50 For 50: CJ Hicks Will Need To Be A Road Warrior

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 32 days away — with a daily sampling of what we can look forward to this upcoming college football season.

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 18 |

Biggest Buckeye Matchups

Penn State RB Nick Singleton vs. Ohio State LB CJ Hicks

Penn State junior running back Nick Singleton has played against the Buckeyes twice and rushed for a total of 93 yards on 23 attempts in those two games. It has not been an overly productive rivalry for the talented tailback. Of course, the next tackle that Ohio State linebacker CJ Hicks has against Penn State will be his first. This is going to be Hicks’ first year as a major factor for the Ohio State defense. Neither player has had a big game in this series. Whoever is the first will likely be part of the victorious team.

Most Important Games

USC Trojans vs. LSU Tigers (Las Vegas), September 1 (7:30 pm ABC)

This game is going to be a stand-alone battle on Sunday night. Nothing else going on, which means everybody will get to tune in and see a brand new USC vs. a brand new LSU. The last two Heisman winners are off to the NFL, which means both programs are relying on what they hope will be their next Heisman winner. The Trojans should be better on defense, and if they have a better offensive line, perhaps they’ll be better on offense as well. This game is going to tell us an awful lot about USC and how seriously Big Ten fans will want to take them this year.

Things To Look Forward To

Mylan Graham’s first big play.

One of the best things about college football is the first time a future star makes his first big play. Sometimes it happens in the season opener, sometimes it happens in the Rose Bowl, and sometimes it happens when you least expect it (see: Chris Olave vs. Michigan, 2018). One of the Buckeyes who will have an opportunity to create an indelible mark on your memory this year is true freshman wide receiver Mylan Graham. Graham is a natural playmaker who has the ability to make defenders look like first-timers. And it could happen at any time.

National College Football Predictions

Kansas QB Jalon Daniels will play in every game this season.

Jalon Daniels has played in just 13 games the past two seasons, which makes this one of the boldest predictions in this series. As a redshirt sophomore in 2022, he dealt with a separated shoulder and missed four games in the middle of the season. Last year as a fourth-year junior, he missed 10 games thanks to a back injury. Back injuries are unpredictable and can pop back up all too often. Daniels will be good to go for fall camp. When he’s healthy and on the field, he can lead the Jayhawks to a win over any team on their schedule this year.

Big Ten Football Predictions

Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke will be Top 5 in B1G total offense.

If Kurtis Rourke had transferred to Indiana last year instead of this year, he would have had an opportunity to lead the Big Ten in total offense. Now with Oregon, USC, and Chip Kelly in the conference, it’s going to be a bit more difficult. But Rourke still brings an all-around skill set that will see him pick up yards on the ground while also having a talented receiver corps to rely on this season. If it weren’t for Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, Rourke could be a sneaky pick here to lead the conference in this category.

Ohio State Football Predictions

Four players with 100-yard receiving games.

The Buckeyes must replace departed All-American Marvin Harrison, Jr., but they won’t do it with just one guy. As such, there will be a small handful of Ohio State receivers who have big games this year. It would be safe to chalk up Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate as two. Most will go ahead and put Jeremiah Smith in there as well. Who is the fourth? Take your pick of players, but don’t forget about running back TreVeyon Henderson. You may also be wondering how rare it is for four Buckeyes to have a 100-yard receiving game in the same season. The answer is that it happens roughly often enough to earn a nod into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Three times over the last decade the Buckeyes have had four receivers post 100-yard games in the same season — 2017, 2018, and 2022. The bolder prediction here would have been five 100-yard games, but I’ve been plenty bold enough with this series already.

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