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(For a slightly different perspective, see Scott Taylor's article)

Don't be fooled by the hype declaring the Ohio State schedule a cakewalk this year. Obviously, teams from Youngstown, Akron and Kent aren't going to scare anybody but there are some deceptively difficult games this year beyond the trips to Happy Valley and the Big House.

Exhibit A: Washington. Ohio State will have more talent on the field than the Huskies but then again, so did USC last year, and the Trojans nearly lost to Washington in Los Angeles. The fact is the first two games of the season will do nothing to prepare Todd Boeckman for the first real test of his career. The Huskies are a team that beat UCLA on the road last year and fought California and Arizona State to tough overtime losses. They will see this game as a must-win on their road back to national respectability.

Exhibit B: Purdue. I know, I know, Purdue's defense has tanked the last two years so it really doesn't matter they have all those players returning. I disagree. The Boilermakers possess one of the best offenses in the league and will likely return to their solid form on defense. Look for a very confident team to take the field in West Lafayette after a win against Notre Dame.

Exhibit C: Wisconsin. There are only three teams that can brag about beating the Buckeyes on their home turf this century and what's worse is the Badgers are the only team to do it twice. Ohio Stadium seems to intimidate just about every other team in the league, save for the Badgers who have come up victorious in their last two trips to Columbus.

Exhibit D: Illinois. The Illini are in the above-mentioned elite field of teams to beat the Buckeyes in the Horseshoe this century (Texas is the third). Great recruits are heading to Champaign-Urbana by the truck load and that will pay off, perhaps as soon as this year. Illinois will look to history when, in 2001, the team beat Ohio State in Columbus (on Senior Day no less) on its way to a conference title. This is something not even Michigan can claim since Jim Tressel and Co. arrrived on campus.

I'm not saying the Buckeyes are destined to lose any of these games. They arguably have more raw talent on this year's squad than the 2002 championship unit . And, the coaching staff has raised victory to an art form, averaging 10 wins a year since their arrival. However, those 10 wins should not be automatically penciled in because the schedule is just not as easy as it appears.

Tags: ohio state football