Desmond Howard gets brutally honest on Ohio State's strength of schedule
10/29/2024 04:00 PM
Former Heisman Trophy winner and Michigan alum Desmond Howard isn’t impressed with the Ohio State strength of schedule. Howard says that Ohio State football has played some weaker schools up to this point in the season, that haven’t prepared the team for rigid opponents.
"You get a false impression of how great you are when you're going up and down the field against inferior opponents."
—@desmondhoward on Ohio State pic.twitter.com/hVLrTjXfx1
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) October 29, 2024
“You get a false impression of how great you are when you’re going up and down the field against inferior opponents,” Howard said on ESPN.
Ohio State football hasn’t looked strong in the last few weeks. The Buckeyes lost to Oregon 32-31 in a very close game, but then struggled to get past Nebraska as well. In the last two games, Ohio State is giving up 24.5 points a game. The defense was allowing just under seven points per contest through the first five games.
Ohio State is 6-1 on the season, with a 3-1 conference mark in the Big Ten.
Ohio State football faces enormous pressure to win the Big Ten this season
Ohio State football was favored to win the Big Ten this season and compete for a College Football Playoff championship. The Buckeyes were praised for the quality of player they have at several skill positions, by many analysts. Former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said this was the best roster the Buckeyes have had in years.
While that may all be true, Ohio State seems to be struggling to score and find its rhythm. The Buckeyes offense has been slowed down in recent weeks, even though quarterback Will Howard has put up some solid performances. The squad also has a very talented freshman wide receiver in Jeremiah Smith, who has posted 623 yards receiving already this year. He has 35 receptions and eight touchdowns.
The Buckeyes raced out to wins this season over non conference teams that included Marshall, Akron and Western Michigan. The squad also defeated Michigan State and Iowa in blowout wins.
“They have a lot of talent, and we saw that in the early part of the season,” Howard added. “Now there have been some question marks that’s come up, because of the way they have struggled defensively on the road.”
Ohio State is about to find out how truly good this team is. The Buckeyes are in State College this weekend, to play the Penn State football team. The Nittany Lions are undefeated, and an Ohio State loss may end the squad’s shot at the CFP.
Ohio State football and Penn State play Saturday at 12:00 Eastern.
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