If the Ohio State Buckeyes return to the College Football Playoff and contend for a national championship — as nearly every prognosticator has predicted — they will need to earn those distinctions. Ohio State’s 2017 schedule is rigorous. But the most important date on the schedule doesn’t even include a game. It’s Oct. 21 … a bye. One week later, Ohio State will host the Penn State Nittany Lions, the only team to defeat the Buckeyes during the 2016 regular season. It was a monumental 24-21 upset victory that essentially lifted Penn State to a division title, a Big Ten Conference championship and an appearance in the Rose Bowl. Somehow, it didn’t prevent Ohio State from reaching the Fiesta Bowl’s national semifinals. That loss still burns, though. Although USC rallied to win the Rose Bowl, Nittany Lions quarterback Trace McSorley and running back Saquon Barkley captured the nation’s heart and…
Continue Reading: Ohio State’s schedule filled with challenges and opportunities
