Eric Boggs
Ohio State’s full schedule for the 2026 football season was officially revealed Tuesday, and from an Ohio State fan’s perspective, it is clear that the Buckeyes will have to earn everything they want this fall. The season opens with a trio of non-conference games against Ball State, Texas and Kent State, highlighted by an early trip to Austin that could shape the national title picture from the very start. At least the Buckeyes will have the benefit of a tune-up game before facing the Longhorns, but there will be little time to ease into the year.
Big Ten play begins with a home matchup against Illinois followed by a challenging road trip to Iowa, a place that has rarely been kind to visiting teams. Ohio State will then return home to host Maryland before heading to Bloomington for a rematch of last season’s Big Ten Championship Game against Indiana on Oct. 17. That game looms large, especially considering Indiana is projected as one of the top teams in the country and is expected to be a direct competitor in the conference race.
The Buckeyes will have their only bye week of the season after the Indiana game, which may prove to be a saving grace given what follows. Ohio State travels to USC on Halloween, then immediately turns around to host Oregon the following week, creating a stretch that could define the entire season. With the Big Ten now at 18 teams and only one bye week available, the margin for error is thinner than ever, and the second half of the schedule offers very little relief.
November provides no favors, even with two home games against Northwestern and Oregon mixed in. Ohio State’s final road trip of the regular season comes at Nebraska, a program that has steadily improved and will be dangerous late in the year. As always, the regular season concludes with The Game against Michigan on Nov. 28, which will likely again be a noon kickoff on FOX. While kickoff times and TV networks have not been announced, the significance of that finale never changes, regardless of records or rankings.
The difficulty of the schedule is reflected in early national projections. According to On3’s composite of preseason rankings, Ohio State is slated to face six teams ranked in the top 25, including Texas, Indiana, Oregon, USC, Iowa and Michigan, with four of those games coming on the road. That combination makes this one of the most challenging schedules in the country and arguably one of the toughest Ohio State has faced in recent years.
After falling short of back-to-back national championships in 2025, the Buckeyes enter 2026 with unfinished business. They accomplished one major goal by dominating Michigan, but late losses to Indiana and Miami ended their title hopes. This time, the path is even more demanding, and there are very few games that can be considered breathers once conference play begins. Maryland and Northwestern stand out as the only clear breaks in an otherwise relentless Big Ten slate.
Still, Ohio State remains one of the most talented teams in the nation, and this schedule offers plenty of opportunities to prove it on the biggest stages. The bye week before the trip to USC is a small but important advantage, and if the Buckeyes can survive the early trip to Texas, they will have a chance to build momentum before the season’s defining stretch. If Ohio State is going to win another national championship, they will have to do it the hard way, and the 2026 schedule ensures that nothing will be handed to them.
