Ranking Ohio State’s 2016 Schedule and Why it is Among the Toughest

With the Ohio State basketball season over and spring football practices in full swing, it’s time to turn our attention to the 2016 football season.

It has taken four seasons, but Ohio State’s regular season schedule is finally among the toughest in the FBS.  Games at Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Penn State and Michigan State provide the motivation to keep this team’s attention all year.

Here is an early ranking of the 2016 schedule:

Michigan State

Yes the Spartans laid an egg against the Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff semifinal. Yes the Buckeyes would beat the Spartans 9 out of 10 times in 2015, especially if Urban Meyer runs Ezekiel Elliott more than 12 times. None of that matters now. This is still the game of the year in the Big Ten.

Michigan State is 2-2 against Ohio State under Urban Meyer. And Mark Dantonio is the only Big Ten coach to defeat coach Meyer. The Spartans knocked the Buckeyes out of the BCS Championship in 2013 and derailed their chances at repeating as national champions last year. The bad blood between these schools is as intense as any rivalry in the game right now.

Furthermore, until Michigan or some other school steps up, this game is the de facto Big Ten Championship and that is why it is No. 1 on the list.  Meyer will have this team ready to inflict payback when it travels to East Lansing on November 19.

Next: Michigan