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

Northwestern

Few, if any, coaches do more with less than head coach Pat Fitzgerald.  With quarterback Clayton Thomson, running back Justin Jackson and a bulk of the defense returning, 2016 looks promising for the Wildcats after finishing 10-3 in 2015.

There is still a lot of work to do for the Wildcats to move up the Big Ten West rankings.  Besides the Stanford game, they struggled against quality competition last year losing to Michigan, Iowa and Tennessee by a combined 107 points.

The last time Ohio State played Northwestern, the Buckeyes were lucky to pull out the 40-30 win in Evanston.  That was Meyer’s first season as head coach of the Buckeyes.  The talent level is so much better now at Ohio State that it is hard to see the Wildcats keeping this game close.  Their only hope is the Buckeyes are sluggish from the back-to-back road games at Wisconsin and Penn State.

Next: Rutgers