Ohio State football: 5 reasons the Buckeyes will fend off TCU

1. The Buckeyes will capitalize on the Horned Frogs’ mistakes

Getting a quick start to the game is crucial.

Having an early lead allows for the game script to be easily controlled and makes TCU’s moves much more predictable. This goes hand-in-hand with the Buckeyes needing to dictate the pace.

TCU had a rough start last week against the SMU Mustangs. The Horned Frogs allowed a 51-yard touchdown on the fifth play of the game. Later on, they had a broken play which resulted in a safety, which led to a 9-0 deficit. The Horned Frogs were only brought back into the game by senior return man KaVontae Turpin, who returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown. From there the Horned Frogs rallied to easily win the game.

A similar big-play mistake was made in week one where the Horned Frogs faced Southern. The Horned Frogs gave up a 55-yard receiving touchdown in the second quarter. Yes, the Buckeyes have been prone to big play mistakes this season as well but those mistakes didn’t put them in a hole like it has for the Horned Frogs.

The Buckeyes have been quick to turn turnovers into points. OSU’s offense doesn’t punt very often so once the ball is turned over, the Bucks will likely score.

In Week 1, defensive end Nick Bosa scooped up a fumble and returned it for a touchdown.

The Buckeyes forced two turnovers last weekend against Rutgers. There’s no doubt defensive coordinator Greg Schiano will dial up some pressure and give Horned Frogs’ quarterback Shawn Robinson some new looks to shake things up on Saturday.

Preparation will be key going into this game and the Buckeyes are one of the best when it comes to figuring out opponents. There has been times where the Buckeyes have looked shaky on defense especially in week one but they’re now at the point where all of the early jitters are gone.