LGHL’s 2018 College Football season predictions

As the Ohio State football team prepares to embark on another glorious season of college football, so does the staff of your favorite Ohio State SB Nation blog, Land-Grant Holy Land. To get ready for the season, our panel of experts refuse to be silenced by the inevitable shaming at the hands of Freezing Cold Takes, and are putting their knowledge where their typing fingers are.

Thirteen LGHL writers and editors have made predictions about the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Big Ten Conference, and college football as a whole. Let us know who you are— and aren’t— agreeing with in the comments below. And don’t worry, we will be revisiting these come season’s end.

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Who will lead Ohio State in rushing yardage this season?

While I expected this to be the result, I was surprised no one took a flier on Mike Weber, just in case J.K. Dobbins got hurt.

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Who will lead Ohio State in receiving yardage this season?

Parris Campbell cruises to a very nice victory

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How many passing yards, total TDs, and interceptions will Dwayne Haskins have?

These predictions were almost uniformly positive, and tended to stay in a fairly tight grouping. Ten of our 13 staffers predicted Dwayne Haskins to throw for more than 3,000 yards. Alexis Chassen was at the bottom in terms of predictions with 2,400 yards, and Matt Tamanini was at the top with 3,950 yards.

Caleb Hauser predicted 41 total touchdowns for the first time starting quarterback, while Chassen only called for 18. Tamanini predicted 15 interceptions, while Evan Speyer foresees only six.

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How will the OSU coaching staff take advantage of the new redshirt rule?

Colton Denning: “Without regards to which particular players it will apply to, I think we’ll see lots of the 2018 recruiting class get major time against Oregon State and Rutgers, hopefully leaving the team as fresh as it can be for TCU. Having the Tulane game sandwiched between that and Penn State may also be crucial, because those young players can see some more time before conference play, while giving the first and second string a bit of a rest.”

Brett Ludwiczak: “Ohio State is already loaded with depth, so it’s hard to see the new rule having a huge impact. If anything, the coaching staff might take a look at some possible redshirt players in mop-up duty in blowouts, but other than that I’m just not sure if it will change things all that much for the Buckeyes.”

Max Littman: “Rutgers- fully freshmen.”

Caleb Houser: “3/4 (75%) of true freshman will play at least in one game.”

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What true freshman do you think will have the biggest impact this season and why?

Caleb Houser, Evan Speyer, and Brett Ludwiczak all said tight end Jeremy Ruckert, with Ludwiczak saying, “Ohio State has some quality tight ends, but nobody quite has the potential of Ruckert, who will be the most dynamic tight end Ohio State has had in years.”

Christopher Jason: “Tommy Togiai -- Will be a big part of the interior defensive line rotation.”

Max Littman and Meredith Hein picked Teradja Mitchell, with Hein writing, “Mitchell has not had the same renown that the defensive line or secondary has earned in recent seasons. With a lot of new faces in the position group, Mitchell, the No. 2 ILB in the 2018 class, could earn playing time early and make a real impact.”

Geoff Hammersley and Chad Peltier both selected Nick Petit-Frere.

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Which Buckeye that nobody is talking about will step up to make the biggest impact (non-freshman edition)?

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Which game this season scares you the most and why?

Brett Ludwiczak: “MichiPenn State (It was so tough to decide between Penn State and Michigan State on the road).”

Patrick Mayhorn: “Purdue. I’m terrified of what that team can be if they have enough talent to run Jeff Brohm’s offense. West Lafayette is always a tough place to play, and it could be a marquee matchup because Purdue’s schedule to that point is pretty manageable.”

Geoff Hammersley: “Penn State. It’s a road game at Happy Valley. The last meeting in State College was a Buckeye loss; the previous time before that, OSU needed to squeak out the win in OT. PSU is loaded for a playoff run, and are poised to get revenge after last season’s debacle.”

Evan Speyer: “Michigan State. They always play Ohio State tough, save for last season, when the Buckeyes blew the doors off the Spartans. There is little scarier than a motivated Michigan State team, and they will be hungry to enact payback on Ohio State. Additionally, this comes off what could be an emotional and difficult home game against an improved Nebraska team.”

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What will Ohio State’s regular season record be?

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How will Ohio State’s season end? (which bowl, opponent, etc)

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Please list your predicted order of finish in the Big Ten East (Top to Bottom)

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Please list your predicted order of finish in the Big Ten West (Top to Bottom)

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What Big Ten team is most likely to surpass expectations this year and why?

Alexis Chassen: “Maryland— the football programs as a whole might be screwed up, but the players have a whole lot to fight for on the field.”

Brett Ludwiczak: “Nebraska. I’m not saying they are going to win the division, but the Cornhuskers should at least be a lot more competitive this year. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Nebraska spring an upset or two this season.”

Colton Denning: “RUTGERS, BABY! They have a super easy schedule the first two months of the season, and even if some of Chris Ash’s offensive choices have been confusing, I think they can fluke their way into bowl eligibility by stealing two of three from Indiana, Maryland, or Northwestern.”

Max Littman: “Purdue- all about the Brohm train. He has them in a complete different mindset.”

Meredith Hein: “Northwestern— Clayton Thorson is recovering from his ACL injury and will be back for his fourth and final season in Evanston. And the new facilities are amazing. “

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Who in the Big Ten is most likely to wildly disappoint and why?

Chad Peltier: “The Big Ten has five teams that I wouldn’t be surprised if they win the conference. That said, I think Michigan State has the most questions by far of those contenders.”

Matt Tamanini: “Michigan; always Michigan.”

Dan Hessler: “Maryland. It will be interesting to see how they overcome their own off season drama with head coach D.J. Durkin.”

Brett Ludwiczak: “Purdue. Expectations might have been raised a little too high after what Jeff Brohm did last year. The Boilermakers lost a lot on defense, which will probably keep them around .500.”

Patrick Mayhorn: “Penn State. Without their offensive coordinator or Saquon Barkley, I have a lot of trouble trusting this team. They don’t return many players, and while James Franklin has recruited very well, one team has to get a little beat up a little out of the top four in the East. I think it’s Penn State this year.”

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Who is your Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year?

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Who is your Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year?

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What is your boldest, most out-of-left-field prediction for Ohio State this season?

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What is your boldest, most out-of-left-field prediction for college football this season (non-Ohio State version)?

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Who wins the Heisman Trophy?

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Who are your four playoff teams, and who is going to win it all?