GAME 1: OHIO STATE v VIRGINIA TECH

GAME 1       OHIO STATE v VIRGINIA TECH

September 7, 2015                 Lane Stadium                          Blacksburg, VA

Virginia Tech Hokies

Location: Blacksburg, VA

Stadium: Lane Stadium (65,632)

Coach: Frank Beamer (29^th year): 231-115-2 at VT/273-138-4 overall, 2-1 v B1G, 1-0 v OSU

Series: VT 1, OSU 0

Last Meeting: 9/6/2014: Virginia Tech 35, OSU 21

Coach Meyer (4^th year): 38-3 at OSU/142-26 overall, 28-2 v B1G, 0-1 v VT

2014 Ohio State Buckeyes (14-1)(9-0)B1G               2014 Virginia Tech Hokies (7-6)(3-5) ACC

34        Navy (Baltimore)        17                                34        William & Mary            9

21        Virginia Tech               35                                35        at Ohio State                21

66        Kent State                      0                                21        East Carolina               28

50        Cincinnati                    28                                24        Georgia Tech               27

52        at Maryland                24                                35        Western Michigan        17

56        Rutgers                        17                                34        at North Carolina        17

31        at Penn State               24 (2OT)                      16        at Pittsburgh                21

55        Illinois                          14                                  6        Miami                          30

49        at Michigan State       37                                31        Boston College             33       

31        at Minnesota               24                                17        at Duke                         16

42        Indiana                        27                                  3        at Wake Forest               6

42        Michigan                     28                                24        Virginia                        20

59        Wisconsin                      0                                33        Cincinnati                    17

            (B1G Championship)                                                   (Military Bowl)

42        Alabama                      35

            (Sugar Bowl)

42        Oregon                        20

            (National Championship)

2015 Ohio State Buckeyes                                        2015 Virginia Tech Hokies

S7        at Virginia Tech                                              Ohio State

S12      Hawaii                                                             Furman

S19      Northern Illinois                                              at Purdue

S26      Western Michigan                                          at East Carolina

O3       at Indiana                                                        Pittsburgh

O10     Maryland                                                        North Carolina State

O17     Penn State                                                       at Miami

O24     at Rutgers                                                       Duke

O31                                                                             at Boston College                               

N7        Minnesota                                          

N14      at Illinois                                                         at Georgia Tech

N21      Michigan State                                                North Carolina

N28      at Michigan                                                     at Virginia

The Ohio State Buckeyes open the 2015 campaign in defense of their national title at the home field of the only team to defeat them last year.  The Virginia Tech Hokies under Coach Frank Beamer, the winningest active coach in the country (273 wins) are coming off a 7-6 2014 campaign including a win over Cincinnati in the Military Bowl.  

OHIO STATE OFFENSE v VIRGINIA TECH DEFENSE: Virginia Tech’s 46 “Bear” defense gave Ohio State’s inexperienced offensive line fits in last year’s game as they yielded seven sacks in the loss.  The Hokies return everyone on what looks to be the best defensive line in the ACC with three redshirt seniors and a redshirt junior.  Luther Maddy returns at NT from injury and has already been nominated for All-ACC honors.  Next to him on that line is Corey Marshall, who was All-ACC second team and finished last year with 41 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and an interception.  Dadi Nicolas returns at one DE spot and led the defensive line with 72 tackles last year along with an eye-popping 18.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks.  Ken Ekanem also impressed at the other DE spot last year with 53 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks.

Senior Deon Clarke has the most experience in the linebacker corps, starting all 13 games last year and collecting 74 tackles (2^nd on the team) along with 11 tackles for loss and five sacks.  He is joined by sophomore Andrew Motuapuaka and senior Ronny Vandyke.  Motuapuaka started three games a year ago, recording 54 tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks.  Vandyke will be new to starting at linebacker, but played in 13 games last year and managed eight tackles.  The Tech secondary returns two DBs that made life hard on Ohio State last year, junior CB Kendall Fuller and senior rover Donovan Riley.  Fuller had 54 tackles last year, including 4.5 for loss and two sacks and has been named to several watch lists, including the Thorpe, Walter Camp, and Bednarik as well as being named to the All-ACC preseason team.  Riley played almost as well last year with 53 tackles, a sack, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery.  Experienced FS Chuck Clark is back after finishing third on the team with 73 tackles including 8.5 tackles for loss and an interception.  Brandon Facyson figures to get the starting nod at the other CB position after sitting out the last ten games of last season with a broken leg.

