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Scarlet Sunrise: Where does Buckeyes 2023 schedule rank using win/loss method?

IMG_7408by: Andy Backstrom02/25/23andybackstrom

Good morning, Ohio State fans, and welcome to the Scarlet Sunrise. Football will always be our focus, but every day we’ll cover news, notes and analysis from across Buckeyes sports. Join us each morning to get caught up on everything you missed in the world of Buckeyes football, recruiting, basketball and more in Scarlet Sunrise.

Where does Buckeyes 2023 schedule rank using win/loss method?

We have the 2023 schedules. Now we just have to wait until August for the season to be kicked off. In the meantime, those 12-game slates are going to be dissected across the country. That includes a deep dive into every team’s strength of schedule.

But there’s one simple way the toughness of a schedule can be measured right now. And that’s through the win/loss method, which calculates strength of schedule based on a team’s opponents’ win/loss record from the season prior.

Using that method, Ohio State has the ninth-hardest 2023 schedule, and the second-most difficult slate in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes are set to face nine teams that posted winning records last season. That includes a trio of teams that finished the 2022 campaign ranked: Notre Dame, Penn State and Michigan.

Of course, the Buckeyes will have to play two of those three — Notre Dame and Michigan — on the road. That’s one of the several components this method doesn’t factor in, which is notable considering Ohio State is penciled in for six road games next fall.

Nevertheless, Ohio State’s 2023 opponents logged a combined winning percentage of 61.0% in 2022.

Here’s how the Big Ten shakes out in terms of strength of schedule, using that same win/loss method (each team’s opponents’ combined win percentage from last season is in parentheses).

  1. Michigan State (62.7%)
  2. Ohio State (61.0%)
  3. Minnesota (57.1%)
  4. Indiana (56.9%)
  5. Northwestern (56.6%)
  6. Purdue (55.6%)
  7. Michigan (54.6%)
  8. Illinois (51.9%)
  9. Rutgers (50.3%)
  10. Penn State (50.3%)
  11. Wisconsin (50.3%)
  12. Maryland (50.0%)
  13. Nebraska (48.4%)
  14. Iowa (47.7%)

For the strength of schedule rankings (win/loss method), you can head here.

Power ranking Ohio State position groups before spring ball

It’s always power ranking season, so we at Lettermen Row gave one a spin. But instead of looking through a national or Big Ten lens, we stayed within the Ohio State program.

At this point, where are the Buckeyes strongest? We came up with a power ranking of Ohio State’s top-five position groups ahead of spring ball. As with any power ranking, this list is about the here and now. It isn’t a projection for where these units will be next fall or, of course, come postseason time.

Spoiler alert: The Buckeyes’ wideouts are No. 1. But the list gets more interesting after that. And No. 5? Well, that was tricky.

For the full power ranking, go here.

What C.J. Stroud can prove to raise draft stock at NFL Combine

Former Ohio State star C.J. Stroud, a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist quarterback, is one of eight Buckeyes alums participating in this year’s NFL Combine. Stroud has a chance to put himself in the conversation for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He’s already projected by many to be a top-five selection.

But he’s competing with Alabama’s Bryce Young, Kentucky’s Will Levis and Florida’s Anthony Richardson to hear his name first in Kansas City this April.

What Stroud does in Indianapolis next week could help raise his draft stock. Lettermen Row is breaking down what he can prove in the coming weeks, starting at the Combine.

Check it out here.

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Counting down

Buckeyes vs. Indiana: 189 days

Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 273 days

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