Cal vs OSU Odds & Prediction
The buckeyes have not faced the Golden Bears in 40 years and they look to get to 3-0 for the 2nd time in the last 3 seasons. Ohio State has a great rushing attack, but their starting RB will miss this game with a minor knee injury.
Venue/ Stadium: Ohio Stadium, COLUMBUS, OH
Time/Date: 12 PM EST Saturday, September 15, 2012
MLB Odds From: BetOnline
Moneyline: OFF
Spread: Ohio State -16.5
Over/Under: 52.5
California Golden Bears vs. No. 12 Ohio State Buckeyes Preview
Cal has really struggled against the run this season, but they got in the W column last week after getting upset in the season opener. NCAAF lines have Ohio State as 16.5-point home favorites with a total of 52.5.
In their last games Ohio State beat Central Florida 31-16 and Cal beat Southern Utah 50-31.
This season Cal is 0-2 ATS with an O/U record of 0-1 and Ohio State is 1-1 ATS with an O/U record of 1-1.
Braxton Miller is the starting QB for Ohio State and he is a duel threat QB that already had over 300 rushing yards on the season. He has also passed for 362 yards with 3 TD and 1 INT. WR Philly Brown is his main target and so far on the season he is averaging over 10 yards per reception.
Miller is the leading rusher for the Buckeyes and with Carlos Hyde out with a knee sprain Bri’onte Dunn and sophomore Rod Smith will see time in the backfield and this duo has combined for 86 yards on the season.
Cal’s defense has struggled so far this season and in their opening loss to Nevada they gave up 230 passing yards and 220 passing yards. Last week against Southern Utah they played well against the run, but were torched in the air giving up nearly 280 passing yards. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Senior QB Zach Maynard, who has passed for 474 yards with 3 TD and 1 INT, leads Cal. He has a solid WR corps led by Chris Harper and Keenan Allen, who are each averaging over 12 yards per catch. Allen is key in this game, as he is not only a good WR, but he ranks 4th in the nation averaging 22.2 yards on punt returns and he scored a TD off a punt in the win over Southern Utah.
Cal RB Isi Sofele rushed for over 100 yards in the win over Southern Utah and his play is key in this game. Cal may have a hard time on offense in this game, as the Buckeyes rank a solid 25th in the nation in opponents points allowed.
In some betting trends for this non-conference match up Cal is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games, 2-8 ATS in their last 10 road games, and they have an Over record of 6-2 in their last 8 non-conference games.
Ohio State is 12-4 ATS in their last 16 non-conference games, 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games, and they have an Under record of 6-2 in their last 8 non-conference games.
Jason’s Pick: Have to go with Ohio State in this game since they have a good defense and a solid rushing game while Cal has really struggled on defense so far this season.
