OSU faced more hurdles a year ago

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The sky is falling. That’s what Alabama fans are saying after losing to Mississippi at home.

So are their bitter rivals at Auburn after the Tigers were crushed by LSU a week after barely escaping with a win over Jacksonville State.

Missouri’s offense was so lethargic in a 9-6 win over Connecticut that two-year starting quarterback Maty Mauk, of Kenton, was booed by some fans at home at Faurot Field.

Blustering Bret Bielema’s Arkansas team started the season in the Top 25 and now has lost its last two games.

Ordinarily, seeing Southeastern Conference teams struggle would be a source of great amusement at Ohio State and around the Big Ten.

But Ohio State fans have been preoccupied with their own concerns. The Buckeyes’ defense is playing like a No. 1-ranked team, but the offense definitely is not.

What’s happening? College football is happening.

It’s easy to forget that last September a national championship was not part of the conversation around Ohio State, which was ranked No. 23 at the time. It was more like, will this team be able to win eight or nine games without Braxton Miller?

Unpredictable trumps predictable more often than not in college football. And that’s part of the reason to like it so much.

Three games into the season a year ago, nobody thought the Big Ten was very good.

Ezekiel Elliott had rushed for more than 100 yards only once in his career. Everyone thought the Buckeyes’ offensive line would never live up to the standard set by the 2013 team.

And everyone thought if J.T. Barrett got hurt, OSU’s season was over.

It’s a long season. That doesn’t mean everything will turn out great for Ohio State. But what you see in September is not always what you see in January.

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Reach Jim Naveau at 567-242-0414 or on Twitter at @Lima_Naveau.

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