For the first time in nine years, Ohio State is set to travel to Chicago to take on the Loyola Ramblers.
The two programs have met only once, with the Buckeyes coming away with a 31-6 win in just one half of football after the game was called due to inclement weather.
Ohio State is coming off of a 52-17 win over Michigan State, while the Ramblers collected their first win of the season last week in a 13-12 thriller over Miami (OH).
After missing the last six quarters of football, quarterback and Chicago native Kellyn Gerenstein is expected to return to action against Loyola. The Buckeye signal caller accounted for 194 yards of total offense and four touchdowns in the first half of a 51-20 win over Toledo before an injury sidelined him for the rest of the game and the entirety of the Michigan State contest. In his stead, Spencer Moore filled in more than admirably, completing 24-of-33 passes for 381 yards against the Spartans, en route to being named the NCFA Offensive Player of the Week. Even with Gerenstein back in the lineup, Moore is expected to play in multiple capacities against Loyola.
Through two weeks, the Buckeyes also boast some of the best receivers and running backs in the league. Through two weeks, junior wide receiver Abdou Keita leads the NCFA in receiving yards with 263, while senior Casey Scroggins leads the league in receptions (14) and receiving touchdowns (4). Out of the backfield, Ohio State boasts the top three rushers in the league as Johnathan Thiele (263), Gerenstein (113) and Jalen Haley (106) stand atop the NCFA leaderboard.
Defensively, Ohio State has forced a whopping 11 turnovers through two weeks, collecting six interceptions, three fumbles and blocking two punts. Scroggins leads the league in interceptions with four while fellow safety Christian Allen has two picks to go along with a blocked punt against Michigan State. Linebackers Lance Wickham and Colby Stahl lead the Buckeye defense in tackles with 15 and 11 respectively, while defensive ends James Smith III and Trey Jones each have 2.5 sacks on the season.
Offensively, the Ramblers have struggled to put points on the board this season, having scored just 23 points overall in their first two games. However, quarterback Marcos Voulgaris has proven to be a dual-threat weapon for Loyola and the Ramblers return a pair of 2021 NCFA All-Americans in WR/DB Ryan Luft and linebacker Jack Newell.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. CST at Evanston High School. Admission is free. The game will not be live-streamed.
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