After last week’s near-upset loss to Northern Illinois, Ohio State fans can’t be too thrilled that the Buckeyes are playing another top MAC school this week. OSU looked completely out of sorts against the Huskies, and the offense was absolutely atrocious, with both Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett struggling, failing to grab hold of the No. 1 QB spot.
How to watch WMU vs. Ohio State on TV or online, plus 3 things to know
Can Ohio State bounce back?
So now Western Michigan comes to Columbus in what certainly won’t be a cupcake game. Before the season, many people projected the Broncos to win the MAC behind a strong accumulation of talent. P.J. Fleck is one of the rising stars among young coaches. However, it hasn’t been a great start to the year for WMU, which has played a ridiculously tough schedule, losing to Michigan State and Georgia Southern.
There’s no shame in losing to the Spartans or Eagles, and Western Michigan still has a lot of talent, meaning Ohio State can’t be as bad as it was against NIU. And more importantly, the Buckeyes have to find a way to get their offense going before the start of conference play.
How to watch, stream and listen
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN2
Radio: Ohio State, Western Michigan
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Spread: Ohio State is favored by 27 points.
Make friends: Get to SB Nation’s team blog chats for this game at Land-Grant Holy Land for Ohio State fans and Hustle Belt for Western Michigan fans.
Three big things to know
1. The quarterback thing has to get figured out this week. Is it going to be Jones, Barrett or both? And if it’s both, how can they be used to complement each other? The current system isn’t working for anyone.
2. That said, the whole offense needs an overhaul. Nobody is performing particularly well, and that’s also true of the coaches and play callers. Urban Meyer noted that they might change things up a bit, and they’ll possibly put play-caller Ed Warriner in the booth.
3. It’s no shame starting the season with losses to Ohio State, Michigan State and Georgia Southern, so that likely won’t hurt WMU’s postseason projections, but it sure would blow the Fleck hype through the roof if the Broncos steal a win in Columbus.
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