Scarlet Sunrise: Buckeyes open as massive favorite over Marshall

COLUMBUS — Ohio State had the weekend off in Week 3 after playing just two games to open the season.

The No. 3 Buckeyes are expected to rout Marshall when they return to action inside the Horseshoe on Saturday. They opened as a 40.5-point favorite over the Thundering Herd on Sunday, six days ahead of the matchup.

The total is set at 51.5 points. The folks in the desert seem to believe Ohio State will win by a score of 46-5.

Marshal is 1-1 on the season, beating Stony Brook 45-3 before losing on the road at Virginia Tech 31-17 on Sept. 7. Like Ohio State, Marshall had an idle week in Week 3 and will return to action this upcoming weekend.

The Buckeyes are 1-1 against the spread so far this season, failing to cover the massive point spread in the opening win over Akron before shutting out Western Michigan to cover that spread. Marshall is 1-1 against the spread, too.

Buckeyes stay put in latest AP Poll after early idle week

Ohio State had the weekend to rest and recover after just two games. The Buckeyes have two idle weeks this season, and Saturday was the first of the two.

Of course, AP Poll voters didn’t penalize the Buckeyes for not playing. They kept them near the top of the latest poll, keeping them at No. 3 behind top-ranked Texas and No. 2 Georgia. The Longhorns took over as the top team.

While the Buckeyes were off, the Bulldogs had their first scare of the season, scoring just one touchdown in a one-point nail-biting win over Kentucky in Lexington. Texas, for its part, destroyed UTSA to remain undefeated. So the top three remained the same.

So did most of the top 25. The Buckeyes are followed by Alabama, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Missouri, Miami (FL), Oregon and Penn State to round out the top 10.

Only two games all weekend featured two ranked teams, as Kansas State beat Arizona while Missouri escaped a home scare from Boston College. It was, by most accounts, a week slate of games this weekend. Next weekend should be better. Ohio State is back in action for a FOX Big Noon kickoff game against Marshall, while three different ranked-vs-ranked matchups will take place: Tennessee visits Oklahoma, USC visits Michigan and Utah travels to Oklahoma State.

Marvin Harrison Jr. grabs first NFL touchdown

Ohio State legend and Arizona Cardinals rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. didn’t have a great debut last week during his first NFL action. But on Sunday against the Rams, he bounced back in a big way. The former Buckeyes star hauled in a 23-yard touchdown catch in the back on the end zone and followed it up with a 60-yard touchdown, giving him two scores in the first quarter — his first two of his career.

MARVIN HARRISON JR.'S FIRST NFL TOUCHDOWN HAS ARRIVED pic.twitter.com/EFquDWaM8V

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) September 15, 2024

Harrison was the best wide receiver in the country last season. He won the Biletnikoff Award in 2023 after catching 67 passes for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns. Harrison is a two-time unanimous All-American and was a Heisman Trophy finalist last year for the Buckeyes.

Now he’s making an impact with the Cardinals — and finding the end zone multiple times.

Counting down

Buckeyes vs. Marshall: 5 days
Ohio State at Oregon: 26 days
Ohio State at Penn State: 47 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 75 days

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