Ohio State listed as early favorite in five critical regular-season games
COLUMBUS – Ohio State slipped up and didn’t win the Big Ten or get to the College Football Playoff last season, but the Buckeyes are expected to be back in that hunt this fall.
Or at least the oddsmakers in the desert seem to think that. The folks at Fanduel have released too-early spreads on some of the most important games on the Buckeyes’ schedule. And the Buckeyes are favored by double digits in each of their five biggest games.
The early lines for five of the pivotal games are listed below:
Sept. 3 – Notre Dame at Ohio State (-14.5)
The last regular-season game between the Buckeyes and Notre Dame was on September 28, 1996, in South Bend, Indiana. Behind a potent ground attack, the Buckeyes beat the Fighting Irish 29-16. The Buckeyes’ defense forced three turnovers and four sacks to even the series to a then 2-0-2.
Ohio State beat Notre Dame in both the 2006 and 2016 Fiesta Bowls. The Buckeyes won 34-20 in 2006 and 44-28 in 2016.
The Buckeyes open the 2022 season against the Irish at home with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on ABC.
Sept. 24 – Wisconsin at Ohio State (-15.5)
The Buckeyes lead the all-time series against Wisconsin 61-18-5 with their most recent win a 34-31 win for the 2019 Big Ten Championship in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The Buckeyes are 9-1 in their last 10 games against the Badgers and their last loss was a 31-18 final at Camp Randall in 2010.
Oct. 22 – Iowa at Ohio State (-21)
Ohio State hosts Iowa for the first time since 2013 when the Buckeyes beat the Hawkeyes 34-24. The last time the Buckeyes played Iowa, they lost 55-24 in Iowa City back in 2017.
The Buckeyes lead the all-time series against the Hawkeyes 46-15-3. Ohio State hasn’t lost back-to-back games to Iowa since 1959-1960.
Oct. 29 – Ohio State (-13) at Penn State
This annual Big Ten East clash has provided plenty of nail-biting moments the last few seasons and the Buckeyes’ 33-24 win in Ohio Stadium was no exception.
The Buckeyes currently hold a five-game win streak over Penn State, and they lead the all-time series 22-14.
Nov. 26 – Michigan at Ohio State (-13.5)
Despite losing to arch-rival Michigan for the first time in a decade, Ohio State is favored by the oddsmakers to get back on track. The Buckeyes lost the 2021 edition of The Game in Ann Arbor, 42-27.
The Wolverines hold the all-time series with a 59-51-6 record. The last time Ohio State lost consecutive games to Michigan was in 1999 and 2000 — Jon Cooper’s last two years in Columbus.
With spreads like that, the folks in the desert certainly think the Buckeyes will be positioned to get back to the College Football Playoff after one year away.
