Much has been made lately about how the end of the BCS and the beginning of the 4-team playoff would effect the regular season OOC schedule. One of the factors of the new playoff system is strength of schedule and Ohio State is once again leading the charge to beef up their OOC slate of games. OSU AD Gene Smith has said that OSU will be looking to add more BCS AQ schools to its schedule and will phase out a schedule heavily based on MAC schools. That is not to say OSU wont still play MAC schools it just means we will have more quality OOC games.

Last week we started to get a picture of what OSU is trying to do in adding Big 12 member (and former little sister of the poor) TCU to its 2018 and 2019 slate.

Today we got an even more high profile opponent in 2022 and 2023 Ohio State will play Texas.

Below you will see a complete list of Ohio State OOC schedule (through 2023, that we know of so far, more will come)

2013

Aug. 31 Vanderbilt

Sept. 7 Florida A&M

Sept. 14 at Cal

Sept. 21 Buffalo

2014

Aug. 30 vs. Navy at Baltimore

Sept. 13 Kent State

Sept. 20 Virginia Tech

Sept. 27 Cincinnati

2015

Sept. 5 North Carolina

Sept. 12 Northern Illinois

Sept. 19 at Virginia Tech

2016

Sept. 3 Bowling Green

Sept. 17 at Oklahoma

TBA Tulsa

2017

Sept. 16 Oklahoma

Sept. 23 at North Carolina

2018

Sept. 8 Cincinnati

Sept. 15 at TCU

2019

Sept. 21 TCU

2022

Sept. 17 At Texas

2023

Sept. 16 Texas

Fans have got to be encouraged about the renewed importance of playing good OOC schedules. Although these games are pretty far off and anything can happen it should still be a really high profile match up with Texas and possibly even TCU. If nothing else it will be great recruiting tools for High School FB rich Texas that Coach Meyer can use to his advantage.

Ohio State put up 63 points on Nebraska in Braxton Miller’s prime time, coming out party. To counter that, Dennard Robinson ran for 235 yards on the Boilermaker’s defense. Northwestern fell two spots after suffering their first loss against Penn State in a shootout and the Nittany Lions jumped four spots after their victory. After Ohio State, there are a lot of average teams and it will be interesting to see who meets in Indianapolis for the B1G Title Game.

1. Ohio State (6-0)- It took a quarter, but the Buckeyes rolled at home versus Nebraska. Braxton Miller continues his Heisman campaign this weekend at Indiana

2. Michigan (3-2)- Shoelace ran all over Purdue last weekend and are now ranked #25 in the AP Poll. Expect the same this weekend versus the pitiful Illinois defense.

3. Penn State (4-2)-  Don’t look now, but the Nittany Lions have won 4 straight and Matt McGloin is really starting to grasp Bill O’Brien’s offense. They hope to continue playing the role of spoiler against Iowa.

4. Northwestern (5-1)- Well, Northwestern had to lose at some point and Pat Fitzgerald hopes to get his team back on track at Minnesota after falling late to Penn State.

5. Michigan State (4-2)- Sparty survived a scare at Indiana but they need to get their offense into gear (100th in the nation,) ASAP.

6. Nebraska (4-2)- Nebraska proved it yet again that they cannot stop the run. But the ‘Huskers get a week to lick their wounds before playing a tough Northwestern team.

7. Wisconsin (4-2)- Due to the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions bowl bans, Wisconsin takes on Purdue this weekend to see who should represent the Leaders Division in the B1G Championship Game.

8. Purdue (3-2)- After being taken to the woodshed by Michigan, the Boilermakers welcome Wisconsin into town for a game with major implications.

9. Iowa (3-2)- The Hawkeyes had an extra week to prepare for Michigan State’s running game. But the game is at East Lansing. Advantage Spartans.

10. Indiana (2-3)- Indiana was up 17-0 on Michigan State last weekend until Sparty woke up. They hope to catch Braxton and co. sleeping after their big win last weekend.

