Ranking Ohio State’s 2021 opponents by difficulty: No. 2 – Penn State

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.

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

This season can’t go as poorly for Penn State as the last one did, right? That’s the assumption anyway, as the Nittany Lions did close out 2020 with four-straight wins despite beginning the year with a shocking 0-5 record.

Even amid that disastrous stretch though, Penn State showed that at minimum, it could outscore Ohio State in one half of football –– albeit in a 38-25 loss.

Still, an improved Nittany Lion team with a chip on its shoulder should be able to put up a bit more resistance in the matchup, and especially with a couple of key playmakers returning in its passing game.

Much like with Michigan, Ohio State has distanced itself from the 2016-18 razor-close matchups against Penn State in the past couple seasons, but James Franklin and company won’t give into that narratively lightly.