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 you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33 or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.
The first game of any season is bound to be fraught with myriad different emotions. The excitement and anticipation of a new season; the nerves and uncertainty of what the new version
of your favorite team will look like. Then, when you throw in the fact that your favorite team is the defending national champion who is opening up the new slate against the top-ranked team in the country, things can get super weird.
That’s why earlier this week, we asked Buckeye Nation to share their thoughts about today’s game against the No. 1 Texas Longhorns in our weekly fan survey.
We wanted to know who or what the OSU fandom thought would be the reason that OSU comes out victorious today, and what the fans think will be the margin of victory. We now have the results of the survey, so check out the responses below, and if you want to agree, disagree, or expound on anything you see, head to the comments at the bottom of the article.
Of course, if a top-three contest, that is a rematch of the College Football Playoff Semifinal that happened just seven and a half months ago, isn’t enough to get you excited for the game, then why don’t you head over to the FanDuel Sportsbook and put some money down on the Buckeyes? After all, FanDuel is sponsoring this article.
Question 1: What will be the biggest X-factor in Ohio State beating Texas?
I think these results fairly accurately reflect how I feel about the game. It’s really hard to get a good grip on what’s going to happen because there are a lot of unknowns about this team, this coaching staff, and this game. So I have been kind of bouncing back and forth across different thoughts all week.
I could definitely see Matt Patricia tweaking Jim Knowles’ existing, already elite defense and making it even more disruptive, but I could also see the lack of experience on that side of the ball becoming an issue.
I could also see Julian Sayin being able to settle into his new role as starting quarterback thanks to all of the incredible talent surrounding him on the offensive side of the ball. However, I could also see him looking like a 19-year-old sophomore making his first start against the No. 1 team in the country.
There are so many unknowns, it’s tough to feel incredibly confident in any outcome. Although I am of course picking the Buckeyes to win… more on that below!
Question 2: What will the margin of victory be in Saturday’s game against Texas?
As I said above, I am picking the Buckeyes to win, and if you go back and check the “Land-Grant Tailgate” podcast, you will see that I am falling into the second group of Buckeye fans, as I am going with a score of 31-20 in favor of the Scarlet and Gray.
I am pretty pleased that 92% of survey respondents (including 2% not featured on the graphic) are picking Ohio State to win. I know that it would be very easy to settle into old habits and doubt Ryan Day in a big game like this. But we aren’t doing that anymore, ok? Until the national championship-winning coach gives us reason to doubt him, we are riding with good vibes only.
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. And don’t forget to visit this article’s sponsor FanDuel Sportsbook.
