Game Prediction: No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Arkansas State Red Wolves

Ohio State and Arkansas State both started the season with emphatic victories and both come to Week 2 feeling good about their teams.

The difference? Well, there are a few ... but most notably, Ohio State silenced the offense of the preseason No. 5-ranked team in America with a defensive performance that will long be remembered, while ASU dominated an FCS opponent that didn't name a starting quarterback until he literally ran on the field.

Here's what the BuckeyesNow staff expects on Saturday when the Red Wolves try to slay Goliath.

What's the betting line for Arkansas State vs. Ohio State?

ARKANSAS STATE at OHIO STATE – Saturday, 12:00 p.m.
Spread: Ohio State (-44.5) on SI Sportsbook
O/U Total: 68.5

Ohio State vs. Arkansas State Predictions

Brendan Gulick: Ohio State 56, Arkansas State 6

I really think there will be parts of this game where Arkansas State looks like they belong on the same field as the Buckeyes. The Red Wolves have some talented skill position players and their speed would be worrisome to most defenses.

But Ohio State is going to completely overwhelm them at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. I think the Buckeye defense has an incredible performance and surrenders just two field goals and I expect ASU to have less than 120 yards of total offense against Ohio State's first team defense.

I also expect the Buckeyes to get rolling offensively, even if Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Julian Fleming aren't yet ready to return to action.

Andrew Lind: Ohio State 55, Arkansas State 16

The biggest storyline heading into this matchup is the health of wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who suffered a hamstring injury in the first quarter of Ohio State's 21-10 win over Notre Dame.

He likely won't play this week or next week against Toledo, and the Buckeyes won't need him in either game. There's plenty of depth at the position, and it'll be good for other wideouts to build chemistry with quarterback C.J. Stroud against an overmatched opponent.

Caleb Spinner: Ohio State 55, Arkansas State 10

In one word: blowout.

Arkansas State is coming into this game off a 58-3 win against Grambling, which against any other team would be impressive. But we’re talking about Ohio State here, the third-best team in the nation and a consistent king of power-five football.

The Buckeye defense was tremendous last weekend, specifically when looking at linebacker Tommy Eichenberg and tackle Mike Hall Jr., who both shook hands with Notre Dame quarterback Tyler Buchner a few times throughout the game. Add that to an offense that struggled in the first half but made up for it in the second, and you have an Ohio State team poised for a dominant performance this week.

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