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The No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes got off to a strong start to the season, going 3-0 under interim head coach Ryan Day. Now, with Urban Meyer back on the sidelines, Ohio State is ready to continue its quest for a Big Ten Championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff. But before they can move on to Penn State and the rest of the Big Ten, the Buckeyes have one final non-conference test against the Tulane Green Wave.
Sophomore quarterback Dwayne Haskins has showed up in a big way through three games this season as Heisman-hype continues to build around him. He’s thrown for 11 touchdowns with one pick, while leaning on the two-headed rushing attack of Mike Weber and J.K. Dobbins. Last week versus TCU, Haskins threw for a season-high 344 yards, adding two touchdowns through the air and one on the ground.
This season marks the first time in program history that the two teams have squared off. A member of the American Athletic Conference, Tulane enters the game with a 1-2 record on the season, but the record doesn’t tell everything. The Green Wave lost its season opener 23-17, in overtime to ACC opponent Wake Forest. Now, the Demon Deacons may not be on the level of Ohio State, but they do represent a Power 5 opponent for whom Tulane looked to be well-matched. On the flip side, the Green Wave rolled over Nicholls State in Week 2, but fell to UAB last week. On the season, the team is averaging less than 28 points per game, not quite half of Ohio State’s weekly point total. Tulane has allowed 465 yards per game in its three outings, while racking up just 416 on offense.
The matchup is one which could be easily overlooked, settled between TCU and Penn State on Ohio State’s schedule. With Urban Meyer back on the sidelines, the Buckeyes will be able to fine-tune their form as they prepare for the tough Big Ten run ahead.
When is the game and how can I watch?
Game Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 22, 3:30 p.m.
Location: Columbus, Ohio
TV: BTN
Online: BTN2Go
Radio: 97.1 FM/1460 AM
Where is GameDay this weekend?
The crew is taking its first trip out west so far this season as it travels to the matchup of No. 7 Stanford at No. 20 Oregon. The pair is scheduled to square off on ABC’s Saturday Night Football at 8 p.m. ET, which means you might actually get to watch a premier Pac-12 game in its entirety without falling asleep. It’s College Gameday’s first trip to Eugene since 2014, when the third-ranked Ducks rolled over No. 7 Michigan State. This visit also celebrates the 40th anniversary of Animal House, which was filmed on the University of Oregon’s campus.
What’s the rest of the Big Ten up to today?
Most of the Big Ten begins conference play this week. With No. 10 Penn State and Illinois having faced off last night and Northwestern on a bye, there are just seven matchups left for Saturday. The day kicks off at noon with Nebraska at No. 19 Michigan on FS1, while No. 23 Boston College visits 0-3 Purdue on ESPN2. Also at noon, undefeated Buffalo heads to Rutgers and Minnesota travels to Maryland, both on BTN. Ohio State is the only afternoon matchup before No. 24 Michigan State squares off against Indiana in Bloomington at 7:30 p.m. ET on BTN. Finally, in what has turned out to be the battle of the top contenders in the Big Ten West, Iowa takes on No. 18 Wisconsin at home at 8:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
Join the conversation
Below is your Ohio State-Tulane 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. Let’s finish the non-conference season going strong. Go Bucks.