How much will OSU win by? Expert Ohio State football predictions for Arkansas State game
The Ohio State football team plays Arkansas State at noon on Saturday at Ohio Stadium.
The game is much different than Week 1, when the Buckeyes beat then No.5-ranked Notre Dame 21-10 to start the season. The Buckeyes will host the Red Wolves, who beat Grambling State 58-3 last week, on Big Ten Network.
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Arkansas State is one win away from matching its win total from 2021, the first season under Butch Jones. The once prominent mid-major program has fallen on hard times in recent years. Will Jones be able to take advantage of a Buckeyes roster that may see its playmaking receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba limited?
Well, Las Vegas says no. The Buckeyes are 44-point favorites, and a loss to Arkansas State would be one of the biggest upsets of the college football season.
So clearly the friends in the desert know who they think will win, but what about the experts along the Olentangy River and in the Diamond State of Arkansas? Let's take a look at who The Dispatch staff and Arkansas Democrat-Gazette beat writer Mitchell Gladstone picked to win the Ohio State-Arkansas State game.
Bill Rabinowitz
Ohio State beat writer
The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State 52, Arkansas State 7
Even if Jaxon Smith-Njigba doesn't play, the Buckeyes should be able to get its passing game untracked. The running game should be able to build off its second-half success with TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams a strong 1-2 punch. Meanwhile, the OSU defense looked aggressive and confident against Notre Dame. No reason it shouldn't be dominant against the Red Wolves. Arkansas State has some Power 5-caliber players, but not nearly enough of them. OSU rolls.
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Joey Kaufman
Ohio State beat writer
The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State 52, Arkansas State 14
In the aftermath of a tough, hard-fought win over Notre Dame to start the season, a tune-up game is in order for the Buckeyes. Expect a passing game that at times looked out of sync on the opening weekend, to settle into a rhythm against a defense that was among the worst in the Football Bowl Subdivision last season and needs more than one recruiting cycle to restock its secondary under Butch Jones. No matter if Jaxon Smith-Njigba remains sidelined, C.J. Stroud shouldn’t have trouble finding Emeka Egbuka and Marvin Harrison Jr. as he builds chemistry with the rest of Ohio State’s receiving corps.
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Rob Oller
Sports columnist
The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State 53, Arkansas State 6
Even without Jaxon Smith-Njigba − and given the suspect strength of the opponent there is no reason to play the injured wide receiver − the Buckeyes hold the Red Wolves responsible for OSU's poor passing performance against Notre Dame. Even though ASU had nothing to do with it, someone must pay for that debacle. It's like what UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian once said: "The NCAA is so mad at Kentucky it's going to give Cleveland State two more years of probation." Expect Ohio State to blitz early and often against quarterback James Blackman, a former starter at Florida State who can pick apart a defense if you let him. It's also possible OSU tailbacks TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams each rush for 100 yards.
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Colin Gay
Real-time reporter
The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State 52, Arkansas State 7
The Ohio State defense will pick up where it left off from the Notre Dame game and prove to be too much early for Arkansas State. Even after finding success with a ground-and-pound approach late against the Fighting Irish, C.J. Stroud and the passing game will find success against a young defense that struggled mightily in 2021. Arkansas State will be overmatched from kickoff.
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Mitchell Gladstone
College sports reporter
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Ohio State 49, Arkansas State 10
For those who care about betting lines, the spread on this game remains above 40. I think, even if it's through the back door, the Red Wolves find a way to cover — especially if the Buckeyes go to their reserves in the second half. A-State's defense is improved from last year and this game won't be out of hand after the first quarter, but the Red Wolves are still very, very young and have nowhere near the talent to keep up with the No. 2 team in the nation. And if we're going to go real bold: A-State finds a way to get former Ohio State running back Brian Snead into the end zone Saturday afternoon.
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2022 Ohio State Buckeyes football schedule
Week 1: Ohio State 21, Notre Dame 10
Week 2: Ohio State vs. Arkansas State, Sept. 10, in Columbus, Ohio
Week 6:Ohio State vs. Michigan State, Oct. 8, East Lansing, Mich.
Week 8:Ohio State vs. Penn State, Oct. 29, State College, Pa.
Week 11: Ohio State vs. Maryland, Nov. 19, College Park, MD.
Week 12: Ohio State vs. Michigan, at noon Nov. 26, Columbus, Ohio
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State vs. Arkansas State predictions
