A little more than two months remain until the Ohio State Buckeyes kick off the 2016 season. The schedule for coach Urban Meyer’s fifth season in Columbus looks to be one of the tougher ones in years. Here’s how the 12 games rank from toughest to easiest: 1. At Oklahoma, Sept. 17, 7:30 p.m.: The Buckeyes travel to Norman, Okla., for their third game and their first road game. The teams have played twice before. Ohio State lost 29-28 in Columbus in 1977 and beat the Sooners 24-14 in Norman in 1983. Oklahoma ranks third in Phil Steele’s College Football Preview top 25 and sixth in the Athlon Sports preseason top 25. Ohio State ranks sixth and third in those polls. The Sooners finished 11-2 last season and lost 37-17 to Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinals. They return quarterback Baker Mayfield, who threw 36 touchdown passes and finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting. 2. At Michigan State, Nov. 19, time TBA: The Spartans beat the Buckeyes 17-14 on a last-second field goal in Columbus last November, snapping Ohio State’s 23-game winning streak. Phil Steele and Athlon rank the Spartans 13th. Tyler O’Connor started against the Buckeyes last season with Connor Cook injured, and he’s favored to win the starting job as a senior. The Spartans return nine starters. 3. Home vs. Michigan, Nov. 26, time TBA: Ohio State routed the Wolverines 42-13 in Ann Arbor, Mich., in November and have won 12 of the last 14 games in the series. However, the Wolverines…
Continue Reading: Ranking Ohio State Buckeyes' 2016 games: toughest to easiest
