A Few Thoughts On OSU’s 2016 Schedule

The 2016 OSU schedule has been released and, in a stunning development, I have a few thoughts.

Here’s a look at the full slate:

• We’re doing the Baylor thing right out of the gate, huh? That will be while they’re still averaging 75 a game after playing Rice, SMU and One Direction. I don’t know if that’s better (because they haven’t played anyone yet) or worse (because they’ll be walking around like they’re the 2007 Patriots). Either way, the Big 12 will have a conference frontrunner before October.

• OSU’s first bye comes at the same time next year as it did this year. Gundy said he would have liked it a week or two earlier this year. I would imagine that will be the case again next year, especially with Pitt on the docket

• Speaking of Pitt, yes. I dislike games like that because you don’t really have much to gain other than saying “we beat a Power 5 team.” I’d rather lined up with Ole Miss or Florida or Arizona State or Michigan or somebody like that.

• There’s a nice rhythm to this schedule that you didn’t have as much this season. If we’re going through the conference games, it goes like this:

Difficult
Hard
Easy
Easy
Moderate
Moderate
Moderate
Hard
Hard

This year it was more like:

Moderate
Moderate
Moderate
Easy
Easy
Insanely difficult
Insanely difficult
Insanely difficult
Insanely difficult

• I do wish we could flip all the homes and aways and make them like 2014. Mason Rudolph as a junior with almost everyone returning? [knees weaken and buckle slightly]

• That ending! I love the OU game being in December instead of on Thanksgiving weekend, but at TCU and at OU is a brutal way to go out.