As we enter the 150th season of college football, Ohio State kicked things off the same way they have for the past 20 straight years: with a win in the season opener. This time around, it was a 45-21 victory over a Florida Atlantic team that was simply outmanned and out-skilled right from the very start.
For the Buckeyes, it was a day for firsts all over the field. Justin Fields made his first career collegiate start at quarterback, with Ryan Day patrolling the sideline in his first game as Ohio State’s full-time head coach. It was also the first game for a ton of new staff members, especially on the defensive side of the ball, as guys like Greg Mattison, Al Washington and Jeff Hafley all coached in their first game for the Scarlet and Gray.