In 2014, Ohio State went to Michigan State in early November and came home with a 49-37 road win. After a tough trip to Minnesota, the Buckeyes got a breather with Indiana at home before hosting rival Michigan.
That was the springboard to wins over Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon in the postseason, and the school’s first football national championship since the 2002 season.
Just a year later, returning most of its starters on both sides of the ball, Ohio State failed to reach the College Football Playoff, or even the Big Ten Championship Game. The conference back-loaded the Buckeyes’ schedule in 2015, putting the season’s presumed two toughest opponents — Michigan State and Michigan — back-to-back at the end of November.