Preview: UNLV (1-1) at #10 Ohio State (2-1)

The Ohio State Buckeyes will have another hometown showdown against the UNLV Rebels.  They shut down the Army offense to hold them well below their average for rushing yards en route to a 38-7 victory after their defeat at the hands of Baker Mayfield and the Oklahoma Sooners.

The UNLV Rebels have rebounded well after losing their home opener to Howard, an FCS team. They had their offense flowing with a 44-16 victory over the Idaho Vandals.  This week they will travel to Columbus for a date at the Shoe.

J.T. Barrett is coming off a successful and efficient game against an Army team that was no threat to them and overmatched.  His next opponent UNLV will not go away quietly, but this game may get out of hand with the difference in overall talent.

Armani Rogers found passing lanes for 191 yards and a score through the air while carrying the ball for 86 yards for another touchdown.  While Lexington Thomas and Devonte Boyd had a total of 293 total yards and 4 total touchdowns between the two as they steamrolled the helpless Vandal defense.

The Silver Bullets rebounded as well as they put the clamps on the Army rushing attack in the second half after the proper adjustments were made.  This week they faced a more balanced attack that features a quick Running Back in Thomas and a playmaking receiver in Devonte Boyd. They will have to focus on these two players if they want to be successful in this game.

On the other hand, the Rebels defense will face some pretty good athletes on this Ohio State team.  If the Buckeye Zone 6 can break away and make a few plays from all over the field, it will be a long day for their defensive players, but so far, the offense still has a few near major concerns.

This matchup will feature the 77th and the 90th ranked defenses in the nation in Total Defense.  It is nothing to scoff about and 90th is expected with UNLV, but the bigger story will can the Buckeyes improve from 77th overall in the nation?  Did they buy too much into their own hype when they were projected to be a preseason Top 10 Defense?

Prediction:  38-13 Ohio State defeats UNLV

 

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