Miami vs Ohio St Odds & Prediction
The Urban Meyer era kicks off Saturday afternoon in Ohio Stadium. A year ago Buckeyes fans were down in the dumps as the program looked lost, but now the fan base is pumped up as one of the best coaches in football has taken over the program.
Miami (Ohio) Redhawks vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio Stadium
Saturday September 1, 12:00 PM EST
College Football Betting Odds from BetDSI
Moneyline: Off
College Football Spread: Ohio State -24 (-110) vs. Miami +24 (-110)
Over/Under: 48
Miami (Ohio) has had some success over the last few years, but will they be able to stick with the Buckeyes this Saturday?
Miami (Ohio)
Miami had a major problem in 2011. The team simply couldn’t run the football. The Redhawks finished with 886 rushing yards as a team last year, which was more than 400 yards below the second worst total in the MAC. The passing game was great and the defense was very good last year, but it is extremely tough to win games when you can’t run the ball at all.
Zac Dysert is the fifth-year senior at quarterback for Miami. Dysert will likely break Big Ben Roethlisberger’s record for most passing yards in school history this season. He completed 64.1% of his passes in 2011. Dysert is a good decision maker, and he has enough quickness to keep plays alive for quite a while. Once again the big issue will be that Miami has no clear cut running back heading into 2012. The team averaged a miserable 2.4 yards per carry last year, and it’s hard to see them running on the Ohio State defensive front.
Miami’s defense was very good last year, but they did lose a lot of talent in the front seven. The secondary will be strength of the defense this year. Dayonne Nunley is a shutdown cover corner, and Pat Hinkel is a vocal leader at the safety spot. The question mark will be how this team will fare against the run. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Ohio State
The Buckeyes aren’t eligible for a bowl game this year, but this team seems highly motivated to go out there and prove that last year was an aberration. Coach Meyer has talked about how much he loves coaching an “angry” team like this group of Buckeyes.
Braxton Miller started at quarterback as a true freshman last year, and he seems like a perfect fit for Urban Meyer’s offense. Miller struggled throwing the ball last year, but he played much better in his last four games in 2011. Expect a ton of maturation from the sophomore in the new system this season. Miller should be a top notch quarterback before his time is up at Ohio State. Carlos Hyde will be the starting running back with Jordan Hall out due to injury. Keep an eye on backup Bri’onte Dunn as well who is a highly touted freshman runner. The biggest question mark for Ohio State is their wide receivers. Quite frankly, the Buckeyes may well have the worst group of receivers in the Big Ten.
The Ohio State defense looks stacked heading into 2012. The defensive front is the strength of the defense. John Simon has been called “Tebowish” by Meyer, and I fully expect him to be a leader for this defense. Johnathan Hankins may be the best pro prospect on the Buckeyes team. Hankins is a 322 pound defensive tackle who has amazing athleticism for his size. Adolphus Washington and Noah Spence are two youngsters who should be great for the defensive line as well. The secondary is another area of strength. The Buckeyes have tons of depth and quickness in the secondary. It’s tough to find a weakness on this Ohio State defense.
Ohio State’s offense should be plenty good enough to put up points on this Miami defense with major question marks in the front seven. Look for a quicker tempo from Ohio State’s offense, which should lead to a slightly higher scoring game.
Free College Football Pick: Over 48
Score Prediction: Ohio State 41 Miami 13
