Ohio State junior wide receiver Garrett Wilson (5) celebrates after a touchdown during the Ohio State-Minnesota game Sept. 2. Ohio State won 45-31. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
Location: Columbus, Ohio
2020 Record: 7-1
Head Coach: Ryan Day
2021 Record so far: 1-0
What’s happened so far in 2021:
The Buckeyes opened head coach Ryan Day’s third season at the helm of the program ranked No. 4 in the preseason AP poll, proving why they were ranked in the top-five Week 1. In a Sept. 2 matchup, Ohio State survived an early scare from Minnesota in Minneapolis — securing a 45-31 win. Redshirt freshman quarterback C.J. Stroud struggled in the early goings but found his footing in the second half, completing 13-of-22 passes for 294 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. The one-two punch of wideouts senior Chris Olave and junior Garrett Wilson combined for 197 yards and three touchdowns against the Golden Gophers.
Key Offensive Player
There is a wealth of talent on this Ohio State offense, but none eclipse the talent of Wilson and Olave. It would be ignorant to not mention both players because Wilson and Olave together are the engine that makes this offense go. In 2020, the duo dominated Big Ten defenses as both earned spots on the All-Big Ten First Team. Olave snagged 50 catches for 721 yards and seven touchdowns, while Wilson hauled in 43 receptions and amassed 723 yards and six touchdowns in 2020. This season, Wilson and Olave have already shown out for the Buckeyes as the duo terrorized the Golden Gophers Sept. 2. Wilson picked up 80 yards on five receptions and found the end zone once, while Olave hauled in two touchdown receptions while picking up 117 yards on four catches.
Key Defensive Player
Headlining a young and inexperienced linebacker corps is senior Teradja Mitchell, who made his first-career start against the Golden Gophers. Anchoring a positional group that lost all four starters last season, Mitchell’s importance to this new-look defense can not be overstated. A veteran of 28 games, Mitchell has tallied 28 total tackles along with three tackles-for-loss in his Ohio State career. Against the Golden Gophers, Mitchell was all over the field — finishing with a career-high 10 tackles. As the Virginia Beach, Virginia, native holds down a young position group, he is also a leader on the team — serving as a captain for the 2021 season.
Weaknesses
Despite plenty of talent, the Buckeyes lack experience in some key areas on the team. Most importantly, Ohio State trots out a new starting quarterback in Stroud after the departure of legendary signal caller Justin Fields. The redshirt freshman entered the season without attempting a collegiate pass and appeared frazzled early in his first career-start against Minnesota. But he found his groove in the second half — where he tossed all four of his touchdown passes. Youth and inexperience plague the Buckeyes defensively, as Ohio State sent out seven first-time starters on the defensive end in its Week 1 matchup. Ohio State’s linebackers pick up the pieces after losing all four starters from the 2020 season — including three-year captain Tuf Borland. In the secondary, Ohio State played a host of freshmen and sophomores in the season opener but will get some veterans back from injury as the season wears on.
