Ohio State only returns six starters from last year's 12-1 Fiesta Bowl championship team. The 2016 schedule is rigorous, and we already know Oklahoma will be favored when Ohio State rolls into Norman for a Week 3 clash.
South Point Casino, a Las Vegas oddsmaker, lists Ohio State as a 6.5-point underdog in that game. Its lines are more favorable for the Buckeyes when they enter Big Ten play.
In fact, Ohio State is favored in every big-time conference game against another historical power. Here's how South Point breaks it down:
| DATE | CONTEST |
|---|---|
| 10/15 | OHIO STATE (-4) at WISCONSIN |
| 10/22 | OHIO STATE (-9) at PENN STATE |
| 11/05 | NEBRASKA at OHIO STATE (-12.5) |
| 11/19 | OHIO STATE (-4.5) at MICHIGAN STATE |
| 11/26 | MICHIGAN at OHIO STATE (-5) |
The casino's full slate can be viewed here.
Although no odds on the games against Rutgers, Indiana, Northwestern or Maryland were available, it's safe to assume, barring something calamitous, the Buckeyes will be favored in those games as well.
That means Ohio State should be favored in every Big Ten game this year, which means it's the same as it almost always is under Urban Meyer.
