I say the same thing to my fellow OSU fans when they think a victory is a done deal, there are no definitives. Maybe OSU hasn’t beaten any championship contenders this year, but they have beaten the lesser teams the way they are supposed to beat lesser teams. I would consider OSU as battle-tested. They may have lost to Oklahoma, but that was also a big learning experience that cause the coaches to adjust how the team plays; evidenced by their current run.
How do we know that this isn’t one of OSU’s better squads? It is in terms of recruited talent. It is in terms of offensive play the last 5 weeks. We didn’t know the 2014 OSU team would be one of the better Buckeye teams 6 games into the season. I don’t think we knew that the PSU team would be one of the best teams in many years right before the kickoff against OSU last season. Teams change for the positive and negative as the season progresses.
The thing about Barrett’s game, is that he has led his teams to big victories without great passing. Right now he is passing better than he ever has in his career.
Having said all that, I do believe that the N. Lions “should” be the favorite. But it’s not definitive.