San Diego State vs. Ohio Prediction, Pick, Odds: Can Ohio Find Success Against SDSU's Dominant Defense?
San Diego State faces Ohio this weekend for Week 0 in College Football. Can Ohio find success against SDSU's dominant defense? Jason Radowitz provides his San Diego State vs. Ohio prediction, pick, and odds ahead of the game.
Jason Radowitz - August 21, 2023, 10:06 AM EDT
7 minSan Diego State vs. Ohio Prediction, Pick, Odds: Can Ohio Find Success Against SDSU's Dominant Defense?
The Ohio Bobcats finished 10-4 last season under Tim Albin. The Bobcats went 7-1 in the MAC last season and fell to Toledo in the MAC Championship game.
However, Ohio rebounded and defeated Wyoming in the Arizona Bowl to finish the season.
Ohio did a complete 180 from the first half of the season to the second half of the season. They'll try to carry their second-half momentum into 2023.
Meanwhile, they'll take on the San Diego State Aztecs on the road. The Aztecs only went 7-6 overall last season. But that was good enough to continue the streak of 13 straight seasons without a losing record.
The Aztecs are always terrific on defense. But can the offense compete against Ohio in Week 0?
Here are our picks, predictions, and odds for Saturday's game between the Ohio Bobcats vs. San Diego State Aztecs.
San Diego State vs. Ohio Start Time, Where to Watch, and Odds
- Date: August 26, 2023
- Game Time: 7:00 pm ET
- Where to Watch: FS1
San Diego State vs. Ohio Odds
- Spread: Ohio +3.5 (-120), San Diego State -3.5 (+100)
- Total Odds: O/U 49 (-110)
- Moneyline Odds: Ohio (+140), San Diego State (-155)
San Diego State vs. Ohio Injury Report
Ohio
None Reported
San Diego State
Questionable: WR Joshua Nicholson (Foot)
San Diego State vs. Ohio Prediction
The San Diego State Aztecs went with Jalen Mayden at quarterback midway into the season. The Aztecs were 2-3, and Mayden, who played many roles for the Aztecs, was asked to play quarterback.
He closed the season with over 2,000 yards passing and 12 touchdowns in eight games. The interceptions were high, but the Aztecs saw enough potential in Mayden to name him the starter this season.
San Diego State has added a new offensive coordinator, Ryan Lindley, to the staff. He should be able to work well with Mayden.
However, the Aztecs lost a lot of talent at receiver. They'll no longer have Jesse Matthews or Tyrell Shavers. Mayden will work with Raphael Williams, who came from Western Carolina. That'll be his main target.
There are also questions about the offensive line. The Aztecs shuffled that group around and lost some. They were always below average last year.
But the defense was top-tier. The Aztecs were above average defensively, especially with the pass rush and secondary. The secondary lost Patrick McMorris to California, but they've got plenty of talent. The team has a lot of new linebackers as well, but Cooper McDonald and Cody Moon should be great pieces to this defense.
On the other hand, it sounds like Kurtis Rourke will be fine heading into the 2023 season. The veteran quarterback suffered a torn ACL late in the season last year. He'll have his No. 1 weapon back in Sam Wiglusz. The former Buckeye added 74 catches and 11 touchdowns for Ohio the previous season.
The running game should also have O'Shaan Allison back in the mix. He had a shoulder injured last year that kept him out of the lineup. He'll share carries with Sieh Bangura, who added more than 1,000 yards last season, along with 13 touchdowns.
Meanwhile, the defense was super inconsistent last year. They were terrible in the first six games and dominated in the final eight. If the Bobcats keep up their defensive dominance from the final eight games, Ohio will be in a prime position to earn another MAC Championship appearance.
The secondary wasn't great last year. But with the addition of Walter Reynolds, the Bobcats clearly patched up their weaknesses this season.
Give me Ohio +3.5 in this exciting non-conference game in Week 0.
San Diego State vs. Ohio Pick
- Ohio +3.5 (-120) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds for this pick
College Football Odds
