Ohio State football: 5 reasons the Buckeyes will crush Oregon State

2. The Buckeyes have been strong against PAC-12 opponents

The Buckeyes are a very tough team to beat at home and an even tougher team to beat at home on opening day. The Buckeyes are 45-12-2 against the PAC-12 including their most recent win against their conference champion USC Trojans. For context, the Trojans beat the Beavers 38-10 last season.

It’s been quite some time since the Buckeyes have lost on opening day. Considering the Beavers’ struggles, especially during last season, the results would not suggest an upset on Saturday. The Beavers won just one game last season against a non-conference opponent.

Oregon State is still in the process of rebuilding after hiring former Washington University co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Jonathan Smith. His path to rebuilding the Beavers will certainly not start against the Buckeyes but at least he has a veteran quarterback to work with.

Senior quarterback Jake Luton will be hard pressed to produce against a Buckeyes’ defense that is one of the best in the nation. Luton played just four games last season with a stat line of four touchdowns and four interceptions. Considering the Beavers had a mere rank of 91st in the nation in pass yards per game last season, their offense will not be explosive enough to garner much respect.

The Beavers will be returning two of their starting receivers from last season which should help their chemistry a bit. They will also be returning three starters on their offensive line. The Buckeyes have lost just once at home since 2015.

The Beavers will struggle to match up with the Buckeyes’ scheme especially since they are such unfamiliar opponents. The Buckeyes have played the Beavers just twice before and won both match ups with the last occurring in 1984.

Expect the Buckeyes to make light work of the Beavers as home field advantage will be too much for them to overcome.