Ohio State Football: Will Backloaded Schedule Spoil Buckeyes' 2015 Playoff Run?

If championships are truly won in November, Ohio State is in for a stiff challenge this fall. 

The Buckeyes, fresh off their improbable tear through the 2014 postseason, are gearing up for another championship run in 2015, but a treacherous November slate that features Minnesota, Michigan State and Michigan could prove to be a significant speed bump along the way.

And if Meyer wants to propel his team into the College Football Playoff for the second consecutive year, he'll likely have to navigate that November stretch unscathed.

Of course, three of the four teams that participated in the first playoff (Ohio State, Oregon and Alabama) brought a lone blemish into the postseason, but all of those defeats were suffered before the first week of October rolled around. 

Other contenders such as Mississippi State, Michigan State and even Ole Miss weren't as fortunate, losing pivotal November games that crushed their chances of making it into the coveted final four.

The Buckeyes are hoping to avoid a similar fate this year. The challenge will start on November 7 with Minnesota. 

These two met last October under frigid Minneapolis conditions, with the temperature dipping to a chilling 15 degrees at kickoff. The Buckeyes scored the first 14 points in each half, but the Gophers battled back before eventually falling 31-24.

Ann Heisenfelt/Associated Press

"I challenge any team in the country that wants to go ahead and schedule this one in November," Meyer said, according to Dave Campbell of the Star Tribune.

"That was a really great team that we just played," receiver Evan Spencer added, via Campbell.

That really great team will be making the return trip to Columbus this fall, though, and the Buckeyes have more than just home-field advantage on their side. Meyer's squad will be well-rested for the matchup, coming off a nicely timed late-season bye week. The Buckeyes will also have some bulletin-board material to use as motivation.

If the Buckeyes handle Minnesota, they'll get a tuneup game on the road against Illinois—a team they have outscored by an average of 32 points with Meyer at the helm—before the most difficult stretch of the season.

Mark Dantonio and Michigan State have battled Urban Meyer's Buckeyes harder than any team since 2012. Their first matchup three years ago in East Lansing, Michigan, was a defensive slugfest that Ohio State won, 17-16. A year later in the conference title game, Michigan State halted the Buckeyes' 24-game win streak—and their chances of making the BCS title game—with a 34-24 upset.

Ohio State got revenge in Spartan Stadium last November when quarterback J.T. Barrett amassed 386 total yards and five touchdowns in a surprising 49-37 victory. It was a win that validated the Buckeyes as contenders and propelled them back into the playoff conversation.

Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

This year, it will be the Spartans looking for revenge. They'll look to replace key contributors such as tailback Jeremy Langford, defensive end Marcus Rush, safety Kurtis Drummond and cornerback Trae Waynes this fall, but they'll return an excellent core of 14 starters highlighted by quarterback Connor Cook and defensive end Shilique Calhoun. 

The Spartans are so loaded, in fact, that they're projecting as the No. 8 team in the country, according to Mark Schlabach of ESPN.com. And if the Spartans can beat Oregon at home in Week 2, there's a great chance they could invade Columbus as a top-four, undefeated team on November 21.

And just seven days after Ohio State plays in what could be a top-five matchup, they'll have to hit the road to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to face a Michigan team that will be desperate to beat the Buckeyes. 

It will be the first Ohio State-Michigan game with the fiery Jim Harbaugh on the opposite sideline, and it's safe to assume he'll have his team ready to play. The Wolverines have risen to the occasion in each of their last three meetings against Ohio State despite the inferior coaching of Brady Hoke.

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

With Harbaugh in control and a crazed fanbase in the stands, this year's version of The Game won't be a breeze for Ohio State. 

Will the Buckeyes be up to the task this fall? Will they flex their muscles down the stretch of the season for another run at the playoff?

If the past is any indication, the answer is yes. Ohio State is a perfect 12-0 in November games under Meyer, winning by an average of 20 points per game. But only three of those games came against teams ranked in the top 25, and another three came against the walkover Illini team.

This fall, the Buckeyes could see a trio of top 25 teams in the final month alone. They'll need to be at their best to make it to December. 

David Regimbal is the Ohio State football Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @davidreg412.