Ohio State Football

A national title isn't the only thing Ohio State star C.J. Stroud has to play for this bowl season.

The MMQB's Albert Breer spoke with an NFC executive who compared Stroud favorably to Chicago Bears star Justin Fields but didn't rank him as the No. 1 quarterback in the 2023 NFL draft class.

"I like him better than I did Fields," the executive said. "But he's still third in the group [behind Alabama's Bryce Young and Kentucky's Will Levis] for me."

Stroud has thrown for 3,340 yards, more than 1,000 fewer than in 2021, along with 37 touchdowns and six interceptions this season.

The third-year signal-caller is still on track to be a Day 1 pick this spring, but he might have ceded some ground to the competition. He's the No. 9 overall player and No. 2 quarterback beyond Young on Bleacher Report's 2023 big board.

The postseason was a great showcase for Stroud in 2021. He went 37-of-46 for 573 yards, six touchdows and one interception in Ohio State's Rose Bowl victory over Utah.

A similar showing against Georgia in the Peach Bowl on Saturday is bound to get noticed by NFL talent evaluators.

Ohio State freshman offensive lineman Avery Henry announced Monday on Twitter that he has been diagnosed with a form of bone cancer called osteosarcoma.

Per ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, osteosarcoma is "most commonly found in teenagers and young adults." Henry said he will fight the disease and thanked his teammates:

After Henry's announcement, teammates sent him messages of support:

A 6'6", 309-pound offensive tackle from St. Clairsville, Ohio, Henry was a 3-star recruit. He initially committed to Iowa State before flipping to Ohio State because he wanted to be closer to home.

In his 2021 evaluation of Henry, 247Sports recruiting analyst Allen Trieu wrote: "Physical and strong. Shows he can bend his taller frame well. ... Developmental ceiling is high—could need some time to get there but has already shown he will work away from the game as far as strength and conditioning."

In June, Dan Hope of Eleven Warriors detailed how Henry went from nearly 400 pounds to 305 over his last two years of high school.

"It came to my mind that at 400 pounds, I couldn't take care of my family. I couldn't provide in the way I wanted to provide for my future kids and my family," Henry said. "In the matter of one day, I was like, 'Hey, I'm gonna change everything.' And I changed everything in that day from eating habits to running to lifting to everything."

Henry hasn't appeared in a game for Ohio State. He will have four years of eligibility remaining after this redshirt season.

The No. 1 overall recruit in the Class of 2024, quarterback Dylan Raiola, has decommitted from Ohio State, his family told Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports.com on Saturday.

"Everything is back on the table," his father, Dominic Raiola, told Wiltfong. "His process is almost like it's restarting. It's not closed off to anybody."

The 6'3", 220-pound Raiola, from Chandler, Arizona, had offers from many of the biggest programs in the country, including Alabama, Georgia, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, Oregon, Texas, Nebraska and USC, among others.

He verbally committed to Ohio State on May 9 but decided to reopen the recruiting process.

"We have a lot of respect for that program. We have a lot of respect for coach [Ryan] Day. It's just where Dylan is at right now," his father added, per Adam Gorney of Rivals.

His re-opened recruitment will make him the top priority for a number of programs, given his immense potential. The ties to Nebraska in particular are hard to ignore:

Chris Singletary of 247Sports.com offered the following scouting report on Raiola, in part:

A young player who has very few holes in his game even with two more years of high school left. Ahead of the curve mechanically and possesses the arm strength that puts him in elite company. The more he plays and has reps his decision making and feel will only get faster and become second nature. Should become a Power Five starter for multiple years and a potential all-conference selection with NFL Draft early-round upside.

It won't be until 2024 that Raiola is even on a college campus as a student-athlete. But his decommitment from a powerhouse such as Ohio State is nonetheless one of the biggest stories in the recruiting world.

5-star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith announced his intention to play for Ohio State on Wednesday.

"What stood out to me the most was brotherhood and I could see it," Smith told Hayes Fawcett of On3. "It was obvious from the start with the players, with the coaches, and how they ran practice. I knew that there was no place like it and it was special, and it was a great opportunity I couldn't miss out on."

