Where: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
TV/Radio: FOX/1410
Series history: Ohio State leads 2-0 with wins in 2004 and 2010. Centerville native Mike Nugent made a 55-yard field goal at the buzzer to beat the Thundering Herd in ‘04. The Buckeyes are 3-0 against current members of the Sun Belt Conference.
Last meeting: On a Thursday night season-opening game at Ohio Stadium, Terrelle Pryor threw for 247 yard and three touchdowns while Piqua native Brandon Saine ran for 103 yards and two touchdowns as the second-ranked Buckeyes pounded Marshall 45-7 in 2010.
Coaches: Ohio State’s Ryan Day is 58-8 in six seasons. Charles Huff is 23-18 in four seasons at Marshall, his first head coaching position.
Ohio State notes: Twenty-one Buckeyes have made at least 10 college starters, and nine have started at least 20 games… Ohio State has allowed six points, the third fewest through two games since 1950. The ‘60 and ‘63 Buckeyes shut out their first two opponents… The Buckeyes are No. 1 nationally in total defense and tired for No. 1 in scoring defense, second in rush defense and third in passing yards allowed… With 2,888, Quinshon Judkins is fifth nationally in career rushing yards (active players) while TreVeyon Henderson is sixth (2,876)… Senior WR Emeka Egbuka is the 13th Buckeye to surpass 2,000 receiving yards and the fifth in the last six years. He has 2,006 career receiving yards… With five catches last game he passed Springfield native Dee Miller for 13th on Ohio State’s career receptions list (133). Miller caught 132 passes for 2,090 yards from 1994-98.
Marshall notes: The Thundering Herd have two wins against Top 10 teams: No. 6 Kansas State in 2003 and No. 8 Notre Dame in 2022… Sophomore RB A.J. Turner has run for over 100 yards in each Marshall game and already accounted for an 80-yard touchdown and a 69-yard run this season… Marshall has won two of its last three against ranked opponents, including a 17-7 win over no. 23 Appalachian State in 2020 and the triumph over the Fighting Irish two seasons ago… Marshall has one player from the Miami Valley: sophomore kicker Will Holt, a Fairmont grad who began his college career at the University of Dayton. He is No. 2 on the depth chart… Marshall was picked fifth in the SBC East in the preseason coaches poll… No Marshall players were part of the preseason All-SBC offense or defense.
Quoted: Huff joking about what his program could offer any potential transfers: “I feel good about the players we have. I’d love to have some of those guys from Ohio State, too. So if they want to transfer on down, we’ve got a Tudor’s Biscuit NIL deal: all you can eat. Any of those guys that run really, really fast at Ohio State like Tudor’s Biscuits? I promise you: all you can eat, all day, if you transfer here.”
Next week: Ohio State will go on the road for the first time for a 7 p.m. game at Michigan State next Saturday night. Marshall will return home to play host to Western Michigan at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
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