Virginia Tech’s defensive front would present problems for almost any offense, but Ohio State looks stronger along the offensive front than they have in the recent past.  The Buckeyes are buoyed by the return of four starters to an offensive line that pushed around the likes of Alabama and Oregon.  Anchored by senior center Jacoby Boren and guards Billy Price and Pat Elflein (sophomore and junior respectively), this line looks completely different than the one that gave up seven sacks a year ago against Virginia Tech.  Since then, they enabled the offense to average 264 yards on the ground by the end of the year.  Senior LT Taylor Decker will start his fourth year at that position, while senior Chase Farris, who played extensively as a backup last year, starts at RT.  There is some concern about the suspensions of Jalin Marshall, Dontre Wilson, and Corey Smith for this game as they were the Buckeyes’ second, fourth, and fifth-leading returnees in receptions.  Plus, promising sophomore Noah Brown is out for the season with a broken leg.  Michael Thomas will still be the deep threat for the Buckeyes and his one-on-one matchup against Fuller will be a major individual contest to watch, but with the injury and suspensions, we’ll get to see what Braxton Miller can do at the H-back position.  We’ll also see some of Curtis Samuel at the H-back position and some new faces at receiver such as James Clark and Johnnie Dixon.  One of these newbies could come up big as Virginia Tech’s front seven figures to crowd the line to keep Ezekiel Elliott and the Buckeye ground game from chewing them up as they did against Alabama and Oregon.  Ohio State will need to utilize the swing and short routes to the H-backs as well as TE Nick Vannett to slow down the aggressive “bear” front.  If they can, the offensive line should be able to make some room for Elliott and the quarterbacks to get their yards on the ground.

                                                          CB Kendall Fuller

OHIO STATE DEFENSE v VIRGINIA TECH OFFENSE: The Hokies have some experience returning on offense, beginning with redshirt senior Michael Brewer at QB.  Starting all 13 games last year, Brewer threw for over 2600 yards and 18 touchdowns, setting school records for attempts (441) and completions (262).  Also returning in the backfield is senior RB J.C. Coleman whom Brewer will often go to on short pass routes out of the backfield.  Coleman was MVP in Virginia Tech’s victory over Cincinnati in the Military Bowl with 157 yards rushing and a score.  The Hokies will employ a fullback, junior Sam Rogers.  Do not confuse him with just an ordinary blocking back, as Rogers showed last year he is a very productive part of this offense, catching passes out of the backfield and garnering 140 yards on 32 carries on the ground in 2014.  The Hokies also return two very productive wideouts.  Isaiah Ford was the Hokies’ leading receiver last year as a true freshman, hauling in 56 receptions for 709 yards and six touchdowns and was named second-team All-ACC.  Sophomore Cam Phillips started nine games a year ago and posted impressive numbers with 40 receptions for 498 yards and three scores.  The Hokies will also feature him on reverses.  The Hokies also have an outstanding receiver at tight end in Ryan Malleck, who is on the Mackey Award Watch List.  Ohio State’s defense will be ever watchful of him as he hauled in six catches for 64 yards in the game last year.  If Malleck wasn’t enough at tight end, the Hokies have one on the other side that could be even better.  Bucky Hodges had a whopping 45 catches for 526 yards and seven scores is not only on the Mackey Award Watch List, but is a preseason third-team All-American.  The offensive line returns two good tackles in junior Jonathan McLaughlin, returning from a leg injury, and senior Wade Hanson who started their last three games last year.  Wyatt Teller, who started the latter half of the season at left guard returns to that position, while sophomore Eric Gallo and junior Augie Conte will be new starters at center and right guard respectively.

Despite the loss of Joey Bosa for this game and new starter Tyquan Lewis at the other end spot, the Ohio State defensive line appears to match up well against the Hokies offensive line and their relative lack of experience at three positions.  With Ohio State’s linebacking corp intact from a year ago and only one new starter in the secondary (Gareon Conley).  This defensive front should be able to smother Virginia Tech’s ground game, forcing Brewer to throw downfield against a more experienced secondary.  The challenge will be for the linebackers to stay with the tight ends and running backs out of the backfield on the short passing routes the Hokies will attempt to run on third downs.  If they can shut off these routes, the Hokies will have trouble mounting any kind of sustained drive.

                                              QB Michael Brewer

SPECIAL TEAMS: Sophomore Joey Slye returns to handle Virginia Tech’s field goal kicking duties after hitting 20 of his 28 attempts with a long of 49 yards in 2014 and senior A.J. Hughes had a productive season as punter last year with 83 punts for an average of 39.9 yards. 

SUMMARY: Overcoming the loss of four players due to suspensions and a season-ending injury to Noah Brown, coupled with the return of much of the defense that gave Ohio State fits last year means gaining a measure of revenge for their lone defeat in 2014 will not be all that easy for Ohio State.  However, look for the Buckeyes to be much more prepared for the defensive looks thrown at them.  New looks and wrinkles, such as the addition of Braxton Miller at H-back will be an unknown for the Hokies.  Add to that, a much more seasoned offensive line and established running quarterbacks and Elliott means this offensive unit is much different than the one the Hokies throttled a year ago.  On defense, look for a more experienced secondary to play much better against the deep pass and the linebackers to play better at covering the tight end and for the defensive line, even without Joey Bosa, to get pressure on Brewer.

OHIO STATE 31, VIRGINIA TECH 14