Smith is the nation's top-ranked wide receiver and No. 2 overall player in the 2024 class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He chose the Buckeyes over offers from Miami, USC, Georgia, Florida and Florida State.

The Chaminade-Madonna Prep product is listed at 6'3" and 185 pounds, already giving him the type of frame that should make him an instant impact player at Ohio State. He said the Buckeyes'. recent history of developing first-round talent at the wide receiver position helped make his decision.

"That means a lot to me," Smith said. "It shows me that Coach Hartline is developing guys. I know coach Hartline will develop me to be the best version of myself into becoming a first-round pick like he did with Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave."

Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave were both taken in the first 11 picks of last April's draft, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba could also come off the board in Round 1 next year. Marvin Harrison Jr. is a mortal lock for first-round status whenever he becomes draft eligible in 2024.

The departure of Harrison could open up a hole wide-open for Smith to step in and become the next great Buckeyes wideout. He has the type of top-end speed and athleticism that makes him an ideal fit in Ryan Day's uptempo offense.

Smith is the fourth player to commit to Day in the 2024 class. He joins 5-star quarterback Dylan Raiola, 4-star offensive lineman Ian Moore and 4-star athlete Garrett Stover.

If Georgia is going to have an opportunity to try to win a second consecutive national championship, it will first need to get past Ohio State. And that may not be the easiest task.

The Bulldogs and Buckeyes are set to face off in a College Football Playoff semifinal matchup on Dec. 31, when they'll go head-to-head in the Peach Bowl. It should be close to a home atmosphere for Georgia, considering the game will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Not only will Ohio State have farther to travel, but it will be looking to pull off an upset. Georgia is the No. 1 seed in the CFP after going 13-0 and winning the SEC championship. Ohio State is the No. 4 seed despite not reaching the Big Ten Championship Game after finishing the regular season at 11-1.

Here's everything else you need to know heading into this year's Peach Bowl.

Latest Peach Bowl Odds

Spread: Georgia -6.5

Over/Under: 62 points

Moneyline: Georgia -260 (bet $260 to win $100); Ohio State +220 (bet $100 to win $220)

Via DraftKings Sportsbook

Preview, Prediction

Georgia and Ohio State have been two of the top college football programs in recent years. Yet it's been quite some time since the Bulldogs and Buckeyes have crossed paths.

The only previous meeting between Georgia and Ohio State came at the end of the 1992 season, when the Bulldogs defeated the Buckeyes 21-14 in the Citrus Bowl. Could there be a similar result this time?

It's no surprise that Georgia is favorited to win. It stormed through the regular season in impressive fashion, then beat LSU 50-30 in the SEC Championship Game.

The Bulldogs have mostly relied on their dominant defense to win games. They're allowing only 292.1 total yards per contest (ninth best in the country), and they're especially tough against the run, giving up an FBS-low 77 rushing yards per game.

It will be interesting to see whether Georgia's defense can shut down a loaded Ohio State offense led by redshirt sophomore quarterback C.J. Stroud, one of the four finalists for the Heisman Trophy. He'll be looking to frequently get the ball into the hands of talented sophomore wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart is hoping to see his defense perform better than it did in its last showing against LSU.

"We can't play the defense we played [in the SEC Championship Game] and expect to be any kind of champions," Smart recently said, per Chase Brown of Eleven Warriors.

When Georgia has the ball, it will have a Heisman finalist of its own leading its offense. Sixth-year quarterback Stetson Bennett has again done a strong job of guiding the Bulldogs this year, and he knows what it takes to win when the stakes are raised.

That will be the case for quite a few players on Georgia's roster. The Bulldogs defeated Michigan and Alabama in the College Football Playoff last season to capture the program's first national title since the 1980 season.

Because of that experience and its shutdown defense, Georgia will be heading back to the CFP National Championship Game on Jan. 9. Ohio State could keep things close early in the Peach Bowl, but it's going to get a bit overmatched in the second half.

The Bulldogs will start to pull away late and come up with some big stops, taking down the Buckeyes to move on.

Prediction: Georgia 31, Ohio State 21

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