The Ohio State Buckeyes have shown they aren't afraid to schedule tough non-conference opponents in football, playing the second half of a home-and-home series against Oklahoma this September. They also have scheduled future games against TCU, Cincinnati and Oregon in 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively. That got us thinking - what would be some marquee non-conference home-and-home's we'd like to see Ohio State schedule? Here are the top five:
5) Pitt Panthers
These two teams haven't played since 1996 (a game Ohio State won 72-0), but have a rich history of facing each other. They played every year between 1940-1952, in 1954 and then seven times between 1984-1996. It would be fun to see this series revitalized, a series that Ohio State leads 19-5-1.
4) USC Trojans
On top of these two teams being tradition powers in college football, playing USC twice would be an excellent recruiting opportunity for Urban Meyer. Southern California is a hotbed for recruits, and while the Buckeyes are already a national brand, developing an LA pipeline could certainly come in handy. The two sides actually had a home-and-home in 2008 and 2009 with the Trojans winning both times. USC leads the series 13-9-1 between the two teams.
3) Alabama Crimson Tide
Some hostility has developed between these two programs over the past few years, especially after the Buckeyes knocked off Alabama in the inaugural College Football Playoff. There is also a growing rivalry between Meyer and Nick Saban as the two best coaches in the sport, and Buckeyes fans would love the opportunity to face (and knock off) the best team in the SEC. Alabama leads the series between these two 3-1.
2) Texas Longhorns
The obvious connection here is Tom Herman, who served on Meyer's staff through the 2015 national championship before taking the head coaching job at Houston. Now at Texas, it presents the perfect opportunity for these two programs to get together. Everything about it makes perfect sense for the Buckeyes - a game against a traditional power, a potential boost in polls with a win and the opportunity to develop a bigger recruiting footprint in Texas.
These schools previous played a home-and-home in 2005 and 2006 (the winner going to the national title game each time) before facing off in the 2009 Fiesta Bowl. The Longhorns won the first and last of those games. With Herman in Austin, it presents the perfect opportunity for a few more of these marquee matchups.
1) Florida Gators
Now for the big one. Meyer's previous coaching stop was where he won his first two national championships and is a place where he is still revered. It would be fun to see him back at The Swamp, but it also presents Ohio State with the opportunities of adding a big win to their playoff resume, helping with recruiting in the talent-rich state of Florida and, most importantly, the chance to shut up an SEC team.
The Buckeyes lost both of their meetings to Florida in program history, the second of which came in 2012 with Meyer coaching OSU - and you know that didn't sit well with him. Meyer getting the school's first win against the Gators (or at least the opportunity to do so) just seems fitting.
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