11. Minnesota (4-1)- The Gophers got a week off and were rewarded by dropping a spot in the rankings. Hopefully their game versus Iowa was not a trend and we will see as they travel to Northwestern this week.

12. Illinois (2-4)- The Illini’s season continues to spiral as they allowed 31 points against Wisconsin last weekend. It doesn’t get any easier as they travel to the Big House this weekend.

Compare to last week and feel free to discuss…

Down 17-7 with 11:59 left in the first half and the offense looking anemic, Braxton Miller and Carlos Hyde decided to take the game over.The two did not take their foot off the gas until the clock hit 0:00. The Buckeyes offense exploded, finishing with 63 points, including a four touchdown effort by Hyde.

The defense came out flying the first couple of drives and the game had the look of a classic, B1G defensive battle. But that quickly changed. The silver bullets picked off Taylor Martinez three times, including two by Bradley Roby. Roby’s first of the game came on an interception returned for a touchdown, where he broke on a sloppy 10 yard out route on 3^rd&10 to take an early 7-0 lead.

Miller made the big plays once again, rushing for 186 on only 16 carries and a touchdown. Hyde complimented him by rushing for 140 well earned yards on 28 carries. Although Miller’s passing statistics were not impressive (7-14, 1 touchdown,) it seemed as though he made a couple of big plays through the air to keep drives going. Miller only threw the ball three times in the entire second half, but they scored 28 points in doing so. Urban Meyer lined up Miller and Hyde in the shotgun and ran them right down Nebraska’s throat from the 2^nd quarter on and the ‘Huskers had no answer for it.

With two of their toughest games behind them, the Buckeyes can take advantage of a down B1G conference and try to finish out a perfect season. Also, with the way Miller is playing, expect him to be a Heisman Trophy finalist and represent the Buckeyes in New York City.

Positives:

• Although they let up 38 points, the defense made big plays to change the momentum of the game. They picked off Martinez three times and forced two fumbles, recovering one on John Simon’s strip sack.
• Simon was a beast. He sacked Martinez twice and wreaked havoc in the backfield the entire night with 5 tackles for loss. For his efforts, he was named the Ronnie Lott IMPACT player of the week.
• After five weeks of the special teams not making a huge, game changing play, Philly Brown changed that by going 76 yards to the house on a punt return. The touchdown gave the Buckeyes an 18 point lead late in the 3^rd quarter and put the nail in Nebraska’s coffin.
• Braxton Miller’s decision making is improving every week when it comes to the read option. It seemed in the beginning of the year that he predetermined whether to hand the ball off or run it himself. He is not Cam Newton yet, but expect his reads to get better each week, and that is a very scary thought.
• Rod Smith had an amazing 33 yard touchdown run in the 4^th quarter. He  showed a mix of power and speed, breaking four tackles en route to the end zone. It would be great to see Smith emerge as another option if Jordan Hall remains out for a long period of time.

What to Work on:

• After Roby’s pick 6 that added more early momentum for the Buckeyes, they allowed a 7 play, 92 yard touchdown drive that took the crowd out of it for time being. Rex Burkhead somehow broke through the defense for a 73 yard gain, but the defense limited him to only 46 yards the rest of the way on 13 carries.
• This offense makes you rip your hair out at times. For another game, they started off very slow, not getting a first down until Miller broke through for a 72 yard run a few minutes into the second quarter. Nebraska’s defense swarmed to the ball and did not give Miller anything until his long run. The offense looked unstoppable after Miller’s run, but it would be nice to see the offense run on all cylinders for all four quarters. The offensive line could not protect against the Cornhuskers run blitz scheme in the first quarter, but adjustments were made.
• Loved the fake punt play call, just not where it happened on the field. The play would have gotten the Buckeyes the first down if a player on the back side held his block for another 2 seconds. With the call coming in their own end, you have to wonder if Meyer will run something similar later on in the year considering that he had confidence in his team to execute the play.
• You have to wonder when defenses will successfully game plan against the Buckeyes one dimensional offense. Even a high powered offense like Oregon has been slowed down at times when playing against a fast defense. Meyer does not have to worry about that this year, but for the future, the passing game needs to get on point. They were able to get away with running the ball 48 times compared to only passing the ball 14 times against Nebraska but the offense needs to balance out at some point.

