Arkansas State will bring some Power 5 talent and a winning recent history to Ohio State: Buckeyes schedule breakdown

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Breaking down the opponents on Ohio State soccer’s 2022 schedule, that is the second in a collection and strikes to the Week 2 recreation: a go to to Columbus by Arkansas State.

Arkansas State at Ohio State, Sept. 10, Time TBA

The Pink Wolves are a decade faraway from consecutive 10-3 seasons, placing these seasons collectively in the course of the one-year tenures of Hugh Freeze and Gus Malzahn in 2011 and 2012. They nonetheless averaged an 8-5 document within the seven-year run after that from 2013 to 2019. Then tragedy caught, as Wendy Anderson, the spouse of long-time head coach Blake Anderson, died of breast most cancers in August 2019 on the age of 49. Blake Anderson took a month-long depart of absence, then coached the 2019 and 2020 seasons. He then took the Utah State head teaching job, in search of a contemporary begin for his household.

Former Cincinnati and Tennessee head coach Butch Jones was employed and went 2-10 final season in his debut in Jonesboro. However this can be a program able to competing on the prime of the Solar Belt Convention. Arkansas State received or shared the convention title in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016. Now Coastal Carolina, Appalachian State and Louisiana rule the Solar Belt, and the Pink Wolves try to get again to that stage. They may take a step up this season, which places them at a couple of 5.

Jones’ future? Arkansas State has proved a stepping stone for coaches, with Freeze leaping to Ole Miss, Malzahn to Auburn and Bryan Harsin to Boise State after single seasons. Jones is attempting to climb again up the teaching ladder after going 27-13 at Central Michigan in three seasons, 23-14 at Cincinnati in three seasons after which 34-27 at Tennessee in 5 seasons. He was fired earlier than the tip of Yr 5 in 2017 at 4-6 after shedding each SEC recreation that season. Jones then spent three seasons as a staffer (not a full assistant) at Alabama earlier than taking the Arkansas State job. At 54 years of age, he may need one other run left in him.

And $1.8 million can be at stake. Properly, it’s not likely at stake. That’s simply what Ohio State is paying Arkansas State to play this recreation.

Quarterback James Blackman began 24 video games at Florida State over 4 seasons and is tied for tenth in Seminoles historical past with 43 landing passes. That’s not the form of resume you often discover with Solar Belt quarterbacks.

Blackman took over because the FSU starter as a real freshman in 2017 after Deondre Francois was misplaced for the season within the opener. He threw for 186 yards per recreation with 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Then Florida State began to disintegrate.

Jimbo Fisher stop on the finish of 2017 to take the Texas A&M job. Willie Taggart went 9-12 and was fired on the finish of his second 12 months. After which Mike Norvell went 3-6 in his first season and Blackman’s final in Tallahassee. Blackman by no means had an opportunity to get settled after getting thrown in freshman 12 months, after which he was in a quarterback battle at Arkansas State final 12 months, making 5 begins.

Now in his sixth faculty season, he’s lastly locked in because the starter as a 6-foot-5, 190-pound veteran who’s been by way of quite a bit. That’s a ton of expertise for a former top-400 nationwide recruit. He would possibly convey slightly one thing to this recreation.

Kivon Bennett is the son of former Professional Bowl linebacker Cornelius Bennett, who was the No. 2 decide within the 1987 NFL Draft out of Alabama. Kivon was a three-star recruit within the Class of 2017 who performed 4 years at Tennessee. He was recruited by Jones there, and transferred to Arkansas State final season to as soon as once more play for his former coach. The 6-foot-2, 246-pound defensive finish began each recreation final season and led the Pink Wolves (and ranked sixth within the Solar Belt) with eight sacks. He was named second-team all-conference, and the one different Arkansas State participant to make first-team or second-team All-Solar Belt on offense or protection was receiver Corey Rucker, who transferred to South Carolina.

And the man working the protection for the Pink Wolves? It’s defensive coordinator Rob Harley, the previous Ohio State walk-on defensive again of the Jim Tressel period who’s the great-great nephew of OSU legend Stylish Harley.

The groups have by no means met. The Buckeyes have performed one recreation in historical past towards the ten present members of the Solar Belt Convention, beating Troy 28-10 in 2008. That recreation, the week after a 35-3 loss at USC, was Terrelle Pryor’s first begin at quarterback.

Arkansas State performs a recreation like this each season. Within the final 5 years the Pink Wolves misplaced to Washington 52-3, to Georgia 55-0 and to Alabama 57-7. However Arkansas State additionally beat Kansas State 35-31 in 2020, and virtually beat Nebraska in 2017, shedding 43-36 by overthrowing a cross into the tip zone from the 11-yard line on the sport’s closing play.

On scales of 1-10, our Ohio State textual content subscribers have been requested to charge their pleasure for the sport, and their fear about an Ohio State loss. (Join a two-week trial of the texts by texting 614-350-3315 or right here.)

Pleasure/curiosity: 4.33

Fear: 1.39

King Mwikuta, Jr. is one other Energy 5 switch who ought to assist the Arkansas State trigger, because the No. 159 recruit within the Class of 2019 joined this system from Alabama, the place he performed in 14 video games in three seasons. Add him to Blackman and Bennett, and the Pink Wolves have some guys who may pop, although they’ve additionally misplaced a number of gamers to the switch portal, led by Rucker.

Arkansas State did beat Kansas State and hung with Nebraska, however towards the elite applications, they’ve misplaced by 40-plus. Anticipate that to proceed towards the Buckeyes, although there must be a number of guys on the sphere who can hold. When Appalachian State beat Michigan in 2007, App State wasn’t but within the Solar Belt, so Arkansas State can’t name on that. This may be an epic upset, however let’s keep conservative and provides Ohio State a 99 % likelihood to win, quite than 99.9.

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Notre Dame

OSU likelihood to win: 75 %, Fan pleasure stage: 9.58, Fan fear stage: 5.19.

Arkansas State

OSU likelihood to win: 99 %, Fan pleasure stage: 4.33, Fan fear stage: 1.39.

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