Final Thoughts Before Ohio State Hosts Oregon

If you see the Buckeyes do these things early in the game, you know they're ready to play.

With the Buckeyes and Ducks beginning to emerge from the locker room for some pregame stretching and warmups, here are a few final thoughts ahead of today's big showdown.

*** What could C.J. Stroud do for an encore performance? Stroud lit up the Minnesota defense in the second half last week after a conservative first half performance. The Buckeyes' skill position players overwhelmed a Gopher defense that couldn't stop giving up big plays. Now in his first home game, how might Stroud back up that lights-out second half in Minneapolis?

I want to see head coach Ryan Day try to establish the run early in the game and test Oregon's unit that will be without Kayvon Thibodeaux and linebacker Justin Flowe. A source within the Ducks program just confirmed this news to BuckeyesNow. That could make for a long day for the Duck defense.

But I think a good start to the game for Stroud would go a long way toward his confidence and rhythm. I also expect him to hit some adversity somewhere along the way. His response to Oregon's first counter-punch will be critical.

*** Sevyn Banks and Cam Brown are both healthy and available today. What does that mean for Ryan Watts and Denzel Burke, who started last week against Minnesota? The Buckeye secondary is under a magnifying glass until they prove they don't deserve that scrutiny. Safety Josh Proctor is a game-time decision.

*** TreVeyon Henderson didn't get a ton of opportunities last week as Tony Alford rotated around his stable of running backs. I have to imagine Miyan Williams has earned the chance to start again after last week's effort. But I'd like to see more of Williams and Henderson this week, while using Master Teague in more short yardage situations. 

Game Day Central: No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. No. 12 Oregon Ducks

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