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The Ohio State Buckeyes are on pace for another College Football Playoff appearance. They are currently with a perfect 7-0 record, including four wins in the Big Ten. Still, Ohio State football is tied with the Michigan Wolverines for No. 1 in the Big Ten East division, making the final stretch of the season one to keep an eye on.
Ohio State will probably have one of its toughest challenges of the season this Saturday. Head coach Ryan Day and company will travel to face the No. 13 Penn State Nittany Lions in a battle of ranked teams. Still, fans have hope the Buckeyes will move to 8-0 and keep their hot streak going.
With that being said, here are three reasons Ohio State will win the Big Ten East over Michigan and Penn State.
3. The Buckeyes are just dominating the competition
The 7-0 record is not the only sign Ohio State is a special team. When fans take a closer look at the schedule, they should see the Buckeyes are having little to no challenges.
In Week 1, Ohio State football defeated then-No. 5 Notre Dame 21-10. Since then, the Buckeyes have scored 326 total points while allowing just 94. That includes three games where the team scored at least 50 points.
77-21 over Toledo. 52-21 against Wisconsin. 54-10 versus Iowa. All those results in 2022 are showing how dominating of a team the Buckeyes are. Most importantly, those blowout wins allow Ohio State to rest its best players for the remainder of the season. Also, it allows the coaching staff to save play calls for bigger games, such as the one on Saturday.
The motivation should also be at a very high level right now in the locker room. Although the coaching staff must pay attention so players do not get too comfortable, it is important to have confidence ahead of the final conference contests of the season.
2. Their defense is one of the best in the country
While the offense gets most of the spotlight to due its high-scoring performances, the defensive unit also deserves its praise.
The Buckeyes currently have the No. 2 defense in the nation as they only allow 239.9 total yards of offense per game. They are only behind Illinois' 221.1 yards. Also, in the last six games, the unit has forced at least one turnover.
Against Iowa last week, Ohio State had one of its best defensive displays in 2022, causing six turnovers. The highlight came on a pick-six by senior linebacker Tommy Eichenberg, which he returned 15 yards. Senior safety Tanner McCalister had his moments as well with his two interceptions.
PICK SIX@OhioStateFB adds on in the second quarter pic.twitter.com/UIdeng27vp
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 22, 2022
The team is also in the top 30 in the nation with 19 total sacks, an average of 2.71 per game. Additionally, the Buckeyes are in the top 15 with an average of 7.3 tackles for loss per game, with a total of 51.
The offense is certainly doing its work at the highest level, but Ohio State would not be where it is without the defensive unit. With the Buckeyes set to face the Michigan Wolverines in the final game of the regular season, the defense will be the key to the matchup. The Nittany Lions on Saturday will be the toughest challenge of the year so far, and if Ohio State football plays well, it will be difficult to take the Big Ten East from them.
1. C.J. Stroud is a Heisman-level quarterback
The Buckeyes are a great team overall, but it is difficult to not acknowledge how much their success is due to C.J. Stroud. The quarterback is having perhaps the best individual season in the FBS, which is placing him as one of the frontrunners for the Heisman Trophy.
Stroud has completed 70% of his pass attempts for 2,023 yards and impressive 28 touchdowns against just four interceptions. Additionally, he already has three 300-yard games, plus five performances of at least four passing scores.
CJ STROUD ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? TOUCHDOWN PASS TO JULIAN FLEMING pic.twitter.com/ahqnTxu8aK
— Barstool Ohio State (@BarstoolOSU) October 22, 2022
He is by far the team's X-factor in 2022. If not for Stroud, it is very unlikely Ohio State football would have many blowout wins and even a perfect record. Ohio State's success comes due to Stroud's outstanding year.
According to FanDuel, the quarterback is the favorite to win the Heisman, with his odds being +100. He is ahead of the reigning winner, Alabama's Bryce Young and breakout star Hendon Hooker from Tennessee. Stroud is also projected by many as a potential No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and labeled as a future franchise quarterback.
Stroud is playing a season for the record books. The Buckeyes are No. 2 in the country thanks to his quality vision and passing. Without him, Ohio State football would be in a very different position right now. With Stroud, not only the Buckeyes are favorites to win the Big Ten East, but they can be considered contenders for both the conference and national championships.
