The Marshall Thundering Herd (1-1) face off against the Ohio State Buckeyes (2-0) on Saturday, September 21st. This game will be played at Ohio Stadium in Columbus and televised on FOX. Ohio State is coming off a win in their previous game, while Marshall is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Virginia Tech. Kickoff is set for 12:00 ET.

Marshall Thundering Herd vs Ohio State Buckeyes

 

Marshall Offense Breakdown

Marshall’s offense, led by quarterback Stone Earle, struggled in their 31-14 loss to Virginia Tech. Earle completed 13 of 36 passes for 131 yards, with one touchdown and an interception, resulting in a passer rating of 45.02. Christian Fitzpatrick was his top target, catching four passes for 73 yards.

The Thundering Herd’s offense totaled 278 yards, with 147 yards coming on the ground. A.J. Turner was the leading rusher, gaining 103 yards on just six carries, averaging 17.2 yards per attempt. Marshall’s ground game also contributed one of their two touchdowns, while the passing game accounted for 131 yards and the other score.

Ohio State Offense Breakdown

Ohio State’s offense was unstoppable in their 56-0 win, racking up 686 total yards. The Buckeyes had 30 first downs, with 276 rushing yards and 410 passing yards. Will Howard completed 69.2% of his passes for 292 yards, throwing one touchdown. His passer rating for the game was 119.39. The ground game was equally impressive, with Quinshon Judkins averaging 12 yards per carry and scoring two touchdowns.

Jeremiah Smith was the top receiver for Ohio State, finishing with 119 yards and a touchdown.

Marshall Team Defense

Marshall’s defense will be looking to improve after giving up 465 total yards to Virginia Tech in their last game. The Thundering Herd had difficulty stopping the run, allowing 289 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Despite holding Virginia Tech to 176 passing yards on 15 completions, Marshall’s secondary gave up one touchdown. The Thundering Herd will need to shore up their run defense in their next game.

Marshall Team Defense

Ohio State’s defense will be looking for a big improvement after giving up 677 total yards in their last game. Western Michigan’s offense found success on the ground, rushing for 372 yards and five touchdowns. The Buckeyes also struggled in the passing game, allowing 305 yards through the air and three touchdowns. Despite forcing one interception, Ohio State’s defense allowed 56 points in the game.

Marshall vs Ohio State Trends

• Across their five previous road games, Marshall has an ATS mark of 1-4. Their straight up record in these matchups was 0-5 while averaging 10 points per game.
• Through their last ten home contests, the Ohio State Buckeyes offense has averaged 31 points per game while allowing an average of 19. Ohio State posted an overall record of 8-2 while going 2-6-2 ATS.
• Going back to their previous ten games as the underdog, Marshall has an ATS mark of 4-6 while going 3-7 straight up.
• Through their last five games as the favorite, the Ohio State Buckeyes have an ATS record of 3-2 and a straight up mark of 4-1.

Thundering Herd vs Buckeyes Prediction

Ohio State is the heavy favorite in their week four matchup against Marshall, with the point spread set at -39.5 in their favor. We expect Ohio State to win comfortably, with a projected final score of 46-3 in their favor.

Given the over/under line of 51 points, our projection of 49 total points suggests that taking the under is the best play. For a pick against the spread, go with Ohio State to cover.

---

All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

---

* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.