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Later this week, the No. 2 ranked Ohio State football will travel to Lansing, Michigan to face the Michigan State Spartans. This marks the Buckeyes' first intra-conference game against the Big Ten. It will also be Ohio State's first game against any Power Four opponent. That's because Ohio State football padded their schedule with three games against weaker opponents. So far, they've played and crushed Akron (52-6), Western Michigan (56-0) and Marshall (49-14). All three games were at home. The SEC Network's Paul Finebaum isn't impressed, as he laid bare on The Matt Barie Show.
“I’ve always been a big fan of that administration up there, but I mean what we’ve seen from Ohio State this year is really beyond words,” Finebaum said. “The fact that they took the road less traveled, they played the worst non-conference schedule I have seen. And Georgia had a reason for it last year, if you remember, they had that game with Oklahoma. Can someone explain what Ohio State’s reason and rationale has been this year?”
Finebaum was referring to the SEC requesting Georgia cancel their game against the Oklahoma Sooners in 2023, which resulted in the Bulldogs having a weaker-than-usual strength of schedule that season.
“I was with [LSU football head coach] Brian Kelly Saturday and he played UCLA, which is not that big a deal, but it’s still better than any of those three (that Ohio State has played). [Kelly] played USC. We’ve seen all the other games Florida–Miami and Georgia-Clemson, I mean [Ohio State's schedule] is laughable,” Finebaum said. “What Ohio State has done is truly a travesty, and I know they won’t be held accountable, because they’ll run the table with either no losses or one loss and it won’t matter. But it’s still embarrassing.”
After Georgia's close win against Kentucky, they moved down in the AP Top 25 to the No. 3 position, while Ohio State was elevated to No. 2 without having played a good program yet. With an easier schedule, the Buckeyes' best players like Jeremiah Smith are building a national profile and the NIL rewards to benefit.
“It’s a complete and total rip off of the fan base, the Ohio State fans who support the program,” Finebaum said. “Now Ohio State fans, most of the ones I meet, they’re like sheep. You can just lead them anywhere, you can lead them to slaughter and they’ll say, ‘Thank you sir, may I have another?’ But I would be up in arms at money you have to spend to support a program like that. Especially with a $20 million payroll last year to have those type of garbage games on my home schedule.”
In October, Ohio State will travel to Eugene to play the No. 8 Oregon Ducks. Later in November, the Buckeyes will play at Penn State. To close the season, Ohio State will host No. 12 Michigan.