It’s hard to nitpick when the team scores 63 points against a Nebraska Cornhuskers defense. But it is still only week 6 and the Buckeyes have a lot to work on for the rest of the season. Also, Urban is not here to make friends, he is here to dominate each and every time his team takes the field. You have to love that about the guy.

What are some of your positives and negatives regarding last weekend’s big victory over the Cornhuskers?

Also, big thanks to jwinslow.com for the pictures.

Week 7 was a little slow for the recruits. Maybe they were all too focused on getting to the ‘Shoe and enjoying the victory over Neb.

Jalin Marshall– His team Middletown Middies lost 41-14 loss to Cincinnati Colerain. Jalin rushed 23 times for 94 yards and was 6-of-18 for 87 yards.
Eli Woodard– His team Eastern suffered a 34-17 loss to Williamstown. Eli and the defense fell short this week.
Cam Burrows– His team Trotwood-Madison beat Greenville 62-12. Cam was part of a total defensive effort that kept Greenville from scoring a passing TD.
Joey Bosa– His team St. Thomas Aquinas suffered a 27-24 loss to Miramar. Bosa had 5 tackles and a sack.
Marcus Baugh– His team John W North enjoyed a 21-12 win over Canyon Springs. Baugh had 5 catches and a sack.
Evan Lisle– His team Centerville enjoyed a 14-0 victory over Northmont. As an O-lineman he helped his team gain 253 yards rushing.
Ezekiel Elliott– His team John Burroughs HS was on a BYE.
Billy Price– His team Austintown Fitch suffered a 34-14 loss to Massillon. Billy had 4 tackles and 1 TFL.
Jayme Thompson– His team Toledo Central Catholic enjoyed a 47-7 win over Lima Senior. He helped keep Lima to ZERO passing yards.
J T Barrett- His team Rider enjoyed a 44-17 win over Brewer. He completed 2 of 4 passes for 41 yards and ran for 49 yards and a TD. He did suffer an injury on the 1st drive and didnt return.
Michael Hill– His team Pendleton beat Powdersville 41-6. He helped hold them to just 1 TD.
Taivon Jacobs– His team Suitland suffered a 26-6 loss to DuVal. Taivon 3 catches for 42 yards.
Darron Lee– His team New Albany beat Olentangy 33-14. Darron had 3 TDs including an INT for a score.
Tracy Sprinkle– His team Elyria enjoyed a 28-14 win over Cuyahoga Falls. Tracy had 10 tackles and 1 sack and 2 QB hurries.
Tim Gardner– His team Lawrence Central enjoyed a 36-22 win over Franklin Central. Tim helped his team rush for 419 yards.
Johnny Townsend– His team Boone suffered a 23-6 to Dr. Phillips. No punting stats could be found.
Tyquan Lewis– His team Tarboro HS enjoyed 34-27 win over Kinston. Tyquan had a fumble recovery in the win.

Not a banner week for any of the recruits. A lot of them were in town for the big game Saturday night and spent the time recruiting other players and enjoying the festivities.

