Betting Line: Ohio State -34.5 | O/U 54.5
Ohio State has begun its 2025 campaign 2-0, with wins over Texas and Grambling State. After a hard-fought defensive battle against the then-No. 1 Longhorns in Week 1, the Buckeyes got to stretch their legs a bit in a 70-0 blowout of the FCS Tigers in Week 2
Ryan Day and Brian Hartline’s offense probably could’ve scored upwards of 100 points on Saturday if they wanted to, as the starters only played the first half.
Julian Sayin was fantastic in his second career start, completing 18 of his 19 pass attempts
for 306 yards and four touchdowns. Jeremiah Smith was on the receiving end of two of those touchdowns, hauling in five catches for 119 yards. Carnell Tate made yet another impressive touchdown grab as he caught five passes for 69 yards, while four different tight ends got in on the action, led by Will Kacmarek’s two catches for 55 yards and a score.
We got to see a heavy dose of Ohio State’s backups in this one, where freshman running back Bo Jackson stole the show with nine carries for 108 yards and a touchdown. Fellow first-year man Isaiah West also found the end zone, adding 42 yards on eight carries. Backup quarterback Lincoln Kienholz finished his day completing 6-of-7 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown.
The defense put forth a strong effort across the board, highlighted by Caleb Downs’ acrobatic interception. However, some of the most electric defensive plays came from more Buckeye freshman, as Riley Pettijohn had a big day with two tackles, a forced fumble, a pass breakup and a scoop-and-score touchdown. Fellow freshman Zion Grady recorded his first career sack in the shutout.
After losing a close 34-31 game on the road to Rutgers in Week 1 as 15.5-point underdogs, Ohio pulled off an upset on Saturday with a 17-10 win over West Virginia in Athens to move to 1-1.
Bobcats quarterback Parker Navarro threw three interceptions in the game, but Ohio’s defense allowed only three points after the first quarter to help secure the victory. That defense made life miserable for Mountaineer quarterback Nicco Marchiol, who completed less than 60% of his passes, threw a pick and was sacked four times. Ohio held West Virginia to 72 yards rushing and a 2-of-13 mark on third down.
Navarro had trouble with turnovers on Saturday, but he was excellent against the Scarlet Knights, throwing for 239 yards and three touchdowns with no picks and also rushing for an additional 93 yards and a score. Navarro has totaled nearly 500 yards passing in these first two games, and is completing just under 70% of his passes.
Junior receiver Chase Hendricks is the man to watch through the air, eclipsing 100 yards in both games thus far. Hendricks had eight catches for 121 yards against WVU, and his 31-yard touchdown in the second quarter was Ohio’s final score of the afternoon. Sieh Bangura has been the Bobcats’ lead back, totaling 152 yards and a TD on 4.2 yards per carry, but it has been Navarro that’s led OU in rushing in both games.
Ohio let up 34 points to Rutgers, but they were stout against the Mountaineers. Safety DJ Walker and linebackers Michael Molnar and Jack Fries all tied for the team with seven tackles on Saturday, with Molnar adding 1.5 sacks. Defensive linemen Nehemiah Dukes and Anas Luqman each recored a sack as well, and senior Cam Hollobaugh hauled in the team’s lone interception.
In addition to having an incredible name, Fries is the team leader in tackles through two games with 15, followed by Molnar and safety Adonis Williams Jr. with 14 apiece. Ohio has done an excellent job on third downs to begin the season, holding Rutgers and West Virginia to a combined 3-for-23 on third down. That said, they did allow the Scarlet Knights to convert all FIVE times on fourth down in Week 1.
Hopefully the Bobcats’ victory over West Virginia will make sure that the Buckeyes do not take this team lightly in Week 3. Navarro is a veteran, mobile quarterback who rushed for more than 1,000 yards last year, and Ohio State has had its share of difficulties with QBs that can move in the past. Matt Patricia’s defense held Arch Manning to 38 yards on 10 carries, and they will have to similarly slow down Navarro on the ground.
Neither West Virginia nor Rutgers have quite the firepower on offense that Ohio State does, and so while Ohio’s defense should put up a much better fight than Grambling State’s, it will be hard to keep the Buckeyes out of the end zone — especially if they can get the run game going.
With Sayin getting another start under his belt, look for Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate to continue to impress as they help lead the scarlet and gray to a perfect 3-0 record to close out the non-conference schedule.
All lines and odds are presented by FanDuel Sportsbook.
