3 Bold Predictions for Ohio State vs FAU Week 1 Clash
By Kevin Aquino
The Ohio State Buckeyes will host the Florida Atlantic Owls in their season opener this Saturday, and while a Buckeyes victory is close to a guarantee, that prediction isn’t bold enough. Here are three bold outcomes to expect as the NCAA Football 2019 season arrives:
3. Justin Fields Struggles Early
Head coach Ryan Day announced that Fields would be his starting quarterback earlier this month, and as enticing a prospect as Fields is, first-game jitters fear no man. The 20-year-old will get better as the season progresses, but he may not shine immensely bright in his first outing with the Buckeyes.
2. The Owls Hang Around
While an upset won't be in the cards, it wouldn’t be a wise decision to bet on Ohio State with this monstrous spread. Consistency and chemistry make a difference, as the Owls will have 13 starters returning this year. FAU featured the top recruiting class in their conference by a country mile in 2019, and that young group is ready to make some noise out the gate in the 'Shoe.
1. Jeff Okudah will outshine everybody
The third-year cornerback is poised for a big 2019, and expect the spotlight to be on him rather than Justin Fields against FAU. Okudah doubled his amount of solo tackles from 2017 (12) to 2018 (24), with five of them alone coming in the Rose Bowl game against Washington. The former 5-star recruit will be the centerpiece of Ohio State's secondary this season.