It’s become an annual tradition for national pundits and fans around the country to criticize Ohio State and the perceived weakness of its schedule.
This year is no exception, as the top-ranked Buckeyes have reached the midway point of the season unbeaten despite playing long stretches of subpar football. After coming into the season as the first-ever unanimous No. 1 in the Associated Press poll, Ohio State’s grasp on the top spot has loosened as teams such as TCU, Baylor and Utah have surged.
At a simple glance, the Buckeyes should have dominated the teams they’ve played. Their first six opponents have a combined 16-20 record, and only one opponent (Indiana, 4-2) currently boasts a winning record. And despite that lowly competition, it took Ohio State all four quarters to put away teams such as Northern Illinois and Indiana.
What if Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes were playing a tougher schedule? What if they were lining up against the teams on Alabama’s slate?
That’s a popular hypothetical that media and fans (especially from the SEC) like to entertain. But outside of the Ole Miss game, the Tide haven’t played a significantly more difficult schedule than the Buckeyes.
There was the neutral-site game against Wisconsin to open the season, followed by gimme games against Middle Tennessee State and Louisiana Monroe that sandwiched the Rebels game. The Tide’s showdown with a Top 10 Georgia team was highly anticipated, but that victory has lost most…
Continue Reading: How Ohio State Would Fare with Alabama’s 2015 Schedule
