Ohio State Football: 2017 game-by-game predictions
By Shane Lunnen
Army is coming off one of its best seasons ever. They posted an 8-5 record, which included snapping a 14 game losing streak to Navy and a bowl victory over North Texas. Things are trending in the right direction at West Point and the Black Knights have the chance to post back to back winning records for the first time since 1990.
When it comes to Army, the one thing everyone knows is they will run the ball down an opponent’s throat and when they are stopped, they’ll just keep on running. Army’s passing game is mostly non-existent. Nobody will mistake them for a Big 12 offense, but having some semblance of a passing game would help.
Related Story: Ohio State Football: Projected 2-deep depth chart for 2017
Last year’s defense ranked fourth in the country in total defense. While some starters have left, there is still talent here on a pretty solid defense. The linebacking corps is the strength, led by last year’s leading tackler Alex Auckerman.
The schedule is favorable for the Black Knights to return to a bowl game this year. The game in Columbus won’t be as kind. Ohio State should lay it on heavy early and get out of this one without any injuries. The game plan will be simple. Let Mike Weber shoulder most of the load. The Buckeye defense will load the box and prevents Army from doing much of anything outside of a late garbage time touchdown.