Throughout the year, we will be asking and answering questions about various Ohio State teams, the players, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that
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I think if you asked most Ohio State fans, they would tell you that through five games, the Buckeyes’ season has gone about as well as they could have hoped. Considering all of the top-level talent that went to the NFL following the national championship, it takes a lot of players stepping up in order to go 5-0 and sit atop the rankings.
So, in this week’s fan survey, we wanted to know who Buckeye Nation viewed as the most pleasant surprise of the season thus far. Unsurprisingly, two guys stood above the rest.
The other question this week we asked was about what you thought the result would be for today’s game between the Buckeyes and the Illinois Fighting Illini. As always, we asked for the winner and the margin of victory.
Today, we have the results. So, check them out below (along with my thoughts and feelings), and if the answers that your fellow fans put forth don’t jive with how you see things, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments at the bottom of the page.
Question 1: Who is your biggest pleasant surprise this season?
It’s always interesting when talking about anybody on Ohio State’s roster as a surprise, because by virtue of the fact that Ryan Day decided to offer you a scholarship, you are already an elite player. So, when given the chance to play, it shouldn’t be that big of a shock if you show out and prove how good you actually are.
Nonetheless, every year, someone with little preseason fanfare or from under the radar steps up to have a massive impact on the team. Now, it is tough to say that Arvell Reese is a complete surprise, considering that Buckeye fans were really impressed with him following the 2024 season opener against Akron, but I completely agree that the jump he has made to being arguably the best linebacker in college football has been extraordinary to watch.
And of course, it is tough to undersell the pleasantness of the surprise surrounding Bo Jackson’s emergence as RB1. Ohio State does have a history of true freshman running backs having a dramatic impact on the team, but from the moment Jackson got on the field against Grambling State, he has been the most consistent and productive of all three regular backs.
Ultimately, the fact that there are so many guys to be pleasantly surprised by is one of the main reasons that Ohio State continues to be the best team — and program — in the sport.
Question 2: What will the margin of victory be in Saturday’s game against Illinois?
On Sunday, the FanDuel Sportsbook opened its betting at OSU -22.5. Since then, it has dropped a bit to 14.5 points. The gold standard college football analytics system, SP+, has it as a 34-20 game in favor of the Buckeyes, which is 14 points, hovering right around that line.
Earlier in the week, I said I was going to go 37-6, but the more I researched Illinois, I tweaked things a bit. So, in this morning’s “Land-Grant Tailgate Podcast” and in LGHL’s official predictions article, I went 41-6. So, I guess I would be in that 29 to 35 point range with 11% of the Buckeye respondents.
Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
