Every year there is one. One game on the schedule where everything points to where Ohio State will struggle. I’m not talking about the Oklahomas of the world. Those games are too easy to point out. I’m talking about those games that shock everyone outside of Buckeye Nation.
They don’t always lose this game and it isn’t always explainable. Sometimes the scheduling gods are against you (Hi Iowa!) and you just bow for their mercy. Other times the Buckeyes just look like they are sleepwalking through the game but manage to pull out a win. Sometimes, they are not so lucky (I hate you Iowa). No matter what game it is, many people can usually look at the schedule in the preseason and say “this is the one.”
In 2015, you knew the Michigan State game would be brutal, but for the wrong reasons. The Spartans had Connor Cook coming back with a very experienced defense. You combine this with the fact it was being played a week before Michigan and the writing was on the wall. Connor Cook wound up not playing and the Spartans called upon 4.5-billionth-year senior (I’m sorry if the math is a little off, my degree is in Sports Management not Sports Mathament) Mother Nature to come in and dominate the game. Ohio State had no answer for those freezing temperatures and Michigan State pulled out the win.
In 2016, there was one game which really stood out. Going to Penn State at night facing “white out” conditions a week after going to Camp Randall did not bode well. Spoiler Alert!!! Ohio State lost and started the fake “we’re dominant” monster of Penn State football. Spoiler Alert #2!! Penn State is still not good at football and it will take more than playing good against crappy Pac 12 teams during the bowl season to prove otherwise.
In 2017, we all knew the Iowa game was going to be a slugfest. Everyone was calling for this to be a possible loss. Going into Kinnick Stadium is always tough. Playing the game at night is downright brutal. Scheduling the game between Penn State and Michigan State made it three strikes and Ohio State was out. The loss was not totally unexpected…the effort was.
So where does this leave us in 2018? Ohio State has two, maybe three, really tough road games. They go to Dallas to face TCU, which is a road game. I don’t care how neutral ESPN/CFB pretends like it is. They go to Penn State for what will surely be another “whiteout.” Later in the year, they travel to East Lansing to take on the Spartans. These games are too easy and I’m not sure Ohio State will truly struggle with any of these three. So where does the trap game lie?
There are two games that really jump out at me. The first one is the October 6th matchup at home against Indiana. Ohio State will be coming off of a brutal night game against Penn State. They will be halfway through their schedule with the bye week still three weeks away. Players will be exhausted. Then you add in that this game has all of the makings to be a nooner so the stadium won’t exactly be as hyped as it can be. All of this, along with guys like Peyton Ramsey and Morgan Ellison returning, makes this one to watch.
Another one that worries me is the November 3rd matchup with Nebraska. I’m not really sure why this one jumps out at me. It’s at home, it’s after a bye week, and Nebraska hasn’t been competitive in a while. I guess it all just comes down to respect for Scott Frost and his ability to game plan. The Cornhuskers have some talent and they will be coming off of a bye week. They will either be riding a high after already being tested at Michigan and at Wisconsin. If they pull out wins there, this could easily be a very confident Top-15 team led by a top-tier coach.
I guess I have to throw an honorable mention out to the October 20th game at Purdue. I never really bought into them being that good last year but it seems to be the cool thing to do. Plus, Iowa wore Purdue uniforms last year to beat Ohio State. It will be a tough game but I’m not too worried about it.
If I ultimately have to pick one that gives the Buckeyes the most trouble, I’m going to go with Indiana. This game is just set up to be a snoozefest after coming off of an emotional high or low depending on the Penn State outcome. After successful freshmen campaigns, Peyton Ramsey at QB and Morgon Ellison at RB will both be tough to stop. Plus they are both Ohio boys, so there will be a little extra motivation.
Which non-big game are you worried the most about?