It feels like an annual tradition for fans of other teams to criticize the perceived weakness of Ohio State’s schedule, but with the brutal slate that lies ahead of the Buckeyes in 2016, that custom should come to an unceremonious end.
Urban Meyer’s squad is already facing the mountainous task of replacing a load of NFL talent—an undertaking that will require finding eight new starters on each side of the ball. Many of those holes will be filled by underclassmen, so Ohio State will take on one of the most challenging schedules with one of the most inexperienced teams in the country.
Will Meyer be able to get his young Buckeyes ready for this gauntlet?
The Nonconference Slate
Even the gimme games aren’t really gimmes.
The Buckeyes will open the season against Bowling Green, the reigning MAC champion and a team that knocked off two Big Ten squads in 2015—Maryland and Purdue. The Falcons will have to replace quarterback Matt Johnson, who piled up an incredible 5,105 yards of offense and 50 touchdowns as a senior.
A week later, Ohio State will host an explosive Tulsa team that ranked 13th nationally in total offense (averaging 507.4 yards per game in 2015) and 21st in scoring offense (37.2).
But those games will serve as a warmup to one of the most highly anticipated nonconference games of the year when Ohio State heads south for a showdown with Oklahoma.
The Sooners—who were knocked out of the College Football…
Continue Reading: Ohio State Football: Looking Ahead to the Buckeyes’ Brutal 2016 Schedule
