Ranking Ohio State’s 2021 opponents by difficulty: No. 11 – Tulsa

An early look at each upcoming adversary on the Buckeyes’ 2021 schedule, and an attempt at putting them in order from least to most challenging for Ohio State.

RELATED: Ranking Ohio State’s 2021 opponents by difficulty: No. 12 – Akron

2021 Ohio State Football Schedule

Sept. 2 – at Minnesota

Sept. 11 – Oregon

Sept. 18 – Tulsa

Sept. 25 – Akron

Oct. 2 – at Rutgers

Oct. 9 – Maryland

Oct. 23 – at Indiana

Oct. 30 – Penn State

Nov. 6 – at Nebraska

Nov. 13 – Purdue

Nov. 20 – Michigan State

Nov. 27 – at Michigan

With such a rock-solid season turned in by Tulsa in 2020, one could certainly make a logical case that the Golden Hurricane should be bumped further up this list and ahead of a couple Big Ten bottomfeeders.

However, my respect for the conference and the unpredictability of league play –– even with Ohio State holding a 21-game winning streak over Big Ten opponents –– won’t let me move Tulsa up any higher than No. 11 out of 12 upcoming Ohio State opponents on the difficulty scale.

Look no further than 2019 for the last time Ohio State matched up with a comparable AAC opponent in Cincinnati, which finished 11-3 that season, and the Buckeyes blanked the Bearcats 42-0.

But alas, let’s dive into what made Tulsa’s 2020 season impressive, and where the roster stands entering the forthcoming slate.