Bucks prefer bigger challenges on schedule

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The matter is obviously out of the hands of Christian Bryant, and there’s nothing any of his Ohio State teammates can do to change the schedule either.

And while the senior safety and the rest of the Buckeyes have consistently stressed the importance of maintaining focus this week, the unpredictable nature of college football and simply embracing another chance to play in their home stadium and win another game, they’re certainly aware of the stature of the opponent coming in for a visit.

So if Bryant had been consulted or was magically granted the power to swap Florida A&M out for a program with a bit more prestige, he made it no secret he would pull the trigger and skip what on paper looks to be little more than a walkthrough before Big Ten play opens next week.

“I like to showcase our talent,” Bryant said. “I would like to play bigger games, but I mean, it’s really out of our control. I’m not really sure who makes the schedule, but we still just have to go out there and face whatever team is put in front of us.

“I mean, we know the type of opponent we’re about to face this upcoming Saturday, but that really doesn’t give us any reason to lay off or slow down any of our tempo. In practice, we’re still going to go out there and practice like we’re facing a top-10 opponent.”

Not counting its own scrimmages, the No. 4 Buckeyes will wrap up nonconference play on Saturday without having tangled with an actual top-10 opponent. And based on the latest rankings, they’re not even slated to see one at all during the regular season with No. 14 Michigan currently the highest-rated team on Ohio State’s schedule.
That relatively soft-looking schedule has its benefits, starting with what has long appeared to be a reasonable path to another undefeated mark at the end of November and a potential spot in the national title game. But the strength of schedule can also work against the Buckeyes if there’s a logjam at the top of the polls and voters are left to compare the merits of either unbeaten or one-loss teams based on who they played.

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