Big Ten football has been as entertaining as it gets so far in 2022. After an action-packed Week 9 slate, here is how I see the Big Ten East playing out the rest of the way.
1. Ohio State
Current record/rank: 8-0 (5-0 Big Ten), No. 2 (AP)
Projected record: 12-0 (9-0 Big Ten)
Best win: No. 13 Penn State (44-31)
The Buckeyes are on a roll right now after beating No. 13 Penn State, 44-31 last weekend. Penn State is one of the better teams in the nation, and I truly believe that the Nittany Lions will likely finish top-10 by season’s end. Despite trailing 21-16 in the second half, the Buckeyes went on a huge scoring run out of nowhere.
Ohio State’s schedule to this point has admittedly been pretty easy. Despite hosting a then-top-5 Notre Dame team week 1, the Buckeyes have not really faced anyone with a pulse besides Penn State. The Bucks best win right now is Penn State, though it was not as convincing as some had hoped.
The 21-10 Notre Dame win is also far less impressive seeing as the Irish lost to Marshall the next week, are currently 5-3, and are no longer ranked.
All of that being said, the Buckeyes are clearly still a very solid squad this year. Before Penn State, Ohio State had not beaten anyone good — this is an undeniable truth — however they won convincingly in every performance. It is fair to point out the Buckeyes’ easy schedule while also acknowledging that almost no one will score 77 points in a game, bully Wisconsin, and score 54 points on Iowa.
The difference in the Ohio State-Penn State game was the Nittany Lions’ turnovers. Ohio State won the turnover battle, 4-0, and capitalized in a huge way. Penn State made OSU look beatable, but could not pull off the upset. I see Ohio State heading into ‘The Game’ with an 11-0 record, and its season will likely come down to the Michigan game. Since The Game will be played in Columbus, I will give the Buckeyes the edge right now.
Until proven otherwise I have to give Ohio State the benefit of the doubt in every remaining Big Ten football game. That being said, the Buckeyes are definitely vulnerable despite looking invincible at times.