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ESPN labels Ohio State’s first four games as ‘cushiest’ in college football
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Ohio State’s schedule has received a label that nobody in college football wants to take ownership. Well, at least the front portion of the slate.
Recently, ESPN published its schedule superlatives for the 2019 season, and the Buckeyes received a mention in the article, but not for the best reason. Ohio State’s first four games were listed as the “cushiest” start to the college football season.
The Buckeyes open the season with three home games in the first four contests, starting with Florida Atlantic and Cincinnati. Ohio State then takes a trip to B1G East foe Indiana and returns to Columbus to finish off the non-conference schedule against Miami (OH).
Ryan Day might be in his first year as the permanent head coach, but almost everyone is penciling in a 4-0 start for Ohio State in 2019.
On paper, those games might seem easier than most, but Cincinnati and Indiana could pose significant challenges to the Buckeyes. The Bearcats are coming off an 11-2 season and are coached by Luke Fickell, a longtime Ohio State assistant who has deep knowledge of the program.
Indiana hasn’t been a major threat to the Buckeyes, but has presented some problems for Ohio State each of the last two years.
Even with those two opponents on the schedule, not many people believe Ohio State faces a challenge until it makes the trip to Nebraska in late September.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB