'Ohio State took the whole month off': Desmond Howard mocks Buckeyes' weak schedule

The former Wolverine and Heisman Trophy winner is not impressed with Ohio State's slate of games so far in 2024...

Sep 16, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Desmond Howard on the set of ESPN College GameDay prior to the game between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Colorado State Rams at Folsom Field. / Andrew Wevers-Imagn Images

Five weeks into the 2024 season, Ohio State is slated to play their first Power Four opponent of the year when they travel to East Lansing on Saturday in a matchup with Michigan State. The Buckeyes cruised through a nonconference slate that included Akron, Western Michigan and Marshall, whom they beat by a combined score of 157-20.

According to ESPN, Ohio State's schedule — which also included an early bye in Week 3 — ranks 131st out of 134 FBS teams through the first four weeks. In an appearance on 'College Football Live', former Michigan great, Ohio native and Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard mocked the Buckeyes schedule ahead of their trip to Michigan State.

“During the week, I was doing my prep, and I said, ‘Hey, Marissa, I need you to look something up,'” Howard said. “‘I’m looking at the Top 25 ranked teams in college football, and I’m looking at Ohio State. Are they the only team that in four weeks, has not played a Power Four team?’ And she said, ‘Yes, Desmond, you’re right.’ So pretty much, Ohio State took the whole month off – the whole first month off – and now they play Michigan State. Finally, they’re playing a Power Four team. Going on the road, playing against a Michigan State team that defensively, they lead the conference in sacks and tackles for loss.

‘The trenches, watch that battle in the trenches. I’m not sure – I’m gonna have to ask Pete [Thamel] later on because Michigan State has lost at least three wide receivers early in the season. I don’t know who’s coming back. … But Ohio State, finally, welcome to the 2024 college football season up in East Lansing against Sparty.”

Jan 2, 2023; Pasadena, California, USA; ESPN broadcaster Desmond Howard before the game between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Utah Utes at the 109th Rose Bowl game at the Rose Bowl. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

While the former Wolverine certainly has personal reasons for mocking Ohio State's schedule, he's far from the only college football pundit who's called out the Buckeyes' early slate. Former OSU head coach Urban Meyer, who still has strong ties to the program, made a similar remark before the season began.

"Their schedule's kind of a joke early on," Meyer said on his podcast, 'The Triple Option', in late August. "I mean, they're going to be 50-point favorites in the first three games. They have a bye week and then they play Michigan State, which is a shell of itself right now."

Howard got some pushback from the College Football Live panel, which included ESPN's Pete Thamel, "Stanford Steve" Coughlin and Jen Lada, but the former Michigan wide receiver leaned on the facts of Ohio State's schedule composition.

“I’m just saying, they haven’t played anybody,” Howard said. “Week 5, and they have not played a Power Four team. That’s crazy.”

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