As the Ohio State Buckeyes gear up for their much-anticipated opener against the Texas Longhorns, two of their defensive backfield standouts, Davison Igbinosun and Jermaine Mathews Jr., are preparing to show off their improvements and solidify their status as one of the top cornerback duos in the nation, ABC6 reports.
Despite the Buckeyes losing eight starters from their national champion defense, confidence remains high, "We both got that fire in us," Mathews said in a statement obtained by ABC6, he and Igbinosun are both laser-focused on tackling the challenge of stepping up for the team, with Igbinosun concentrating on his ball-handling skills to lessen penalties, and Mathews Jr. setting his eyes firmly on a starting role after a year of meaningful snaps.
The Buckeyes find themselves facing internal challenges too, their coaches tirelessly figuring out the most effective way to deploy their talent-dense roster, whereof includes senior Igbinosun and captain, All-American junior Caleb Downs – lauded as "coach Downs" by his teammates for his field smarts, according to a Spectrum News 1 interview.
The third-ranked Buckeyes and the top-ranked Longhorns, set to clash at Ohio Stadium, represent a marquee Week 1 showdown with the historical footnote of the country's top-ranked team starting as an underdog, this per a detailed preview by CBS Sports, which also takes into account the impact of the Buckeyes' significant Draft departures and how these factor into the game's dynamics, with the much-discussed point spread highlighting serious action on the underdog Longhorns.