Men of the Scarlet and Gray Ballot – Week 6

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Alabama Crimson Tide	—
2	Oregon Ducks	1
3	West Virginia Mountaineers	3
4	Florida Gators	3
5	South Carolina Gamecocks	6
6	Ohio St. Buckeyes	4
7	Notre Dame Fighting Irish	-2
8	Kansas St. Wildcats	4
9	Oregon St. Beavers	5
10	Mississippi St. Bulldogs	5
11	Louisville Cardinals	6
12	Rutgers Scarlet Knights	6
13	Ohio Bobcats	6
14	Cincinnati Bearcats	9
15	Texas Longhorns	-7
16	LSU Tigers	-7
17	Oklahoma Sooners	4
18	Stanford Cardinal	—
19	USC Trojans	1
20	Florida St. Seminoles	-18
21	Clemson Tigers	3
22	Georgia Bulldogs	-18
23	Iowa St. Cyclones	—
24	Northwestern Wildcats	-8
25	Louisiana Tech Bulldogs	—
Dropouts: TCU Horned Frogs, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Washington Huskies

SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings »

Where to start? So many teams lost yesterday some were tough losses and some were really bad losses. There are 124 teams in FBS Div. 1 and we still have 16 teams that haven’t suffered a loss yet. Of those 16 teams 15 are ranked UTSA has yet to play anyone worthy enough to get them ranked. So in my top 25 there are 15 teams who are undefeated and 10 teams who have suffered one loss. It is way to soon to rank any 2 loss teams so thats why TTUN isnt ranked as of yet.

I think I will start off defending my poll by discussing Ohio St. Let me start by saying I am a fan first and foremost. OSU has some issues still but 2 straight top 25 wins is impressive for a team that went 6-7 last year and is currently at 6-0. Braxton Miller is unbelievable he is a Cam Newton/Vince Young type player in as much as OSU is never out of any game and he can win games all by himself if needed. Thankfully OSU is showing he isnt the only guy they have who is a straight up BALLER. The defense needs help but for this year they are good enough to help us win a ton of games.

Who I think will play for the NCG if it was played tomorrow…. Bama and Oregon. Having said that the game isnt tomorrow so there is still a chance neither or both will be there. Other teams that have a legit shot at the game are WVU, Florida, South Carolina, and Notre Dame. The rest of the undefeated teams are likely to be left out over a one loss team.

Lastly I would like to rank the BCS conferences again.

1.) Big 12
2.) SEC
3.) Pac 12
4.) B1G
5.) Big East
6.) ACC

Yeah I did just say the Big East is a better conference then the ACC and all those teams that jumped ship to see how much better the ACC is then the Big East are starting to question their decision making skills.

Are there any Buckeye historians out there who could name the starting free safety for John Cooper’s 1989-1990 Buckeye teams? Well, the answer to that question is Nebraska head coach, Bo Pelini, and he will be bringing his 21st ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers to the Horseshoe this Saturday.

There are a couple of similarities between the two teams; both teams are coming off of big conference wins, both teams love to run the ball (and they do it effectively,) both quarterbacks are much improved since last year, and both defenses started off a bit slower than usual.

This game will be under the lights, on national television, and in front of 102,329 fans wearing only scarlet. It should be a dandy.

When Nebraska has the ball:

Taylor Martinez comes into this game much improved compared to years past. Martinez boasts an 11-1 touchdown to interception ratio and he is completing 68% of his passes. He still reminds fans that he is a dual threat quarterback, rushing for 298 yards in four games. As noted on ABC during the Wisconsin game, Martinez’s release is night and day compared to last year. Last year he was shot putting the ball and throwing off of his back foot. After cleaning up his mechanics in the off season, Martinez looks much more like a real FBS quarterback and it has showed in the first four games this season. When breaking down the statistics, it is clear that even though Martinez is completing 68% of his passes, he is only completing 53% (19-36) on third down. An even more alarming statistic is that Martinez is completing a paltry 21% (3-14) of his throws in the fourth quarter. Based off of this, the Buckeyes need to get out to a 10+ point lead going into the fourth and make Martinez beat them with his arm.

