Utah Utes vs Ohio State Buckeyes Prediction, 1/1/2021 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Utah Utes vs Ohio State Buckeyes

Date: Saturday, January 1, 2022

Location: Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA

TV: ESPN

Odds/Point Spread: Buckeyes (-6.5)

Total/Over-Under: 67

The Utah Utes (10-3) are hitting the road to Rose Bowl on Saturday where they will go up against the Ohio State Buckeyes (10-2) in the Rose Bowl. Ohio State opens this contest as 6.5-point favorites. The total comes in at 67.

The Utah Utes head into this game 10-3 for this year. In their last contest, the Utes took the field against the Oregon Ducks and notched a win by a score of 38-10. Tavion Thomas led the offense in rushing for the Utes with 18 carries for 63 yds (3.5 yds per attempt). Cameron Rising went 15/24 with 170 yds passing and 1 TD. He had a QB rate of 119.1 and walked away from the game with 2 interceptions. In the running game, the Utes gave up 74 yds on 29 tries, which is 2.6 yds per run allowed. Utah allowed 13 pass completions on 24 attempts for 147 yds, and a completion rate of 54.2%. Overall, they ran 64 plays for 361 yds. The Utah Utes ran the ball 40 different times and tallied 191 yards, which came out to an average of 4.8 yds per carry.

Concerning scoring points, the Utah Utes have an average of 35.5 points per game. As a team they hold an average of 216.3 yards on the ground ranking them 14th in college football. The Utes have racked up 5,574 total yards over the course of this season. When it comes to notching touchdowns, Utah has earned 21 touchdowns via the pass and 35 touchdowns via the ground. Utah has tallied 315 first downs as a unit, and they have been hurt by 62 infractions for 573 yds. They have turned the ball over 14 times.

The Utes sit in 23rd in college football regarding their opponents scoring, conceding 20.6 points per game. They are allowing an average of 3.6 yards per attempt on the ground and 122.0 yards on the ground per game so far this season. Overall, they have conceded 1,586 rushing yards through 13 outings. When it comes to passing yardage, the Utes have given up 2,539 yards which ranks them 38th in D-1. They are giving up 195.3 yards per outing through the air as well as conceding a completion percentage of 59.4%. Over the course of this season, they have relinquished 317.3 yards/outing ranking them 13th in D-1. They have allowed 16 touchdowns via the pass and 10 touchdowns on the ground.

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The Buckeyes step onto the field holding a record of 10-2 this year. When they last stepped on the field, the Buckeyes took a defeat with a final score of 42-27 when they faced the Michigan Wolverines. C.J. Stroud (2 TDs) finished the contest with 394 yds on 34/49 passing while his QB rate was 150.4. He didn't toss any picks and his Y/A was 8.0. TreVeyon Henderson carried the ball 17 times for 74 yds, finishing the game with 4.4 yards per carry for Ohio State. Ohio State rushed for 2.1 yds per carry, finishing with 64 yds on 30 carries. The Buckeyes finished the contest with 458 yards while running 79 plays (5.8 yds per play). The Buckeyes pass defense gave up a completion percentage of 70.0%, surrendering 190 yds on 14 out of 20 passing. Ohio State gave up 41 rushing attempts for 297 yards (7.2 yds per carry).

Regarding their ability to score points, the Buckeyes rank 1st in the nation with 45.5 points per game. During the season so far, the Buckeyes currently have a total of 4,379 yards via the pass along with an average of 364.9 throwing yards per game, ranking them 5th in the country. The Ohio State Buckeyes maintain an average of 551.3 yards per outing, which is good for 1st in college football. The Ohio State offense has compiled 700 penalty yards on 78 violations, which is good for 52nd in the country in terms of helping out the other team.

Ohio State has allowed a total of 1,436 rushing yards (119.7 yards per outing) and 16 touchdowns by way of the ground game on the season. They have conceded 14 touchdowns via the pass in addition to 246.9 yards per contest, which has them sitting 98th in Division 1. The Buckeyes defense has taken the field for 841 plays, which is 82nd in Division 1. The Buckeyes are conceding 20.9 points per game, which puts them 26th in Division 1. In total, they have allowed 251 total points.

Who will win tonight's Utes/Buckeyes college football game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Utes +6.5

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