Preview: Ohio State Looks to Finish Non-Conference Play Strong Against Toledo

Ohio State will play its third and final non-conference game of the regular season against Toledo on Saturday at 7 p.m. on a national broadcast network (FOX). The Buckeyes are favored to win by a substantial margin. Ryan Day doesn't want his team to take any opponent for granted. The team has gone 49-0-1 against in-state opponents over the past 100 years.

Ohio State won the game against Arkansas State by 33 points. Coach Day was unhappy with the penalties and special teams. The team is looking to play cleaner football against Toledo.  Donovan Jackson believes that disciplined teams go far. He believes the team needs to become more refined and disciplined in practice. It is also important to hold players accountable. Ohio State was favored to win the match by 44 points, but they won by only 33.

Toledo's defense has been dominant in its first two games. The Rockets are second in passing defense and scoring defense. They are also tied for 16th nationally in scoring offense. Ohio State's defensive team has allowed just one touchdown this season. However, the Buckeyes have given up more than twice as many points as Toledo. Toledo has a history of playing competitively against Power 5 teams. Last year, they lost to Notre Dame with under two minutes left to play.

Ohio State's offense could be back to full strength against Toledo. Wide receivers Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Julian Fleming have been injured. Kamryn Babb has been out with a knee injury. Cornerback Jordan Hancock has missed the first two games of the season with an injury suffered in preseason camp. He could potentially be the No. 3 cornerback behind starters Cameron Brown and Denzel Burke. The Buckeyes will exercise caution not to bring him back too quickly.

Toledo's Dequan Finn is the leading passer (388 yards, three touchdowns) and rusher (138 yards). Finn earned MAC West Offensive Player of the Week honors last week. Ohio State's defense has allowed only 64.5 rushing yards per game so far this season. Jim Knowles' team has had little trouble dealing with the quarterback running game.

Desjuan Johnson and Jamal Hines are the top-ranked defensive players in the country. They are expected to be playing in NFL next year. Ohio State's offensive line will be tested by Toledo's defensive front.  “Their front's very good,” Day said.

Dallas Gant spent four years at Ohio State and is the team's leading tackler with 20 tackles in two games. He will play against his former team on Saturday. Gants has already played with and practiced against most of the Buckeyes' players.  "I've got endless reps against a lot of players there, most the players and I think it's going to translate to the game onSaturday with me being comfortable and seeing a a number of familiar looks and stuff like that"

Toledo's head coach is aware that his team will play against Ohio State on Saturday night. Candle grew up in a household of Buckeye fans. He hopes Toledo will have the support of their hometown. Day thinks all college football programs in the state are proud to be from Ohio and want to represent the area well. The Buckeyes have outscored their opponents by an average of 32 points per game in their last 50 games against other Ohio universities.

Ohio State is 3-0 all-time against Toledo. The game will be broadcast on FOX. Ohio State has won its last 65 consecutive games against non-Power 5 teams. Toledo has lost its four games in a row against Power 5 opponents. It is the first time Toledo played on a national broadcast network.

Ohio State is favored to beat Toledo by a similar margin as it did against Arkansas State. If Ohio State plays cleaner football, it could beat the Rockets by more than the margin of victory against the Red Wolves. The Eleven Warriors staff expects Toledo to be a bit more competitive than last week's game.