Ohio State vs. Army 2017: Start time, live stream, TV schedule and Game Thread

After a week of commiserating, the Ohio State Buckeyes are finally ready to take the field once again. It has been a tough week with lots of questions that strike to the very core of this team’s identity.

Now, however, Ohio State comes back as 30.5 point favorites against the Black Knights of Army. On paper, it looks like a stereotypical beatdown matchup to give the Buckeyes some swagger after their crushing loss last weekend.

In reality, Army runs the triple option. If that sounds eerily familiar, you are probably thinking of that time in 2014 when the Buckeyes had trouble finding a rhythm against the Midshipmen of the Naval Academy.

However, this system is much more favorable for the Ohio State defense this season. After allowing more than 800 yards through the air against Indiana and Oklahoma, the Buckeyes’ pass defense has proven to be a bust so far this season. The good news is that Army is literally the worst passing team in the NCAA, recording just 17 yards through the air through two games this season.

The flip side is that the Black Knights have the second-best rushing offense in the country, recording 417.5 yards per game on the ground. With one of the best defensive lines in college football, the Buckeyes have allowed just 64 yards per game through two contests. This battle will be the one to watch this afternoon.

While it is unlikely that Army will be able to mount an attack fierce enough to overcome Ohio State, it will probably me a closer matchup than the spread might suggest.

When is the game and how can I watch?

Game Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 16, 4:30 p.m.

Location: Columbus, OH

TV: FOX

Online: FOX Sports Go

Radio: 97.1 FM/1460 AM

Where is GameDay this week?

After two-straight weeks covering Ohio State games, College Gameday is heading down I-71 to Louisville ahead of the No.13-ranked Cardinals’ matchup with No. 3 Clemson. The game will pit last year’s national champs against last season’s Heisman Trophy winner, Lamar Jackson. This is the second-straight year that the pregame show has headed to Louisville.

What’s the rest of the Big Ten up to this weekend?

Keeping the triple option theme rolling, No. 7 Michigan faces Air Force at noon on BTN. Also at noon, Nebraska plays Northern Illinois on FS1. In a bust slate of 3:30 p.m. games, No. 10 Wisconsin travels to BYU (ABC), Minnesota faces Middle Tennessee State (BTN), Iowa gets North Texas (ESPN2) and Rutgers plays Morgan State (BTN). At 4 p.m., Purdue travels to Missouri on SEC Network. To close the day, No. 5 Penn State gets Georgia State while Northwestern faces Northwestern at 7:30 p.m. both on BTN. Indiana’s matchup with Florida International was cancelled earlier this week due to Hurricane Irma.

Join the conversation

Below is your Ohio State-Army GameThread. Be respectful, be kind and as always, keep it classy. If you like GIFs, lay ‘em on us. In all, be good fans, cheer for your teams, be cool to each other (even if somebody else isn’t) and everyone wins. We started off strong, ladies and gentlemen. Let’s keep it going.