Youngstown State at Ohio State: What to know about Buckeyes’ home opener

Where: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio

TV/Radio: BTN/1410

Series history: Ohio State leads 2-0. The Buckeyes won 38-6 in 2007 and 43-0 in 2008.

Last meeting: St. Henry grad Todd Boeckman threw two touchdown passes while Terrelle Pryor ran for a touchdown in his college debut, but the 2008 contest was marred by a foot injury star running back Chris “Beanie” Wells suffered during the game.

Coaches: Ohio State’s Ryan Day is 46-6 in five seasons, including 32–3 in the Big Ten. Doug Phillips is 12-17 in four seasons leading the Penguins.

Ohio State notes: The Buckeyes are set to begin their 102nd season at Ohio Stadium… Ohio State is 469-112-9 in the big gray stadium no the banks of the Olentangy River, including 90-9-2 in home openers, but the Buckeyes have lost three of their last nine… They are 10-3-2 against teams currently in the Football Championship Subdivision. They lost to Princeton in 1927 and tied them in ‘28 and lost to Cornell in 1939 and ‘40… Walk-on linebacker Alex DelSignore is the only current Buckeye from Youngstown… Former Ohio State safety Marcus Hooker transferred to YSU…Former Ohio State QB Mike Tomzcak is an advisor for the Penguins…. It’s only one week, but Ohio State is 122nd in the nation in third down offense (.167) and first in red zone defense (.000)… Last week Indiana became the fourth team to hold a Ryan Day OSU team under 400 total yards. That happened last year against Iowa and Northwestern and in the 2020 National Championship Game against Alabama.

Youngstown State notes: The Penguins have six players from local high schools: Quarterback Bryce Schondelmyer (Springfield), receiver Daryan Bowling (Hamilton), defensive end Dylan Wudke (Miamisburg), offensive lineman Jaison Williams (Trotwood-Madison), offensive lineman, Mike Morris (Oakwood) and defensive lineman Ebony Curry Jr. (Hamilton)… Wudke and Williams started last week in a 52-10 win over Valparaiso… YSU was a powerhouse under coach Jim Tressel in the 1990s but has not made the FCS playoffs since 2016… The Penguins were 7-4 last season including a 49-16 win over Dayton and a 31-0 loss to Kentucky… Phillips was a graduate assistant for Tressel in the early ‘90s and was a quality control coach at Ohio State in 2006.

Quoted: Phillips on preparing for the game: “You put a plan to win together no matter who you play. It doesn’t change. Tuesday practice doesn’t change. Wednesday practice doesn’t change. Creating a plan that what it’s gonna take to be successful week in and week out. Probably discipline we need to take a huge jump and hold each other accountable. Need to see fundamentals, see the physicality and focus throughout the entire course of the football game.”

Next week: The Buckeyes will be home again to face Western Kentucky at 4 p.m. next Saturday. Youngstown State will return home to face Robert Morris at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Prediction: Ohio State 59, Youngstown State 7