Ohio State Football: 3 biggest threats within the division
By Ben Swanger
Ohio State football teams have finished first, or tied for first, in the Big Ten East each of the last eight seasons, but that doesn’t mean the Buckeyes can coast to victory in 2020.
The entire country is on notice the Ohio State football team is a National Championship contender, but in six of the last seven seasons the Bucks have slipped up and lost to a lesser opponent. Head Coach Ryan Day led the 2019 Buckeyes to 13 straight victories, but can he take it even further in 2020?
It’s no secret that unranked teams have derailed Buckeye seasons in the past, but 2020 should be different. Just because it should be different though, doesn’t mean it will be.
The Buckeyes have a formidable opponent early on in the season as they’ll travel to Oregon to face the Ducks. That matchup will tell us a lot about the 2020 Buckeyes and what they’re made of.
If they come out victorious, the Day led Bucks could be on another path to the College Football Playoffs. If not, the team will face some divisional foes in must-win games.
Ohio State has to circle three divisional opponents this upcoming season, for three different reasons. In mid-October, Ohio State will take on Michigan State and Penn State in back-to-back road games. And, of course, the final threat in the division, and of the regular season, is Michigan in late November.
Indiana is on the Buckeye’s schedule, and probably will be a better team than the Spartans, but MSU makes this list due to the trap game effect.
The Ohio State football program has proven to be superior to PSU, Michigan and MSU, but if the Bucks take their foot off the gas, slipping up once again to a lesser opponent could derail a potentially historic season.
Let’s dive deeper into each opponent.