Ohio State football: Three games that will define the season
By Ryan Stano
In just three short weeks, the Ohio State football team will start their 2022 season. It will be a season that will be filled with expectations and hope. They are considered one of the favorites to win the national championship. With that comes a lot of pressure.
Every opponent that they will face this season will be trying to knock the Buckeyes off their pedestal. They will be getting every team’s best shot. Of all of the teams in the Big Ten, they are the ones with the biggest target on their back and they know it.
There are three games that will define this Ohio State football season. These three games will determine whether or not Buckeye fans are celebrating the first national championship since 2014 or playing in a bowl game that doesn’t have CFP implications for the second straight year.
All of these games are in the regular season since we don’t know whether or not the Buckeyes will play in the postseason yet. Winning these three games is a prerequisite to making the postseason. That’s why they are so important and defining.
The first game on this list is also the first game of the season.
Ohio State football vs. Notre Dame
The game that starts off the 2022 season is certainly one of the most important ones for the Ohio State football team. Notre Dame comes to town on September 3rd and will be a top-ten team. It will also be a night game so the atmosphere will be crazier than usual.
Both teams have aspirations of winning it all this year. Notre Dame is led by a former Buckeye as their head coach who took shots at the Buckeyes in the offseason. There should be some extra motivation for Ohio State to knock off the Fighting Irish in this game.
This one is important for many reasons. It’s the only game that the Buckeyes will have in the non-conference portion of their schedule that can help improve their resume. If Ohio State happens to lose a game in Big Ten play, a win in this game is a must for them to still make the College Football Playoff.
This game will also be our first full look at the new defensive that Jim Knowles has brought over from Oklahoma State. It’s a system that will hopefully improve this team’s performance on that side of the ball after two hideous defensive seasons.
A win in this game gives the Buckeyes an edge over other CFP contenders. A loss, while not death-inducing, gives Ohio State no room for error the rest of the way. That includes the next game on this list.