Then

Now

Besides Martinez, the ‘Huskers bolster a two-headed monster in the backfield with sophomore Ameer Abdullah and the always reliable Rex Burkhead. Abdullah is more of the speedster as he also returns punts and kick returns, and he is very shifty. He has rushed for 486 yards on 79 carries, averaging out to 6 yards per carry. Burkhead, as Buckeye fans are familiar with, is more of the downhill, classic B1G running back. Burkhead missed two games this year (one was their loss versus UCLA,) and currently has 273 yards on only 29 carries. Both can catch the ball out of the backfield and Martinez checks down to them constantly. Ball security is a huge issue for the Cornhuskers, the have put the ball on the ground 15 times in four games and lead the nation in lost fumbles at 9. Defensive Coordinator Luke Fickell has to be preaching to his defense to strip the ball, as a turnover could change the momentum of the game.

For receivers, Kenny Bell is the player that needs to be watched. Bell has big play ability and he is Martinez’s primary down field target. Quincy Enunwa is more of the possession receiver but he can also catch the defense napping for a big play. The tight end Kyler Reed is Martinez’s third option, but he is not an elite pass catching tight end. Bradley Roby and Travis Howard should have their way with the ‘Huskers good, but not great receiving corps.

Ultimately, as it usually does, the game will come down to the trenches. Will Nebraska’s offensive line be able to open up holes against the great Ohio State defensive line that shut down Le’Veon Bell last weekend? Will they be able to give Taylor Martinez enough time to step up into the pocket and throw? If Simon, Hankins and the rest of the silver bullets can pressure Martinez, look for him to revert to his old ways and throw off of his back foot, resulting in turnovers. After sending Buckeye fans into a cold sweat the first three games, the defense returned to their old ways last week against Sparty and hopefully that will continue this week. As stated, if the Buckeyes can take a lead into the fourth quarter, one should love their chances to close the game out.

When the Buckeyes have the ball:

Last year, the Buckeyes came out of the gate firing on all cylinders. They lead Nebraska 27-6 in the 3rd quarter before a Braxton Miller fumble and it all fell down hill from there. The ‘Huskers completed their biggest comeback in school history, defeating the Buckeyes 34-27. Carlos Hyde had a big game, rushing for 104 yards on 13 carries and he also added two touchdowns.

Hyde will have to shoulder the load again with Jordan Hall out with a slight PCL tear, leaving him doubtful for Saturday night. It has been a rough year medically for the Buckeye backfield, as Meyer has not been able to utilize both of his running backs at full strength all season. It would be great to see some of the wrinkles that Meyer had in mind in the preseason using both a slasher (Hall,) and an in-between the tackles runner (Hyde,) next to Miller.

When looking through offenses that the ‘Huskers defense has played against this season, one could compare UCLA’s to Ohio State’s spread and running tendencies. UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley was able to rack up a lot of passing yardage by executing quick passes and letting his receivers make plays after the catch. Hundley threw for 305 yards and 4 touchdowns on the day. Nebraska’s tackling was very poor in that game, which led to an abundance of big plays at the Rose Bowl. UCLA running back Johnathan Franklin rushed for 217 yards on 26 carries. Miller and Hyde will be able to run on a Nebraska defense that seemed to have massive trouble with the zone read that Miller runs extremely well. Their tackling on the perimeter is very poor and UCLA got virtually anything they wanted when rushing to the outside. Nebraska also ran a lot of man to man coverage and UCLA exploited this by motioning in and out of the backfield on the majority of their plays. The Bruin’s motioning left the Nebraska defense vulnerable, as they were constantly running around and could not get set before the snap.

Meyer has to be salivating when watching the UCLA film and has to be expecting a big day in the option game. Also, look for Philly Brown to make plays after the catch and expect him to be motioning in and out of the backfield in the first quarter to see if Bo Pelini has adjusted since the UCLA game. It will also be important to get into 3rd and short situations, as the ‘Huskers defense has been pretty good at getting off of the field on 3rd down. They have  limited opponents to a 35% conversion rate on 3rd  down.

Prediction:

Ohio State takes advantage of a sloppy tackling secondary and they put points on the board early. Miller and Hyde both rush for over 100 yards as the crowd is in it from kickoff. The improving Buckeye defense forces a few turnovers and makes Taylor Martinez beat them. He is not successful.

