Ohio State Football 2026 Schedule Outlook and Analysis

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Ohio State did everything right in the regular season last year. It ripped through the slate without breaking much of a sweat on the way to a 12-0 run.

But that didn’t matter over its final two games, losing to the two teams that ended up playing for the national championship.

The 2026 football schedule should be far more difficult, but it’s still Ohio State. There shouldn’t be a problem, but it’ll take some work to get through these 12 games unscathed.

Breaking Down Ohio State’s 2026 Football Schedule

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day and wide receiver Brandon Inniss (1) react during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Nov. 22, 2025. Ohio State won 42-9.© Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Good

The season starts against Ball State.

Ohio State has won 26 straight openers, 38 of its last 39, and it hasn’t dropped a home opener since losing to Penn State in 1978. There’s no fear against Ball State, but it’s the exact tune-up needed before going to Texas.

Three of the last four games are at home, including the battles against Oregon and Michigan, and …

The Bad

At least 125 other teams go 7-5 with this schedule.

At Texas, at Iowa, at Indiana, at USC, at Nebraska – and those are just the road games. Illinois and Northwestern will take a good effort to get past, and Oregon and Michigan are hardly layups.

What Big Ten Teams Ohio State Will Miss

Michigan State, Minnesota, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, UCLA, