3 Last-Minute Bold Predictions For Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Marshall

Here are a few bold predictions for the Ohio State Buckeyes' matchup against the Marshall Thundering Herd.

Sep 7, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) runs for a touchdown past Western Michigan Broncos cornerback Bilhal Kone (1) after making a catch during the first half of the NCAA football game against the Western Michigan Broncos at Ohio Stadium. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Ohio State Buckeyes are set to take on the Marshall Thundering Herd at noon in the team's final game before conference play.

Here are three last-minute bold predictions for the Buckeyes' upcoming contest.

Another Multi-Touchdown Game From Jeremiah Smith

It's pretty clear that freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith has lived up to the hype.

The 6-foot-3, 215 lbs wide out leads the team in receiving yards (211), receptions (11), and receiving touchdowns (3). Smith demonstrated that he is lighting in a bottle after he broke off a 70-yard touchdown against Western Michigan.

Jeremiah Smith: Not a human being. pic.twitter.com/lu7NPLWi2R

— Dylan Feltovich (@dyfelt) September 8, 2024

In his collegiate debut, Smith had two touchdowns. I would not be shocked if the young receiver ended up with his second multi-touchdown game against Marshall.

Freshman Running Back Duo Combines For 100+ Yards

I mentioned freshman running backs James Peoples and Sam Williams-Dixon as a storyline to watch for earlier this week.

Obviously, Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson are the lead back for the Buckeyes. But the good news about these games is fans can see the program's depth at certain positions. With both Judkins and Henderson likely to leave for the draft after this season, the freshman duo of Peoples and Williams-Dixon will be next in line.

Both rushers were close to combining for over 100 yards on the ground against Western Michigan, as they tallied 91 rushing yards. Williams-Dixon continues to see an increase in workload, so it's possible the duo reaches over 100 rushing yards against Marshall.

Defense Holds Marshall To Under 50 Rushing Yards

The Thundering Herd tend to generate offense through the run game, as running back A.J. Turner has accumulated 222 yards on the ground on a staggering 14 attempts. Quarterback Stone Earle is also a dual-threat for Marshall's offense. He currently leads the team in carries with 18.

Despite the ground game being the identity of the Thundering Herd offensive attack, Ohio State has prove to have a stout run defense. Veteran defensive lineman Tyleik Williams is the perfect big-body in the interior to bottle up the run, while linebacker Sonny Styles excels in shutting down the run in the second level.

In the Buckeyes first two game of the season, the team held both Akron and Western Michigan to under 50 rushing yards. Since OSU is heavy favorites, I'd imagine Marshall will try to turn to the passing game in order to get back in the game.