The Ohio State Buckeyes re-emerge from their bye week for a matchup against the Washington Huskies with a chance to solidify their standing as the No. 1 team in the nation with a road test on the West Coast.
Unlike the Grambling State Tigers and Ohio Bobcats, this won't be a walk in the park. As the Columbus Dispatch's Rob Oller noted, there are several factors working against the Buckeyes in Seattle that could give OSU a far tougher game than those Group of 5/FCS foes.
For one, Demond Williams Jr.'s dual-threat abilities. Oller fears that a lack of containment from Matt Patricia's unit can leave Ohio State vulnerable to a back-and-forth contest that may take all 60 minutes to be decided.
"Control speedy UDub quarterback Demond Williams Jr. and you control the Huskies. Williams is a weapon, with quickness that OSU coach Ryan Day and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia likened to Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray. If Williams can escape pressure and containment, it could turn into a four-quarter prize fight for the Buckeyes," Oller wrote.
Oller also worries about UW's home-field advantage, given the legendary noise factor at Husky Stadium that some feel rivals the loudest of any SEC stadium.
"Coaches can never be certain how a young team like Ohio State will react to a road environment, but trying on big-boy pants is a right of passage for every inexperienced roster. Washington isn’t great, but good enough to cause the Buckeyes some headaches after mostly stress-free wins against Grambling State and Ohio," Oller wrote.
The Buckeyes may be young, but they've already notched one of the season's best wins across college football in a similarly high-stress situation.
One has to look no further than Ohio State's home opener, a 14-7 win over the Texas Longhorns and Arch Manning, to understand that this Buckeyes squad has been there and done that. That game was at the "Shoe," but the enormity of the moment made it more of a pressure-cooker than any other game this season besides TTUN in Ann Arbor. Passing that test, knocking off one of the preseason Heisman favorites with a perfectly executed game plan, that's what makes a team battle-tested.
Assuming Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles don't have the off-games of their lives, there's no reason to think Williams will terrorize OSU like Oller fears. Washington's offensive line is improved, but not enough to overpower the caliber of athletes the Buckeyes have defensively.
This one won't be easy for all 60 minutes, but as long as Julian Sayin isn't handing the ball over every possession, another perfectly executed game plan should lead to another win for Ryan Day and Co.