Ohio State 31 Nebraska 20

Johnathan Hankins looks to pressure Taylor Martinez from the first snap

It was just announced that the Buckeyes have added a home and home series with the Horned Frogs of Texas Christian University for 2018 and 2019. Ohio State will travel to Forth Worth, Texas, then welcome TCU to Columbus the following year. Initially I thought that they would play at Jerry’s World but TCU was just given a 164 million dollar renovation to Amon G. Carter Stadium. Although it is a couple of years away, the Buckeyes also have Cincinnati in 2018 and would most likely be looking for another quality opponent in 2019 to fill out their schedule.

The Ohio State- Big12 battles will continue as fans remember the epic home and home split between Vince Young’s eventual national champion Texas squad in 2005 and then Colt McCoy’s 2006 team. Flash forward, the Buckeyes have a home and home series with Oklahoma in 2016 and 2017 that will hopefully have national title implications. It will be an exciting next couple of years to see who Urban Meyer and the athletic department will schedule.

Will a major SEC team book their trip to Columbus soon? I hope so.

All the guys now are at the mid point in their senior seasons. Some will be at OSU in 2 months. How crazy is that?

Jalin Marshall– His team Middletown Middies lost 27-26 loss to Cincinnati Oak Hills. Jalin rushed 18 times for 153 yards with 2 TDs and was 3 of 8 for 81 yards.
Eli Woodard– His team Eastern enjoyed a 28-21 win over Rancocas Valley. Eli had a blocked FG to help set up the winning drive.
Cam Burrows– His team Trotwood-Madison beat Piqua 42-0. Cam was part of a total defensive effort that kept Piqua scoreless for the entire game.
Joey Bosa– His team St. Thomas Aquinas won 65-20 over Hollywood McArthur. Bosa helped lead a good defensive effort with lots of pressure.
Marcus Baugh– His team John W North beat Vista Del Lago 51-6. Couldnt find any stats sorry.
Evan Lisle– His team Centerville beat Kettering Fairmont 17-13. As an O-lineman he helped his team gut out a tough win.
Ezekiel Elliott– His team John Burroughs HS beat Westminster Christian 33-7. He rushed 20 times for 238 yards scoring 2 TDs.
Billy Price– His team Austintown Fitch beat East 56-7. His team moved to 6-0 on the year.
Jayme Thompson– His team Toledo Central Catholic beat Fremont Ross 42-21. He had 8 tackles and 2 Forced Fumbles.
J T Barrett- His team Rider beat Trophy Club Byron Nelson 50-14. He completed 8 of 12 passes for 162 yards and a TD and ran 22 times for 130 yards and 2 more TDs.
Michael Hill– His team Pendleton lost 20-10 to Crescent. His team continues their up and down season.
Taivon Jacobs– His team Suitland beat Springdale Flowers 26-14. Taivon had 170 yards and 2 TDs.
Darron Lee– His team New Albany beat Delaware 26-13. From his twitter acct. Darron Lee ‏@DLeeMG8
Played like piss. Got the W tho.
Tracy Sprinkle– His team Elyria beat Valley Forge 49-20. Tracy had 8 tacles and 1 sack and 3 TFL. He also had 1 pass deflected and 3 QB hurries.
Tim Gardner– His team Lawrence Central enjoyed a 47-6 win over Southport. Tim helped his team win with excellent blocking all game long.
Johnny Townsend– His team Boone suffered a 29-28 loss to Wekiva. No punting stats could be found.
Tyquan Lewis– His team Tarboro HS beat Snow Hill Greene Central 47-16. Tyquan had 2 sacks in the win.

I think what OSU fans will like most about this class is the athletes it has in it. Speed and agility is dominant in all of them. There is a lot to like about what OSU and Coach Meyer and his staff have done and with maybe 5 spots left to go it will be great to see how they finish off this already very impressive class.