Three bold predictions for Ohio State football in 2022
By Ryan Stano
The Ohio State football team loses a game to a badly outmatched opponent
You might be thinking, “Ryan, all of Ohio State’s opponents are badly outmatched this year”. While that might be true, the Buckeyes have a history of throwing in a dud when they’re really good. Iowa in 2017 comes to mind, as does Purdue in 2018.
In both of those years, the Buckeyes were kept out of the College Football Playoff due to those bad losses. This year, I could see the Buckeyes losing to Wisconsin at home. The Badgers are just good enough to give the Buckeyes some fits, especially on the ground.
Unlike 2017 and 2018, this loss wouldn’t keep the Buckeyes from making the CFP. This will be more like a 2014 Virginia Tech situation in my mind. It’s early enough that it gives the Buckeyes a chance to show everyone that they are still worthy of making the Playoff.
Losing to an opponent in the Big Ten West also gives them an opportunity for revenge in the Big Ten Championship Game. That’s exactly what I see happening. The Buckeyes could go 11-1 and still make the CFP as a four-seed, which is what they were when they won it all in 2014.
Do I want this prediction to come true? Of course not. I want Ohio State to win all of their games. They should, considering they are the most talented team in the Big Ten. But I have a feeling that they aren’t quite ready to stop a running game as potent as Wisconsin’s.
While that bold prediction may not have made you happy, this one certainly will.