) celebrates a touchdown with wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) and offensive lineman Carson Hinzman (75) during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Ohio State lost 30-24.
Nov 25, 2023; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) celebrates a touchdown with wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) and offensive lineman Carson Hinzman (75) during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Ohio State lost 30-24. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
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The Ohio State football team will finally be playing football in under a week. It has been a long offseason full of change and motivation. With how badly last season finished, the Buckeyes are looking to win the Big Ten and win a national championship this year.

Ohio State starts the season ranked second in both polls. Only Georgia is ranked higher than them to start the year. They quite possibly have the best defense in the country. It's going to be hard for opposing teams to move the ball on them all year.

Offensively, the team should be better now that they have Will Howard leading the program at quarterback. He should be a slight upgrade over Kyle McCord. The Buckeyes also still have the best group of receivers in the country. Still, we aren't sure how the offensive line is going to perform.

With the season about to start, it's time to start giving some bold predictions for the season. It's always fun to see if these end up panning out or if they are completely wrong. This year, the predictions get more fun because this team is under an enormous amount of pressure.

The first prediction has to do with the defense.

1. Ohio State's defense will force 20+ turnovers this season

Under Jim Knowles, the Buckeyes have had their defense improve both years under Jim Knowles. In year one, he allowed too many big plays and that cost them against Georgia in the Peach Bowl. That ultimately cost them a shot at playing for a national championship.

Last season, the Buckeyes fixed that problem and were a top-five defense in almost every major category. They ended up having one of the best secondaries in the country. The team is hoping to improve even more now that it's year three under Knowles' system.

The one thing they didn't do very well last season was force turnovers. They only had 11 forced turnovers last season, which is not very good. In fact, it was in the bottom ten in the country. It's one of the last things that the defense needs to do to fully get to elite status. It's that and getting the run defense into the top five statistically.

Turnovers can change games, especially against good teams. If the Buckeyes can get more turnovers this season against teams like Oregon, Penn State, and Michigan, they should be able to win those games. Those are the toughest games this year.

I believe the defense will be able to force at least 20 turnovers this season. The players that they have on that side of the ball will be ready to create big plays, especially in the secondary. More passes will turn into interceptions.

The next bold prediction for this Ohio State team this season has to do with how they will finish in the Big Ten.

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