Scarlet Sunrise: The Athletic asked readers who Ohio State should play annually in expanded Big Ten

Good morning, Ohio State fans, and welcome to the Scarlet Sunrise. Football will always be our focus, but every day we’ll cover news, notes and analysis from across Buckeyes sports. Join us each morning to get caught up on everything you missed in the world of Buckeyes football, recruiting, basketball and more in Scarlet Sunrise.

The Athletic asked readers who Ohio State should play annually in expanded Big Ten

Big changes are coming to the Big Ten in 2024. Not only are USC and UCLA joining the soon-to-be, 16-team conference, but it appears as if the league will be adopting a division-less scheduling model. It seems like a 3-6-6 format could be on its way. That means that, over a four-year period, every Big Ten team would play three opponents annually and then rotate the other 12 opponents in batches of six with home-and-home series against each of them in that span, hence the “3-6-6” label.

If the Big Ten does indeed go that direction, what would that scheduling model look like for Ohio State?

Well, The Athletic polled its readers earlier this month and asked them to choose three teams each program should play every year. The outlet received 1,708 responses for the exercise.

Here were the results for Ohio State, via The Athletic:

Choice 1: Michigan (1,623 votes), Penn State (22)

Choice 2: Penn State (962), USC (276), Michigan State (225) and Illinois (84)

Choice 3: USC (558), Penn State (374), Michigan State (177) and Illinois (127)

Yes, Ohio State-Michigan was, and should be, the top choice. It’s arguably the best rivalry in college sports. In 2022, the matchup — a top-three showdown — peaked at 19.6 million viewers, according to FOX Sports, and was the most-watched regular season college football game since 2011.

It makes sense that Penn State is No. 2 here as well. Like Michigan, Penn State is another current-day Big Ten East power. And while the Nittany Lions haven’t beaten Ohio State since 2016, the last decade has been jam packed with thrillers between the storied programs. Just this past season, Penn State gave the Buckeyes a scare in Happy Valley before Ohio State scored 28 points in the fourth quarter en route to a 44-31 win — the shining badge on the Buckeyes’ College Football Playoff resume.

Ohio State-USC makes sense, too. The programs have played just three times in the 2000s, except they’ve faced off 24 times all-time, and the Trojans lead the series, 13-10-1. The prospective ratings for this matchup are more than enough of a reason to make it happen annually. Sure, it’s not Michigan State or Illinois — region-appropriate opponents with shared history — but USC has the star and brand power to rival Ohio State, in turn generating a whole lot of buzz.

Buckeyes superstar Marvin Harrison Jr. named one of college football’s top players in 2023

Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. was a Biletnikoff Award finalist in 2022. So what can he do in 2023? Time will tell, but the expectations are sky high for the now-junior wideout.

Harrison was named one of the top-10 players in college football entering spring practice, according to On3. The unanimous 2022 first-team All-American is listed third, behind only USC quarterback Caleb Williams and North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye.

Why does On3 rank Harrison so high on the list of the best players in college football next season?

Check it out here.

Notebook: Ohio State leans into youth movement at Purdue

Ohio State started four freshmen in an 82-55 loss at then-No. 3 Purdue Sunday. Buckeyes head coach Chris Holtmann said that, before this season, he hadn’t started more than two freshmen in a game. Ohio State had rolled with starting fives that included three first-year players five times prior to last weekend.

The foursome helped the Buckeyes get out to an 8-2 lead, but, center Felix Okpara picked up two fouls in the first 10 minutes and logged just 16 minutes in the 27-point defeat — the Buckeyes certainly needed more from the Nigeria native, given that Zed Key was sidelined with his left shoulder sprain.

Freshmen guards Roddy Gayle Jr. and Bruce Thornton combined for just six points. As has been the case a handful of times this season, forward Brice Sensabaugh was head and shoulders above the rest of the group. He recorded a team-high 20 points and five rebounds.

For full analysis of the Buckeyes’ youth movement, plus their continued rebounding issues and more, go here.

Counting down

Buckeyes vs. Indiana: 193 days

Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 277 days

Are you subscribed yet?

Are you ready to get all your latest Ohio State news in one place? Become a member of Lettermen Row today. With your Lettermen Row/On3+ membership, you’ll not only have access to the everything that’s happening with the Buckeyes, but you’ll also be able to peruse other fan sites within the network to hear just how rivals are feeling about Ohio State, as well. Make sure to follow along on Twitter, Instagram and on Youtube for all the latest Buckeyes news you need to know.