Ohio State’s second game of the season will likely be its easiest win of the year, but there will still be plenty for Buckeye fans to watch for on Saturday.
We’ll cut to the chase in terms of our score predictions for Saturday’s game – we’re all expecting Ohio State to beat Grambling State by a lot to a little (or nothing). But we’re still intrigued to see what happens as the Buckeyes welcome their FCS foe to Ohio Stadium.
Grambling State
Tigers
After grinding out a 14-7 win vs. Texas in Week 1, Game 2 will be an opportunity for Ohio State to build some momentum on offense while it looks to keep its defensive dominance going. If the game goes according to plan, it will also be an opportunity for the Buckeyes to play deep into their bench and get their backups extended playing time after they kept their rotations tight in the season opener.
With that in mind, we share our biggest questions entering the game, our top players to watch and some bold predictions for what we’ll see from Ohio State in our Grambling State edition of Last Call.
Questions
Can the Buckeyes get their ground game going?
After rushing for just 77 yards on 34 carries against Texas – and that's without allowing a sack to sandbag those numbers – this matchup with an FCS opponent should offer Ohio State a chance to reinvigorate its rushing attack. The Buckeyes got a solid push on their interior offensive line against the Longhorns, reviewing the film, so perhaps Texas' closing speed and overall elite defense had something to do with the run-game struggles, alongside a backfield that could make a few better decisions in which hole to hit.
– Andy Anders
Which freshmen will make a move?
Only three freshmen – cornerback Devin Sanchez, defensive tackle Jarquez Carter and tight end Nate Roberts – saw playing time on defense or offense against Texas. We should see many more freshmen in action against Grambling State, and this game presents a prime opportunity for Ohio State’s newcomers to show what they can do in what will be, for many of them, their Ohio State debuts.
Sanchez and Carter appear to have the best paths to significant playing time on defense, but I’m also eager to see what highly touted prospects like linebacker Riley Pettijohn, safety Faheem Delane and defensive end Zion Grady can do in their first snaps from scrimmage.
Offensively, the door could be open for Bo Jackson and/or Isaiah West to push for playing time at running back after an underwhelming first game for Ohio State’s rushing offense. Quincy Porter will be a wide receiver to watch after he was the first of this year’s freshmen to lose his black stripe, while Saturday will also likely be our first opportunity to see five-star freshman quarterback Tavien St. Clair play for the Buckeyes, though that will only come after Lincoln Kienholz sees work as Ohio State’s No. 2 quarterback.
– Dan Hope
How deep is the linebacker rotation?
Day said on his radio show Thursday that James Laurinaitis has been "building depth" in his position room and that Ohio State wants to "get some other guys in there" behind Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese and Payton Pierce. I am wondering who Day has in mind when he says other guys. Riley Pettjohn and Garrett Stover are the top candidates after earning snaps on special teams against Texas, with Tarvos Alford also being a name to consider.
– Chase Brown
Players to Watch
Eddrick Houston
Houston was quiet but still solid against Texas, making his second career start at defensive tackle after bouncing back from an injury early in preseason camp. I expect him to be a breakout star at some point this season and was dead on with a defensive Player to Watch last week in Arvell Reese, so I'm riding with Houston in a game where Ohio State should have an advantage everywhere – but defensive tackles are closest to the football on defense.
– Andy Anders
James Peoples
Among the Buckeyes who played big roles against Texas, there might not be anyone who needs a big game against Grambling more than Peoples.
Peoples has been garnered a lot of hype since he arrived at Ohio State, drawing several comparisons this offseason to J.K. Dobbins, but he has yet to make much impact in game action, rushing for just 20 yards on 10 carries last week after running for 197 yards and two touchdowns on 49 carries – all in third-string duty – as a freshman. Saturday should be a prime opportunity for Peoples to show what he can do and start building momentum for the rest of the season. If he doesn’t, he’ll leave the door open for Ohio State’s freshman running backs to push for more playing time.
– Dan Hope
Lincoln Kienholz
Day said on his radio show Thursday that Kienholz has "had a good week of practice" and implied he's looking forward to seeing how Kienholz leads the Ohio State offense whenever the backups enter the game. Ohio State's QB3 in 2023 and QB4 in 2024, Kienholz has appeared in five games in his college career, completing 10 of 22 passes for 111 yards. He should add significantly to those statistics against the Tigers.
– Chase Brown
Predictions
100 receiving yards, two touchdowns for Jeremiah Smith
This prediction didn’t work out for me last week, but I’m running it back this week. Smith will be hungry to remind the nation that he’s college football’s best wide receiver after gaining just 49 yards on six catches against Texas, and Grambling’s cornerbacks are far less likely to be able to slow him down than the Longhorns could. Even though he’ll probably only play a half if this game goes as it’s supposed to, I still expect Smith to score multiple times and have his first 100-yard game of the season.
– Dan Hope
Three running backs run for at least 50 yards
CJ Donaldson and James Peoples left plenty to be desired in Ohio State’s win over Texas. The duo, who dubbed themselves “Sonic and Knuckles” before the season, managed just 87 yards on 29 carries — a meager three yards per attempt. Against Grambling State, whose defensive front is far less imposing than Texas’, I expect them to resemble the hedgehog and echidna they claim to be. I also wouldn’t be surprised if one of Bo Jackson, Sam Dixon or Isaiah West provides a spark on Saturday.
– Chase Brown
Ohio State scores 60 points
The Buckeyes can truly name their score in this game. Grambling State is mediocre as FCS teams go, and the full realization of Julian Sayin with these weapons can get Ohio State to 42 by halftime with another three second-half touchdowns for the backups to reach my prediction with room to spare.
– Andy Anders
