Ohio State Football 2011: 7 Games on the Schedule with Blowout Potential

With Ohio State seemingly out of the woods with regards to incredibly severe penalties from the NCAA stemming from Jim Tressel's cover-up, the focus now shifts back over to the season.

Fall camps start up again in a couple of weeks, meaning we should get a little bit of an idea as to what Ohio State will look like in Luke Fickell's first, and possibly only, season as the head coach.

He will have to find a new starting QB and determine his RB rotation between Jaamal Berry and Rod Smith until Dan Herron comes back, but this team is still loaded with talent.

Whether or not it will be able to put its frustrations from a long, painful offseason into positive energy remains to be seen. But looking at the schedule, there are a good amount of games where Ohio State could put a huge hurt on teams.

Here are the seven games that Ohio State has a chance to blow out its opponents this season.

1. Akron, September 3

With the nation's 118th-ranked scoring offense and the 106th-ranked scoring defense in 2010, Rob Ianello's Akron Zips only won one game last season.

Akron seems like the prototypical MAC cupcake that anti-OSU people have criticized OSU for scheduling in the past.

But for Ohio State, this game is more of a feeling-out game, as the coaching staff tries to see who fits best together on the field against an inferior opponent.

This game should get out of hand by halftime, and the margin could end up being in the 30s or 40s when the game ends.

2. Toledo, September 10

Toledo made a bowl game last season for the first time since 2005, and new coach Tim Beckman, who recently received a contract extension, has done a good job of making the Rockets a force in the MAC.

Thousand-yard receiver Eric Page is back, along with the two QBs who split the starting job, Austin Dantin and Terrance Owens.

This game obviously won't be as easy as the Akron game, and it has the potential to be like the Ohio game in 2008 where the Bobcats put a major scare into Ohio State on its home turf.

And it's worth mentioning that the Rockets may be out for a little revenge after being embarrassed 38-0 when these teams faced off in 2009 at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

But when all is said and done, the talent and athleticism of the Buckeyes should win out and the chance for a blowout is still pretty good.

3. Colorado, September 25

The potential for a blowout in this contest will be determined heavily by what happens in the previous week, where Ohio State will take its collective talents to South Beach to face Miami.

New coach Jon Embree has his work cut out for him after Dan Hawkins failed to keep Colorado football at a competitive level.

The talent pool is very depleted, but QB Tyler Hansen is still a solid player. Look for him to target WRs Paul Richardson and Michigan transfer Toney Clemons early and often if the Buffs want to move the ball.

It's unclear how Colorado will do in its first season in the Pac-12, but its outlook doesn't look good against Ohio State in this matchup.

4. Wisconsin, October 29

On paper, this game seems like it could be anything but a blowout. However, looking at the things that most people don't see, the potential is there for an OSU romp.

Ohio State will have two weeks to prepare, and it finally gets Wisconsin at a night game in the Horseshoe, not in Camp Randall. And historically, Wisconsin on the road is nowhere near as good as the Badgers in Madison.

Plus, the team will have a huge chip on its shoulder after getting out-physicaled against the Badgers last season, losing 31-18 and getting embarrassed on national television.

The one reason that this game might not be a blowout is Russell Wilson, Wisconsin's new starting QB who can do for the Badgers what Terrelle Pryor did for Ohio State the last three seasons.

If he plays well, Wisconsin can go into Ohio Stadium and win. But if he doesn't, this has the potential to get out of hand.

And with an Ohio State team that appears to be duly motivated by the offseason and the loss at Camp Randall last year, that might be a team nobody wants to face. 

5. Indiana, November 5

Last season, Indiana's high-powered passing attack was grounded in the Horseshoe when the Hoosiers fell to Ohio State 38-10.

This year, the Hoosiers have a new coach in Kevin Wilson and will be looking to replace their starting QB, Ben Chappell.

In other words, it already looks like a stacked deck against the Hoosiers.

With an inexperienced QB and first-year head coach going up against an Ohio State team that, if it can beat Wisconsin, will be in line to play for the Leaders Division title, this could get ugly.

6. At Purdue, November 12

It would be really something if Ohio State could get three straight blowout wins in the Leaders Division, and the tailend of that stretch would be a team it blew out 49-0 a year ago.

The Boilermakers shocked the college football world when they stunned Ohio State in Purdue two years ago, winning, 26-18, thanks to a bevy of turnovers by the OSU offense.

This time around, with a chance to close in on the Leaders Division title, Ohio State will come out with a lot more intensity than in the previous encounter.

The difference this time will be if QB Robert Marve can stay healthy for Purdue. Another player to keep an eye on is DE Gerard Gooden, who will be called upon to replace the productivity left behind by now-Washington Redskin Ryan Kerrigan.

But this is another one that has the potential to get ugly, especially if OSU gets off to a quick start.

7. At Michigan, November 26

Clearly, no program or fanbase has enjoyed the turmoil surrounding Ohio State like Michigan, which is hoping to rebound from the disastrous Rich Rodriguez era.

But after the way Michigan has enjoyed the past few months, Ohio State fans want nothing more than for Luke Fickell to go Woody Hayes and run up the score on the Wolverines, into the 50s like he did in 1968 when he infamously went for two.

This time around, it will depend on how much the Wolverine defense improves under new defensive coordinator Greg Mattison. They will switch over to a 4-3, but they still have issues in the secondary as Mississippi State and others revealed a year ago.

Also, Denard Robinson will be moved into Al Borges' pro-style under-center offense, which can either be really good, or really bad with not much middle ground.

Whether Robinson can handle the wear and tear of Big Ten football again will decide Michigan's fate in The Game.

But if a trip to the Big Ten Championship Game is on the line for Ohio State, it will want to win this game, and win it big, trying to extend the counter of days since Michigan last beat Ohio State to over 3,000 days, which it will guarantee with a win in the Big House.

For more college football news and updates, visit The BCS Blitz and follow me on Twitter @bielik_tim.