Ohio State has likely already played its toughest non-conference opponent with Central Florida last week, but that doesn’t mean it should take Cal lightly.
There’s a lot of anticipation for this matchup because the Buckeyes and Golden Bears have a long history together, dating back to the 1921 and 1950 Rose Bowls. Neither team has seen each other since 1972, however, when OSU won on the road 35-18.
California is still feeling the aftershock of its disappointing 31-24 season-opening home loss to Nevada, although it beat Southern Utah by 19 last week.
Ohio State was tested by the Knights in a closer-than-it-seems 31-16 win last Saturday. It needs to do a better job of holding onto the ball and closing gaps in the secondary.
The Buckeyes are a 16.5-point favorite over Cal, and if everything goes as planned, I think that line is right on the money. Here are five keys to the game and what OSU needs to do to start 3-0.
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