NCAA Football Preview: Ohio St. vs. Marshall

Terrelle Pryor and the #2 Ohio St. Buckeyes begin their season Thursday when they take on the Marshall Thundering Herd. Pryor is considered one of the odds on favorites by most NCAA football experts to win the Heisman trophy this year due to his combination of arm strength, accuracy and speed at the quarterback position. Going against a Marshall defense that allowed just under 25 points per game last year to their opponents in Conference USA, should be the perfect stage for Pryor to display his skill set and athletic ability.

The Buckeyes have an extremely soft schedule in terms of the strength of their opponents, but because of the overall depth of the Big-10 will have no trouble staying atop the polls as long as they continue to win. Ohio St. football is based around one thing……defense! They finished the 2009 season with the 5th best overall defense in all of college football allowing just 12.5 points per game. Combining a top ranked defense, a solid rushing attack and an elusive and athletic quarterback will spell disaster for all of their opponents this season.

As of now, the Buckeyes are scheduled to play 4 ranked teams with 3 of them coming in conference. The only out-of-conference match-up against a reputable team will come next weekend as the Buckeyes take on the 13th ranked Miami Hurricanes. Most coaches would think it’s a bad idea to schedule such a dangerous team so early in the season, but the fact that Ohio St has many returning starters on both sides of the ball gives Jim Tressel plenty of confidence in his team’s ability.

Alabama is the pre-season number 1, but the loss of Heisman trophy winner Mark Ingram for at least the first game due to injury may give the Buckeyes the opportunity to claim the top spot much sooner than expected. Football analysts and college football handicappers feel that this may be the year for Ohio St. They have the majority of their defense back, and what many believe to be the most dynamic player in the game leading their offense. Pryor led the team in rushing last year with 779 yards and 7 touchdowns. He is believed to be a cross between Vince Young and Michael Vick. As we all know, Young and Vick were outstanding college football players that made eluding tacklers look easy. Pryor has that ability as well.

The Vegas oddsmakers must feel as strong about Ohio St. as the experts do, because they have made them a 29 point favorite in Thursday’s game against Marshall. Unlike the NFL, covering big point spreads is much easier to do at the college level due to the disparity in talent. While laying 29 points may put a knot in most bettors stomachs, I recommend taking the Buckeyes. It’s games like these against much weaker opponents that get people buzzing about how good a team looks, and how amazing a player is. Ohio St and Terrelle Pryor will get the buzzing started Thursday as they annihilate the Thundering Herd!

Related posts:

1. College Football Betting – Ohio State at Penn State
2. Sugar Bowl Showdown: Ohio St vs. Arkansas
3. W. Virginia & Marshall in Friday College Football
4. Wildcats take on Rockets: NCAA Friday Football
5. Illinois and Ohio St meet in Big Ten Semi-Finals

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