Buckeyes Preparing For Familiar Setting

The 2014 season was special for so many different reasons, in particular because of the amount of galvanizing moments that the team faced throughout the course of the season.

The shocking early season loss to Virginia Tech had the program reeling, and nobody could have realistically expected anything close to what would happen from that point on.

That loss provided a great example of why it matters when you lose as much as if you lose. The loss came in the second week of the season, and the team could have went several different ways. They rallied, got better every week, and found themselves right back in the playoff conversation when November rolled around.

It was in November that the Buckeyes made their first statement to the playoff committee when they went to East Lansing and avenged the crushing loss of 2013. The convincing win officially put Ohio State back in the hunt.

The 2016 schedule has a similar layout to it. The Buckeyes will travel to Oklahoma in the third week of the season in a game that will have a ton of implications on it.

It will be a litmus test of sorts for the young Buckeyes, providing a gauge of where the team sits with its growth and development. While they are capable of winning the game, a loss would not be a crippling blow to their playoff hopes. There will still be ample time to grow from that moment.

November will again loom large for them as they must travel to East Lansing, again looking to make up for a crushing defeat the season before. The very next week, Michigan will come into the ‘Shoe for the most anticipated edition of “The Game” since 2006.

Even if the Buckeyes can’t find a way to win in Norman, they could find themselves with a tremendous opportunity to make a statement when they get to November.

Next: Conclusion