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Ohio State Football: 2016 season preview and prediction

By Connor Muldowney

Sep 12, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett (16) looks to pass the ball during the game against the Hawaii Warriors at Ohio Stadium. The Ohio State Buckeyes beat the Hawaii Warriors by the score of 38-0. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 12, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett (16) looks to pass the ball during the game against the Hawaii Warriors at Ohio Stadium. The Ohio State Buckeyes beat the Hawaii Warriors by the score of 38-0. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 16, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer leads the Scarlet and Gray teams onto the field prior to the spring game at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 16, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer leads the Scarlet and Gray teams onto the field prior to the spring game at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

Win-Loss Prediction

On to the schedule. The Buckeyes won their first 10 games of the 2015 season before a crushing defeat at home against the Spartans, and there’s no reason why this team can’t contend for the same type of success through the regular season in 2016.

Despite returning just six total starters, the Buckeyes look like strong contenders and will probably start the season ranked in the top five. As long as Meyer is the head coach in Columbus, the Buckeyes will be a perennial national title threat.

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Opening the season against Bowling Green and Tulsa at home in week one and week two, respectively, the Buckeyes will have two wins to their name before they face their biggest non-conference test in years, traveling to Oklahoma. The Sooners made the College Football Playoff last year and bring back Heisman-caliber QB Baker Mayfield. Big-time test in week three.

Rutgers and Indiana will travel to Columbus for the first two Big Ten games on Ohio State’s schedule and those should be relaxation games — even though the Hoosiers gave the Buckeyes major trouble last season in Bloomington.

Ohio State will then hit the road for four of the final seven games of the year and none of the contests will truly be a walkover. Wisconsin, Penn State, Maryland and a big one at Michigan State are the remaining road games and if they can only lose one, potentially, they could still be in the national title hunt as well as the Big Ten title chase.

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They’ll also have Nebraska, Northwestern, and Michigan at home, capping off a relatively difficult conference season.

Win-Loss Prediction: 10-2

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