Ohio State Football: Matchups that could be tricky

COLUMBUS, OHIO - NOVEMBER 13: Garrett Wilson #5 of the Ohio State Buckeyes runs the ball during the second half of a game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ohio Stadium on November 13, 2021 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OHIO - NOVEMBER 13: Garrett Wilson #5 of the Ohio State Buckeyes runs the ball during the second half of a game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ohio Stadium on November 13, 2021 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) /
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The Ohio State football team will be favored in most of the games that they play this year. In fact, the only one they might not be favored in when they play is The Game. They currently are underdogs, which is fair based on their performances against them in the past couple of years.

Just because they will be favored in all of the other ones doesn’t mean that there won’t be some tough matchups during the season that give the Buckeyes some trouble. There’s always a game or two that gives them more trouble than they should. Last year that game was Maryland.

So which games could just possible trap games be? Looking at the schedule, I actually think the opener could cause some issues. The Ohio State football team opens at IU in what will be either the second game Kyle McCord has ever started or the first game Devin Brown will ever start.

IU has given the Buckeyes some issues in the past, memorably in the 2015 season when Zeke had to go nuts for Ohio State to win. But there’s another team from Indiana that gives the Buckeyes more trouble and ruined their season back in 2018.

That team is obviously Purdue. The Boilermakers beat the second-ranked Buckeyes in 2018 and ruined their chance at an undefeated season. Ohio State got smoked that day and it cost them a chance at the College Football Playoff. It was devastating, especially because the offense wasn’t bad that day.

Even though Purdue has a new coach this season, that game is still one that could be closer than the experts think. I wouldn’t be surprised if that game ended up being a one-possession game late in the second half. There’s a mental hurdle there that Ohio State needs to cross.

Next. Ohio State Football: How much defensive improvement to expect. dark

Hopefully, the Buckeyes are good enough that none of the games they play are stressful.