The Ohio State football season continues to roll on. We’ve already made it to November, and the Buckeyes have far exceeded most fans’ expectations. Who would have thought that OSU would be undefeated and the clear No. 1 team in the land at this point? While we thought this team could be successful, no one could have predicted the level of dominance this team has shown.
But as Ryan Day has been saying all along, what the Buckeyes have done to this point means nothing if the team doesn’t stay focused on the task at hand. And the task at hand this week? The UCLA Bruins. Nico Iamaleava returns to Ohio Stadium, the site of a college football murder scene, where Iamaleava narrowly escaped himself as the quarterback of the Tennessee Volunteers in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
Iamaleava now leads the Bruins, a team trying to find its way after firing head coach DeShaun Foster early in the season. UCLA experienced a brief surge after an upset win over Penn State, but the Bruins again have fallen on hard times.
Will Ohio State be caught looking ahead? Time to get ready for the Buckeyes and the Bruins!
Records
Ohio State (9-0), UCLA (3-6)
Broadcast Information
Date: Saturday, November 15
Gametime: 7:30 p.m. ET
Network: NBC
Venue: Ohio Stadium (Columbus, Ohio), Capacity: 102,780
All-Time Series: Series tied at 4-4-1
Last Meeting: UCLA defeated Ohio State 13-6 in 2001
Sometimes the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Depending on who you ask, Nico Iamaleava left Tennessee, where he was a budding star after just one year, either seeking more NIL riches or just desiring to be closer to home. Regardless of the reason for leaving, Iamaleava’s sophomore campaign hasn’t been anywhere close to his freshman season in Knoxville.
That’s not to put it all on the Bruin quarterback’s shoulders. The UCLA football program as a whole is taking a long ride on the struggle bus. This just isn’t a good football team. Iamaleava is the lone bright spot, but that light is pretty dim itself. He is completing close to 64 percent of his passes but has thrown for less than 1,700 yards and only 12 touchdown passes while throwing seven interceptions. Imaleava is also the leading rusher on this team with 474 yards rushing and four more touchdowns on the ground. Not a good sign when your quarterback has more rushing yards than the running backs.
In the upset win over Penn State, Imaleava accounted for nearly all of the Bruins’ offense, throwing for two touchdowns and rushing for well over 100 yards and three more scores. Simply put, stop the Bruins’ quarterback, stop the Bruins.
On the defensive side, UCLA gives up points in droves. The Bruins are allowing more than 30 points per contest this season. Now the team faces an Ohio State offense that seems to be getting better by the week. There is little to no pressure on opposing quarterbacks, as UCLA has just six total sacks on the season. That means the most accurate passer in college football will have time to pick apart the Bruin secondary with the most talented receivers in college football. And with only three interceptions on the season, the defense will have a hard time stopping the OSU passing attack.
Ohio State has the advantage in every aspect of this game. Staying the course of what it’s been doing all season long should lead to the kind of results fans love to see.
Jeremiah Smith – Wide Receiver
Jeremiah Smith is the best player in college football. With the emergence of fellow wideout Carnell Tate, Smith has been happy to take the double coverage for the overall success of the team. And yet, Smith still leads the Buckeye receivers with 62 catches, over 800 yards, and 10 touchdowns. Expect Smith to have another huge day against a soft UCLA secondary.
Sonny Styles – Linebacker
Arvell Reese has been getting most of the attention on the defensive side of the ball, but Sonny Styles is quietly putting together quite an impressive season. Second on the team in tackles, Styles is as steady as they come. And he’ll be used to help keep Nico Iamaleava in check on Saturday, both in the run and the short passing attacks.
Ohio State is facing its most dangerous opponent this week… itself. On paper, UCLA is no match for the Buckeyes, and the only way for the Bruins to come out on top is if Ohio State is caught looking ahead. Fortunately, Ryan Day has been a master at keeping this team focused on the present. Buckeye fans get to watch their team under the lights, and Ohio State rolls to an easy victory.
Ohio State 42, UCLA 6
Ohio State -31.5
This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State vs UCLA preview: gameplan, key players, and prediction