Before the 2018-19 season started, Chris Holtmann frequently hyped up Ohio State's non-conference schedule.
A pair of road games against Cincinnati and Creighton looked like early tests for his young team, which had a neutral-site matchup with UCLA in Chicago lined up. The Buckeyes also had a home game against Syracuse and faced off with Purdue Fort Wayne, a mid-major team Holtmann viewed as a threat. But as the season progressed, it became clear that the out-of-conference slate, against which Ohio State compiled a 10-1 record, didn't have the bite the head coach had anticipated. The Buckeyes, per CBS Sports, had the 154th most difficult non-conference schedule.