Ohio State brings ratings, but its conference's television station is not scheduled to host the Buckeyes in primetime this fall.
The Big Ten Network released its 12-game primetime schedule Monday and Urban Meyer's Buckeyes are absent, just as they were in 2015.
The full slate, courtesy a Big Ten Network release:
- Sept. 1: Oregon State at Minnesota (Time TBA)
- Sept. 2: Furman at Michigan State (Time TBA)
- Sept. 3: Fresno State at Nebraska (8 p.m. ET)
- Sept. 10: Iowa State at Iowa (7:30 p.m. ET)
- Sept. 10: North Carolina at Illinois (7:30 p.m. ET)
- Sept. 17: Duke at Northwestern (8 p.m. ET)
- Sept. 24: Nebraska at Northwestern (7:30 p.m. ET)
- Oct. 1: Michigan State at Indiana (8 p.m.)
- Oct. 22: Michigan State at Maryland (7:30 p.m. ET)
- Nov. 5: Iowa at Penn State (7:30 p.m. ET)
- Nov. 12: Minnesota at Nebraska (7:30 p.m. ET)
- Nov. 19: Penn State at Rutgers (8 p.m. ET)
This does not mean Ohio State will be short on primetime affairs in Meyer's fifth season. Last week, ESPN announced its slate of college football night games on its family networks and the Buckeyes are scheduled for four appearances, more than any other Big Ten member. Those games:
- Oct. 15 at Wisconsin (8 p.m. ET on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2)
- Oct. 22 at Penn State (8 p.m. ET on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2)
- Oct. 29 vs. Northwestern (5:30 p.m. ET on either ESPN or ESPN2)
- Nov. 5 vs. Nebraska (8 p.m. ET on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2)
It is also widely anticipated Ohio State's visit to Oklahoma Sept. 17 will be held in primetime.
That last time the Buckeyes played a primetime game on BTN was against Cincinnati in 2014, a 6 p.m. kickoff. Ohio State won that game, 50-28.
The only other time the television station broadcasted an Ohio State night game in Meyer's tenure was in 2012, when the Buckeyes beat Indiana 52-49 in Bloomington. That game kicked off at 8 p.m.
