While Ohio State faced plenty of heat for a soft schedule in 2025, experts are predicting the Buckeyes’ regular season to be much more challenging in 2026.
According to On3 college football analyst Ari Wasserman, Ohio State ranks as the most difficult schedule in the Big Ten this coming season.
Ohio State will open its season with home nonconference matchups against Ball State on Sept. 5 at 12:30 p.m. and Kent State on Sept. 19 at noon at Ohio Stadium. Though the Buckeyes aren’t without a marquee nonconference matchup, as Ohio State will battle against Texas at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin on Sept. 12, which is sandwiched in between the Buckeyes pair of MAC opponents.
The Buckeyes will open their conference schedule against Illinois at the ‘Shoe on Sept. 26 before a trip to Iowa City to face Iowa at Kinnick Stadium. Ohio State then takes on Maryland at home on Oct. 10, before back-to-back away matchups against Indiana on Oct. 17 and USC on Oct. 31, with Ohio State’s off-week in the middle of the two away games.
Ohio State will return home to take on Oregon on Nov. 7 and Northwestern on Nov. 14, before traveling to Lincoln, Neb., to take on Nebraska on Nov. 21. Finally, the Buckeyes will culminate their season with their annual rivalry matchup against Michigan on Nov. 28.
Ohio State will face each of the top six finishers in the Big Ten last year (excluding itself) with reigning national champions Indiana (16-0. 9-0 Big Ten) as well as Oregon (13-2, 8-1), Michigan (9-4, 7-2), USC (9-4, 7-2), Iowa (9-4, 6-3) and Illinois (9-4, 5-4).
Ball State (4-8), Kent State (5-7) and conference foe Maryland (4-8) are Ohio State’s only opponents in 2026 to finish the 2025 season with losing records.
Following the Buckeyes on Wasserman’s list were Michigan at No. 2, Northwestern at No. 3, Oregon at No. 4 and USC at No. 5.
