50 For 50: Jermaine Mathews On The Prowl

Welcome to our daily feature that I am calling “50 for 50” where I attempt to get us to Big Ten Media Days — which are 47 days away — with a daily sampling of what we can look forward to this upcoming college football season. Today’s edition features cornerback Jermaine Mathews, receiver Jeremiah Smith, and more.

As always, we will do this via the following categories: the 50 biggest individual matchups for the Buckeyes this season, the 50 most important college football games this season, 50 Buckeye things to look forward to this season, 50 national predictions, 50 Big Ten predictions, and 50 predictions involving the Buckeyes.

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Biggest Buckeye Matchups

Ohio State CB Jermaine Mathews vs. Illinois QB Luke Altmyer

Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer has started or played extensively against six ranked opponents in his career. He has thrown four touchdowns and 12 interceptions in those games. When Illinois and Ohio State meet in Chambana, Illinois on October 11, the Buckeyes have a pretty good shot at being Altmyer’s seventh ranked opponent. When Ohio State comes to town, they’ll be bringing junior cornerback Jermaine Mathews with them, and he’s going to be looking to make some plays.

Most Important Games

Florida Gators at LSU Tigers, September 13

LSU opens the season at Clemson, so Brian Kelly will get his annual early-season loss out of the way before the Tigers host Florida in week three. Gators quarterback DJ Lagway is being placed in high regard this season after going 6-1 as a true freshman starter last year. If he’s going to make the pundits accurate, it needs to happen in this game. The same could be said for LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. He had a big year last year but lost four games, throwing six TDs and six INTs in those games. Obviously, this contest will be about more than just the quarterbacks, but they will be the story going into — and coming out of — the game.

Things To Look Forward To

The first one-handed catch of the season from Jeremiah Smith.

Look, nobody knows when it will happen. It could happen on Ohio State’s very first play from scrimmage. Or it may happen in game five (unlikely). Eventually, however, Jeremiah Smith is going to go up for a catch with two hands and then suddenly decide that two hands would be overkill and instead he’ll put one hand behind his back — or palm a DB’s helmet or wave at the band — and then use his unoccupied hand to catch a pass while a defender tries helplessly to stop any of Smith’s hands from doing what they’re currently doing. And somehow he will make all of it look easy.

National College Football Predictions

Oklahoma State will win a Big XII game.

Oklahoma State started out 3-0 last season, which included a win over Arkansas. They they then lost their next nine games, however — all to conference foes. First, I think it’s safe to say that Arkansas would have beaten Oklahoma State if the game had remained hypothetical instead of actual. Second, there’s no way the Cowboys are going two years in a row without a conference win. The Big XII isn’t that good and Oklahoma State can’t possibly be that bad.

Big Ten Football Predictions

Maryland will not win a Big Ten game.

Maryland, however, is possibly that bad. The Terps’ Big Ten schedule looks like this: at Wisconsin, Washington, Nebraska, at UCLA, Indiana, at Rutgers, at Illinois, Michigan, and vs. Michigan State in Detroit. They may not be favored in a game all year. Their other big issue is that the ONE Big Ten team they beat last year — USC — is not on this year’s schedule.

Ohio State Football Predictions

The Penn State game will be a Big Noon featured presentation.

Like your fourth-grade teacher told you when you were forced to pair up with the weird kid because nobody else would pair up with you on your field trip to Greenfield Village, “Learn to make friends with this.” Penn State and Ohio State is going to be a Big Noon game on FOX. It hasn’t been announced yet, but the only thing stopping this from happening is one of these two teams tanking, or some other Big Ten or Big XII game happening that same week is an even bigger contest — which is extremely unlikely.

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