College Football Week 3: Cal At #12 Ohio State

Cal

#12 Ohio State

Not since 2006 has Jeff Tedford won 10 games, as the offensive guru seems to have lost some of his touch in recent years. A season-opening loss to Nevada at home didn’t quell concerns.	Coaching	Here’s guessing you’re familiar with Urban Meyer’s story. The two-time national champion head coach at Florida returned to the sidelines after one season in the broadcast booth. His recruiting was phenomenal and we’ve seen what he can do with talented players.
Senior quarterback Zach Maynard has been solid. The Bears have been able to move the ball on the ground as well, tallying nearly 300 rushing yards last week. The Cal backs have to hold on to the ball, however—they’ve fumbled seven times already this season, losing three of them.	Offense	Braxton Miller is one of the best running quarterbacks in the nation, but he’ll need some help for the Buckeye offense to realize its full potential. Starting running back Carlos Hyde is expected to miss the game with a knee injury, but it’s still a great matchup for Ohio State.
Cal is allowing 149 yards per game on the ground this season. That doesn’t bode well for a matchup with the run-heavy Buckeyes.	Defense	Ohio State’s first two opponents have moved the ball with some success, but five drives ended with an interception.
Receiver Keenan Allen is very dangerous in the return game; he took a punt 69 yards for a score last week.	Special Teams	Meyer’s Florida teams excelled on special teams, so there’s no reason to think Ohio State can’t excel in this department. Junio kicker Drew Basil hasn’t missed a kick yet this season.

The winner is

#12 Ohio State

3 out of 4

It will take some time—though probably not much—before Meyer has Ohio State competing for a national championship. But the 2012 Buckeyes are still more than capable of handling a disappointing Cal squad.

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