Ohio State Football: Way-too-early 2020 game-by-game predictions
Ohio State football’s schedule is not that tough, facing the usual suspects inside of the Big Ten. Also facing Oregon, it makes for an interesting slate.
After one of the best coaches in the history of college football in Urban Meyer left the program, there were many questions as to what Ryan Day could do with Ohio State.
The first year of his reign in Columbus went nearly perfect, making it to the College Football Playoff. While they lost to Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl, they were just a couple plays away from making it to the national championship game against LSU.
Falling short of their goal may have been disappointing, but the Buckeyes proved that they could do it with Day as their coach and that they would still be the team to beat in the Big Ten, despite losing Meyer.
Moving on to the second year and things will become more difficult. Losing star players like Chase Young, J.K. Dobbins, Jefferey Okudah and K.J. Hill and the Buckeyes need to reload if they want to continue to push towards another national title game.
The key man that is staying in 2020, though, is quarterback Justin Fields. In his first year after transferring from Georgia, Fields was a Heisman finalist and the best quarterback in the Big Ten. Not only can he do it with his arm, but his feet and his rushing ability make him dangerous. Fields will need to continue to be the main man for Ohio State going forward.
As for their schedule, it’s not a particularly hard one, facing the usual suspects inside the Big Ten East. From the cross-division matchups in the Big Ten West, the Buckeyes get the rebuilding Nebraska Cornhuskers and the always dangerous Iowa Hawkeyes.
The real games to circle on their schedule this season though are two road games. One in the non-conference when they travel west to face Oregon and one in the Big Ten as they travel to Penn State. Outside of those two (and The Game), every other game should be just a small bump on the road to another possible College Football Playoff appearance.
Here is a game-by-game breakdown and prediction for Ohio State’s 2020 schedule.