Ohio State vs. Washington study: What's in store for the Buckeyes in Seattle?

Taking a closer look at Ohio State's first Big Ten opponent.

Sonny Styles, Jaylen McClain, and the Ohio State defense face one of the top offenses in the country on Saturday. (Photo courtesy of Ohio State athletics)

COLUMBUS — There’s likely some debate over how big a game Ohio State is walking into on Saturday afternoon at Washington.

The Buckeyes, after all, are the No. 1 team in the country, and the Huskies, though unbeaten, are unranked. Washington hasn’t lost at home since 2021, a streak of 22 games, and it’s a close spread by Ohio State standards. In fact, it’s the first time since 2014 that OSU has had a spread of fewer than 10 points against an unranked team, when it was a 6.5-point favorite at Maryland. (The Buckeyes won that one, 52-24.)

Ohio State, as of this writing, is an 8.5-point favorite against Washington.

“This game is going to be an absolute battle,” Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day said Tuesday. “This is a very, very good team, really good in all three phases, and well coached. To get this one on the road is gonna take everything we’ve got.”