Ohio State to Face Top-10 'Toughest Schedule' in 2023
Returning to the College Football Playoffs will not be easy for the Ohio State Buckeyes. After falling short of reaching the national championship in their shootout loss to Georgia in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, college football expert Phil Steele projects that the Buckeyes will have one of the toughest schedules in all of college football.
While there are many metrics that analysts can use to determine the strength of the schedule, Steele used the most common one, the combined record of opponents. Using this statistic, Steele determined the strength of the 133 programs' schedules in the upcoming season, with Ohio State coming in at No. 9.
Ohio State's opponents have a combined record of 94-60, which boasts a winning percentage of 61 percent winning. Of the teams the Buckeyes are set to face, three were ranked last fall, nine opponents had winning records, and eight made bowl games.
While they are No. 9 nationally, only Michigan State has a "tougher" schedule in the Big Ten than Ohio State. The Spartans ranked just behind South Carolina for the "toughest" schedule at No. 2.
The difference between the two, the Spartans' opponents had a better record at 96-57 and a winning percentage of 62.7. While it should also be noted that the presence of Ohio State certainly helps the Spartans get the edge regarding the metrics.
But the point remains the same; if Ohio State wants to follow through on its intentions of returning to the College Football Playoff, it will not be a walk in the park.
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