Ohio State football’s 2020 schedule: Quick thoughts on who the Buckeyes face, and when

COLUMBUS, Ohio — So The Game will close out the season, Ohio State and Nebraska can seal their burgeoning Big Ten kinship in the opener and the middle of the Buckeyes schedule is a wasteland.

Doug Lesmerises covered the OSU-Michigan placement already. So here are some thoughts on the rest of the schedule released Saturday morning.

• Playing that Penn State game early may be crucial — and not merely for the Big Ten TV partners who want balance.

We don’t know if every team will navigate this eight-game plan without interruption. The lack of open weeks means the Big Ten will not have postponements, only cancellations. If Ohio State reaches the end of the season and has only played, say, six games, it may need an early win of real consequence to boost its College Football Playoff resume.

Same goes for the Nittany Lions, obviously, though I do not believe they are the same threat to OSU without Micah Parsons.

• I like that Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa do not play Ohio State. The West Division champion can be decided without any of the favorites having to go through the Buckeyes to get to Indianapolis.

Wisconsin and Minnesota DO both play Michigan, and neither plays Penn State.

The West darkhorse to keep an eye on? Northwestern, which added former Indiana quarterback Peyton Ramsey in the offseason and does not play Ohio State, Penn State or Michigan.

• The Fox Big Noon Kickoff show included only Saturday dates for all games. Ohio State’s news release said some games could move to Fridays and will be announced later.

Something to keep in mind: The Big Ten established a 21-day mandatory quarantine for any player who tests positive for COVID-19. If a player tests positive on a Saturday morning before a game, that means they will miss that game and the next two Saturday games as well.

If the fourth game in that sequence gets moved to a Friday, it would fall on the 21st day of quarantine. Under the circumstances I’m surprised the Big Ten did not insist on a Saturday only setup. But TV will always win out in these decisions.

• Nebraska’s first four games: at Ohio State, vs. Wisconsin, at Northwestern, vs. Penn State.

Woof.

Even the Cornhuskers’ closing streak is no cakewalk, with trips to Iowa and a sneaky Purdue team and a home date with Minnesota. It is very possible Nebraska fought tooth and nail to come back for a one- or two-win season.

New Ohio State face masks for sale: Here’s where you can buy Ohio State-themed face coverings for coronavirus protection. A 3-pack is available on Fanatics for $29.99.

Fanatics has released Ohio State Buckeyes Adult Face Coverings. This 3-pack of adult masks, retails for $29.99.

More Buckeyes coverage

Shaun Wade returning to OSU, keeping the Buckeyes’ ceiling high

Football’s 2020 season will be weird, and that’s the only chance it has to work

OSU’s hope for a championship season started with the fight to play at all

Football target Anthony Johnson, 2022 LB, can ‘turn it on’ when things get physical

Wyatt Davis wants to return to Buckeyes this fall, ‘working now’ to make it happen

Trey Sermon becomes the first player to lose black stripe in 2020

Big Ten football is back, but is OSU still a national title contender? Buckeye Talk podcast

Shaun Wade’s decision still a tough one after Big Ten establishes fall season

Donald Trump said he helped bring back Big Ten football. It isn’t clear how

What Kevin Warren said about poor communication with players, parents and coaches

Football returns in October, giving Ohio State its national championship opportunity

Big Ten made two reasonable decisions, sandwiched around a month of frustration

How the eight-game fall football season and championship week will work

How coronavirus testing will determine if football can keep playing this fall

Why OSU games will not include fans when Big Ten season begins in October

Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission.