Simple comparisons to Woody Hayes, or, back a bit further, Francis "Show 'Em No Mercy" Schmidt, to current head coach Ryan Day in Ohio State football lore somehow seem to fall short of the mark. Perhaps a better analogy is one from a passage in a speech made by Norman Mailer at Berkeley back in 1965. "Nearly every American's sense of identity is at the mercy of a self which demands action and more action to define the most rudimentary borders of identity," said Mailer, referencing Lyndon Johnson. "It is a demand which will either kill a brave man or force him to grow, but when a coward is put in need of such action he tears the wings off flies."   

Tears the wings of flies, eh? That seems somewhat appropriate in regard to Day, who has gleefully rolled up multiple 70-point explosions vs. overmatched foes on his watch in Columbus, now entering a fifth full season. Not that anyone is complaining along the banks of the Olentangy, as Day has compiled a staggering 43-6 record in four-plus campaigns in charge, which includes a handful of games at the outset of the 2018 campaign, when Urban Meyer was serving a suspension...

Bruce Marshall's full breakdown of Ohio State's 2023 outlook, which includes how he's playing their win total, can be found below as part of SportsLine's preview of the Big Ten season.

Big Ten preview: Conference winner | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Maryland | Michigan | Michigan State | Minnesota | Nebraska | Northwestern | Ohio State | Penn State | Purdue | Rutgers | Wisconsin

2023 Ohio State at a glance

• Last Year: 11-2 SU, 7-6 ATS, 10-3 O/U
  
• Returning Starters: Offense 7; Defense 5
• Win Total: 10.5 (Over Even, Under -120)
  

What do you need to know about Ohio State before locking in your Big Ten futures bets? And which side of their win total makes for the best play? ... Join SportsLine right now to see Big Ten futures betting strategy from a veteran college football expert!