Ohio State entered the year as college football's first unanimous preseason No. 1 team in the AP poll, and it was expected to dominate an easy schedule en route to a second appearance in the College Football Playoff.
Seven weeks in, the Buckeyes are undefeated and still No. 1, but they haven't looked as strong as many had anticipated heading into the season.
After opening the season with an impressive-looking 42-24 victory over Virginia Tech on the road, Ohio State looked sluggish and uninspired in victories over Hawaii, Northern Illinois, Western Michigan and Indiana. But the Buckeyes have impressed over the last two weeks in blowout victories over Maryland and Penn State, showing flashes of the dominance that most expected in the preseason.