(This is a post from our Guest Columnist, Chip Minnich. Chip is a formerly blogger at Land Grant Holy Land and blogs regularly at his site, From the Mind of Minnich. He will be posting here periodically on a variety of topics. This week he looks at Ohio State’s 2013 schedule)

Every college football fan, myself included, likes to look at their favorite team’s schedule and speculate on where the easy wins will come from, where the toughest game will be, and where there may be a sleeper team that will surprise their team. How accurate was I last year with this little exercise? Feel free to take a look, as the so-called “easier” games turned out to be anything but that for the Buckeyes.

The 2013 Ohio State Buckeyes are being touted as a possible national championship contender. The talent is definitely on the upswing with Coach Urban Meyer’s pronounced emphasis upon recruiting, but the 2013 schedule is also a factor, as Ohio State’s opponents are considered to be relatively easy for the Buckeyes this upcoming season.

Below are the games I have ranked, from easiest to toughest, as I see them. Will I be right, or will the opponents prove me wrong as last season?

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Easiest

1. Florida A&M (09/21/2013; kickoff TBA; Ohio Stadium): When the national media rip on Ohio State for not playing anybody, look to this game as Exhibit A. An FCS school, that went 4-7 in 2012?!? Ohio State should win this one comfortably and easily by about thirty points, maybe more. Look for Coach Meyer to play as many backup players as possible in this one, as this is the last game before B1G conference play begins the next week. The most notable thing about this game – this is the game that marks the possible return of Carlos Hyde from his early-season suspension.

2. Buffalo (08/31/2013; 12pm EST kickoff; ESPN 2 telecast; Ohio Stadium): Originally scheduled for the September 21st game, Buffalo agreed to move up to the season opener after Vanderbilt cancelled its trip to Ohio Stadium. A 4-8 MAC opponent to start the 2013 season is another example of a lackluster schedule in the eyes of the national media.

3. Iowa (10/19/2013; 3:30pm EST kickoff; ABC telecast; Ohio Stadium): The last time Iowa came into Ohio Stadium in 2009, this game went down to the wire, as Ohio State won in overtime 27-24 to secure a trip to The Rose Bowl. Why am I being so sure of an Ohio State victory this time, you ask? First, Iowa is coming off a 4-8 season in 2012, and most believe Iowa will not be much of a factor within B1G conference play. Secondly, Ohio State will be coming off a bye week, while Iowa will have played the week before against Michigan State. Lastly, this game is Ohio State’s homecoming weekend – Ohio State usually does well in its homecoming games.

4. @ Illinois (11/16/2013; kickoff TBA; Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL): Comparable to the Iowa game, Ohio State will travel to Champaign coming off a bye week, while Illinois will have played at Indiana the week before. Illinois is coming off a 2012 season where the record was 2-10. Why am I ranking Illinois a tougher game than Iowa? Champaign has always been a challenging place for Ohio State to play, especially when later season weather might be a factor.

Sleeper Games ~ Ohio State will be favored to win, but could be tougher than anticipated.

5. Indiana (11/23/2013; kickoff TBA; Ohio Stadium): After last season’s scare against the Hoosiers, most Buckeye fans will not overlook Indiana’s capacity to compete against the Buckeyes. In 2011, which was the last time Indiana played the Buckeyes in Ohio Stadium, Ohio State did not win this game until late in the 4th quarter. Indiana should be in contention for a bowl bid this season under head coach Kevin Wilson, but I look for Ohio State to emerge victorious in its final home game of the 2013 season.

6. San Diego State (09/07/2013; 3:30pm EST kickoff; ABC telecast; Ohio Stadium): As written up above, the 2013 schedule had to be juggled after Vanderbilt cancelled its game against Ohio State. San Diego State was added to the schedule, and Ohio State fans probably look at this game as another easy lay-up. In the words of ESPN analyst Lee Corso, “Not so fast, my friend.”. San Diego State was 9-4 in 2012, and have not been intimidated by the Buckeyes throughout the years whenever they have visited Ohio Stadium – 2003 (Ohio State 16, SDSU 13). 2005 (Ohio State 27, SDSU 6), where Ohio State was actually behind after the first play 6-0. Throw in how San Diego State had the 20th-best rushing offense in the country last season, Ohio State’s inexperienced defensive line and linebackers, and Carlos Hyde’s suspension, and I see this game being tighter than most Ohio State fans would prefer.

Part two will focus on the toughest games, as I see them, for the 2013 season.

Ryan Shazier comes in at Number Four in our Best of the B1G list. Ryan Shazier, outside linebacker for the Ohio State Buckeyes brings athleticism and a ballhawking mentality to the Ohio State defense. Ryan, a 6’2″ 222 pound junior will anchor Ohio State’s front seven, bringing the most game time experience and big play making ability to the unit. He averaged 9.7 tackles per game and accounted for five sacks, three forced fumbles, and one interception last season. He was All-Big Ten and an honorable mention All-American in 2012 and has been named to the All-American First Team by SI.com. He is key to Ohio State’s success and has had two seasons of success under his belt with pressure to mirror his past accomplishments.

Ryan’s 2012 season seemed to start off slow. Not very “Shazier” like. While he did have double-digit tackles against UAB and Cal, he seemed out of sync. Unfocused. Overrunning plays (ahem), missing tackles (ahem) and simply finding himself out of place more often than not.

But that’s what you get with Shazier. He’s going to give you spectacular hits and you’re going to have moments of mental lapses. You take the good with the bad, because the good is VERY good and the bad can sometimes be covered up by the other ten players on the team. This was specifically manifest when Zach Boren moved over to LB. Boren’s move into the middle took some of the pressure of Shazier. He no longer had to compensate for the lack of a play maker in the middle of the field and was able to roam with a little more freedom and make big plays.

Shazier played well and had his way with Nebraska but his real defining moment was against Penn State. A friend of Ryan’s lost his life and Shazier donned the #48 in his honor and went out and played out of his mind. Two huge sacks, an interception for a touchdown and his position as one of the best playmakers was cemented.

Technique and finesse are not his strong points. Shazier is at his best when he is able to rely more on physical abilities than mental ones. Shazier is no dummy. He can fulfill his assingments, be where he needs to be when he needs to be there but when he’s able to play with reckless abandon, he is going to hurt someone. But it’s also a testament to this coaching staff that Shazier showed steady improvement over the course of the season. His discipline was markedly sharper and he was in his spots and making plays where he should.

And when the time comes, he’s there to make plays that become defining moments of the 2012 season.

He is, hands down, the best linebacker in the Big Ten. If he continues his upward improvement and plays like he should he will also be one of the best linebackers in all of college football.

Previously on MotSaG’s Best of the B1G
#5 Taylor Lewan
Best of the B1G, #10-6
Best of the B1G, #15-11
Best of the B1G, #20-16
Best of the B1G, #25-21

With a resounding 69% of the vote, your 2012 Champion of the Football Moment Bracket is none other than:

Kenny Guiton’s last drive against Purdue

Here are the highlights from the entire Purdue game, but the Football Moment Champ starts at the three-minute mark:

It’s almost too fitting to be ironic. In a season that started with a jaw-dropping catch (Devin Smith, offensive moment #2), had a quarterback straight video game-juke himself into the endzone (Braxton Miller, offensive moment #3) and a one-man wrecking crew on defense (Ryan Shazier, defensive moments #1, #4, #5, #8 and #9) we collectively as a fan base choose the back-up quarterback’s heroics as the defining moment of the flawless 2012 season.

There wasn’t anything to play for. The team and the coach could have watched Braxton go down hard to the turf and just mail in the rest of the game. “Today wasn’t our day,” could have been a fitting explanation. “They wanted it more than us,” they would have certainly said. “We tip our hat to Purdue. They’ve done it again.”

But Kenny Guiton, that skinny kid from Houston who figured he’d have as good a shot at starting after Terrelle Pryor hung up his cleats came in. There was no jealousy of the younger Braxton. Guiton got in that huddle, struggled his first couple of tries but then willed his team down the field. Even the catch, a diving effort by Chris Fields, wasn’t easy. None of that game was. But when people look back at Urban’s first season, look back at the first (of many!) undefeated seasons, it will be Kenny Guiton’s fourth quarter comeback people will remember. Sure, Devin Smith’s catch was unforgettable. Shazier’s inspired play against Penn State was one for the ages. Beating Bielema again will be remembered. But it won’t be with the same fervor that Guiton’s play against Purdue will be remembered.

That one will stay with us not just with memories, but with emotions.