Ohio State kicks off their 2019 season this Saturday at noon in the Horseshoe against the mighty Owls of Florida Atlantic (Boca Raton). Catch the game of FOX for this first ever meeting. Fans should be pretty excited to see Ryan Day take over the program with the dynamic Justin Fields at quarterback. The Buckeye offense has reloaded with plenty of talent at all the skill positions and the defense has a new set of coaches to guide them to a dominating performance.
Florida Atlantic Owls
Ranked fifth in the country, the Ohio State opener should not be close when the fourth quarter comes along. But Lane Kiffin (former Tennessee and Southern Cal coach) and the Owls are hoping for a very different outcome. Last season Florida Atlantic finished 5 and 7 but were able to score prolifically reaching an average of 31 points a game. The first test for the new Silver Bullet defense has arrived. The Owls can move the ball but allow their opponents to score at the same time. Florida Atlantic changed out their defensive coaches also, so we'll get to see if there is any improvement.
Harrison Bryant
Florida Atlantic has a star tight end in Harrison Bryant, who some feel is the second best TE in the college game. They also have a number of transfers that can compete with Ohio State recruits. Included in this group are NT Noah Jefferson, RB BJ Emmons, and QB Chris Robinson.
Justin Fields
Quarterback Justin Fields has some big shoes to fill and has not been at Ohio State very long. Dwayne Haskins has moved on to the NFL leaving the transfer to run the show. Fields will be watched closely by everyone and hopefully his skill level and understanding of the offense will make up for any lack of time in the program.
Chase Young
Chase Young on the edge will be fun to watch early on Saturday. Young was able to get over 15 tackles for loss last year along with 10 sacks. He hopes to continue that great performance on his way to an early NFL draft day next Spring.
Ryan Day
Ryan Day demonstrated in his three starts last year that he has what it takes to win the preseason games. The Buckeyes could lean on running back JK Dobbins to get started before opening up the offense. Justin Fields will have his moments in the game and the pass rush for Ohio State should cause havoc on the Owls all game long. Ohio State is favored by 27.5 points.
Ryan Day previews Ohio State opener with Florida Atlantic