Ohio State Football: Game-by-game predictions for 2019 season

With new faces at head coach and quarterback, how will Ohio State football fare in 2019? The schedule isn’t a cakewalk, but let’s go game-by-game.

It is a new era in Columbus. After a controversial 2018, Urban Meyer decided to retire. Whether or not that will stick is remain to be seen, but the Buckeyes will move on with a familiar face in Ryan Day.

Day has been at Ohio State since 2017, serving as quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. He also went 3-0 as the interim head coach to start 2018 while Meyer served a suspension for his handling, or lack thereof, of domestic violence allegations against assistant coach Zach Smith.

Not only is there a new head coach, but a new quarterback as well. Justin Fields transferred from Georgia in the offseason, and he is tasked with filling the shoes of one of the best quarterbacks in Ohio State history. In 2018, Dwayne Haskins was responsible for 50 touchdowns and 4,831 yards through the air. Fields is unproven as a starter, but he has shown that he possesses a strong arm and mobility.

Beside Fields will be running back JK Dobbins. He’s one of the top backs in the nation, and will be a stabilizing force for an offense that has undergone a good bit of turnover. He carried for 1,053 yards and ten touchdowns in 2018, and he’ll only improve on those numbers this year.

On the defensive side of the ball, there’s room for improvement. This unit, which returns nine starters in 2019, allowed 25.5 points per game, the most in school history. They also finished 71st in the country, and 10th in the Big Ten, in total defense.

While questions exist about the defense as a whole, there are certainly some very talented bright spots. Chase Young, the electric defensive end, had 14.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks last season. Safety Jordan Fuller chose to remain for his senior year. He, along with linebacker Malik Harrison, led the team with 81 tackles in 2018.

Of course, most teams in the nation would take Ohio State’s questions if they could also have Ohio State’s talent. Like most years, the Buckeyes should be favorites in most of the games they play. Can they continue to hold off Jim Harbaugh and Michigan, and will they avoid the kind of random upset they’ve suffered in the last two seasons? The answers to those two questions will define this season in Columbus.