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 33 days away — with a daily sampling of what we can look forward to this upcoming college football season. Today’s edition features Ohio State defensive end Caden Curry, receiver Brandon Inniss, 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.
Previous | Day 17
Biggest Buckeye Matchups
OHIO STATE DE CADEN CURRY VS. WISCONSIN OT RILEY MAHLMANN
It doesn’t seem possible, but Ohio State defensive end Caden Curry is now a senior. Curry has spent time in the rotation the last two years, but he’ll be much more involved now. How well he plays could determine the outcome of a game for the Buckeyes this year. One of those games could be on October 18 when Ohio State travels to Madison to face the Badgers. Wisconsin junior Riley Mahlman could be one of the best offensive tackles in the Big Ten this year. He and Caden Curry are going to have some battles in this one. Ohio State fans know that Camp Randall Stadium is no joke, so don’t expect to see either Curry or Mahlman laughing. (FYI: The average score of the seven games between these two teams in Camp Randall this century: Ohio State 20 – Wisconsin 18.)
Most Important Games
NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH AT MIAMI HURRICANES, AUG. 31
Labor Day Weekend is the best sports weekend of the year. For one, it starts on a Thursday and doesn’t end until Monday night. For two, there will be interesting college football games to watch each one of those days. That list includes Notre Dame at Miami on Sunday night. These two teams haven’t met since 2017 when the Canes won 41-8 at home. Both squads have playoff hopes, and those hopes aren’t in danger after a loss in this one. It will sure start the clock ticking, however. Somebody’s going to get a big boost for winning this one, even though it will probably be more like a sugar rush than anything else.
Things To Look Forward To
EDDRICK HOUSTON AS A FULL-TIME STARTER.
Eddrick Houston got a spot-star at defensive tackle last year as a freshman for the Buckeyes. This year, however, he is The Guy when it comes to replacing departed first-rounder Tyleik Williams. Eddrick Houston came to Ohio State as a five-star defensive end, but he has grown into defensive tackle with intriguing athletic ability. It is going to be interesting to see what he can do this year in his first year as a starter. He moved up the depth chart quickly last year, but now we’ll get to see what he can do as a starter instead of part-time rotational guy.
National College Football Predictions
JOE ROYER WILL GO FOR 700 YARDS.
After catching just four passes for 24 yards in his first three seasons at Ohio State, tight end Joe Royer transferred to Cincinnati prior to the 2024 season and posted 50 catches for 521 yards and three touchdowns. He is more of a known quantity by defenses this year, which is going to make my prediction more difficult. However, he is also a more known quantity for starting quarterback Brendan Sorsby. With a little better design, Royer can go from 50 catches for 500 yards to 60 catches for 700 yards.
Big Ten Football Predictions
NICK MARSH WILL BE A 1,000-YARD RECEIVER.
Wide receiver Nick Marsh had a fantastic true freshman season for Michigan State last year. He posted 41 catches for 649 yards and three touchdowns. (Yes, Jeremiah Smith has destroyed the curve of what should be considered “fantastic” for a freshman wide receiver.) Marsh exploded with eight catches for 194 yards in the second game of the season a year ago, but truly found his groove during the middle of the season. He didn’t finish well, but that’s not unusual for Big Ten receivers with young quarterbacks. Marsh has all of the tools a quarterback could want, and they’ll be on display this season for Sparty’s first 1,000-yard receiver since 2021 when Jayden Reed went for 1,026 yards on 59 catches.
Ohio State Football Predictions
BRANDON INNISS WILL ACCOUNT FOR TDS THREE DIFFERENT WAYS.
Brandon Inniss is going to take on a much larger role this year for the Buckeyes. Being in the slot, he will be a popular target for Ohio State’s eventual starting quarterback. There is no doubt that he will catch at least one touchdown pass this year. Also being in the slot, there’s a pretty good chance he’ll be running some jet sweeps, and could score via the ground. Inniss is also one of two primary punt returners for the Buckeyes, and he’s quite due to break one. Oh, and lest we forget, Brandon Inniss also played some quarterback in high school as well. Just something to keep an eye on in 2025.
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