Bowling Green | Oregon |

The Buckeyes come back home after a big road trip and are home for the next month before a trip to Michigan State awaits in mid-October, as long as the schedule goes off as planned.

Everyone should have a better idea of who this team is coming off of the Oregon game as the team should be tested in week two. Now we will see how this team comes back after a big game with a team that doesn't move the needle quite the same way.

The Bulls of Buffalo are coming off of an 8-5 season that capped off with a Bahamas Bowl championship against Charlotte. The Bulls put up a lot of points in stretches last season but then also found way to lose games in really bad ways (like Kent State).

This game has all the makings of being a large spread type of game and will really come down to how interested the Buckeyes really are in playing this game. It is tough to get a team up for 12, 13, 15 games in a season and it would make sense if the team was a little flat in this one. It is on Ryan Day and his staff to get the team to respond here in week three.

Series History: Ohio State leads the series 1-0

Last time played: The two teams played in 2013, a 40-20 Ohio State win. If you ask an Ohio State fan about that game, they are more likely to remember the coming out party that Khalil Mack had over anything else. The Buckeyes ran out to a 23-0 lead at the end of the first quarter, only see Buffalo chip away and cut the lead down to 10-points in the 3rd quarter at a 30-20 mark. Jordan Hall would carry the ball 21 times for 159 yards and two scores while Chris Fields had one of his biggest days for the Buckeyes with a pair of receiving touchdowns. As for what Mack? He had nine tackles, three sacks and a pick-six that he took back 45 yards off the arm of Braxton Miller. It was not one of Ohio State's cleanest games but they Buckeyes got through it and were on to the next one.

The first time these teams played, it was a season-opener and this will be a third game of the season for the Buckeyes and the thought is there should not be the same type of rust but coming off of Oregon, there is a real chance that the team might be a little flat with its final non-conference game of the season.

Running back Jaret Patterson may not get the same type of mentions of other backs that Ohio State will face in the Big Ten season but don't sleep on this guy. Patterson rushed for 1,799 yards last year and had eight games where he went for more than 100 yards including a 298 yard game against Bowling Green in the final game of the regular season.

A team that is that reliant upon the run is not going to do well against Ohio State, unless Derrick Henry is lining up against them (thank you Lane Kiffin for moving away from the run all those years ago). The Bulls may break a big play or two (not that Ohio State gave up many last year) but this offense will bog down.

Conversely, Buffalo may nor have much of an answer for the Ohio State offense, it is not like anything that the Bulls will see in the MAC as the year goes on and this really will be one of those games where the Buckeyes should be able to play a lot of players as the game goes on and will be one of those 'four' games that guys get before burning a redshirt.

Ohio State may not have one of those crazy 28-point quarters as the Bulls keep it respectable to a degree, but this game will get out of hand and the starters will get a nice break by the 4th quarter as young guys get that valuable experience. Ohio State 49 Buffalo 10

Additional Stat Line: Total Offense - Ohio State 685 yards, Buffalo 235 yards

The Buckeyes should be coming off a big win against Oregon, so a game that can showcase Ohio State's depth will be beneficial.

Buffalo finished their season winning 6-of-7 games, and they did so scoring above 40 points in four of those games. The Bulls were able to lean on their offense throughout the 2019 season to earn eight victories, including a win in the Bahamas Bowl.

The Bulls are led by running back Jaret Patterson, who has rushed for 2,777 yards and 33 touchdowns in two seasons. Buffalo averaged 250.5 rushing yards and only 138.1 passing yards per game in 2019.

I expect the the Buckeyes to shut down the run and make Buffalo pass, and this should lead to ample opportunities for turnovers. The Bulls only threw six interceptions in 2019, but a completion percentage of 54 percent does not bode well for Buffalo against a hungry Ohio State secondary.

Offensively, I expect the Buckeyes to cruise. After facing a formidable defense in Oregon, Buffalo should seem like an easy challenge. Justin Fields should be able to pad his Heisman stats and a another look into the C.J. Stroud and Jack Miller battle should be had.

The Buckeyes notch another win. Ohio State 62 Buffalo 10

Additional Stat Line: Ohio State defense records 3 interceptions

After what should be an exciting matchup in week two against Oregon, it only makes sense that Ohio State take a week to cool down, in this case against the Buffalo Bulls.

The Buckeyes should be firing on all cylinders by week three, so I don't foresee them having an troubles like they did the last time around against Buffalo. It should be a dominate performance on both sides of the ball, though that doesn't mean there's never a concern about a trap game.

The Bulls ranked 46th in points per game last season, but their rushing attack went for over 250 yards per game, 10th best in the nation above the likes of Clemson, Oklahoma and Wisconsin.

Defensively, would it surprise you to learn that Buffalo had the 26th best scoring defense in the country and were seventh in total offense allowed? Some of it may have had to do with the level of competition with Penn State being the only Power Five opponent for the Bulls (a 45-13 loss), but it was still an impressive accomplishment ranking among the best teams in the country.

Regardless of those numbers, however, I don't see this being a particularly close game. I think the real intrigue will come from what happens once the starters come out. The first team will see a lot of action in weeks one and two, but this will be the first opportunity to take a deep breath and let them take a rest.

This means the backups will have a chance to shine in some extended action, and it'll give us our first real look at the quarterbacks that will define the battle in 2021. I think we'll see a little bit of C.J. Stroud and Jack Miller, but who will end up with the stronger performance in relief is the important question.

I think the ultimate outcome of this game will be decided early, but what may be most important for the Buckeyes will be after the starters have left. Ohio State 52 Buffalo 17

Additional Stat Line: C.J. Stroud - 7/10, 112 yards, 2 TD