5 reasons Ohio State will route Purdue as Haskins’ Heisman case grows

4. The Buckeyes are a great road team

One thing that has been ignored over the course of this season has been the wealth of competition the Buckeyes have already faced. The Bucks have been victorious over two top 15 teams on the road thus far. The first win was over TCU in Texas which was technically at a neutral site but it was within about 20 miles of the opposition’s school. The other win was over top ten divisional opponent Penn State.

Both of these opponents were quality teams led by some of the best coaches in the country. This is also significant as the Buckeyes accomplished these feats under the leadership of a first year starter at quarterback. Getting both of these wins within the first few weeks of the season where the team is just coming into its own is something special.

However, the Buckeyes have been a great road team for quite some time now. This is especially true in the Urban Meyer era. The Buckeyes are 14-4 on the road against ranked opponents since 2006. This is quite incredible considering the fact they are just as good as the home team.

The ability to win on the road is vital as that is typically where most teams are the most vulnerable. This kind of confidence allows the Buckeyes to be more fluid in their play and avoid mistakes that would occur due to a raucous environment rather than just by their own faults in their play alone. The Buckeyes actually tend to play better on the road as they have more of a reason to be motivated to step up their play.

The Buckeyes’ last road loss occurred last season at Iowa. That fateful loss was a large part of the reason the Buckeyes were cut from the playoff picture. Fortunately, last season is in the past and this road game is now front and center. That ugly road loss will be fresh in the minds of the Buckeyes and will easily be one of their greatest motivators to give it all this game. Expect the Buckeyes to show up on the road to take down the Boilermakers.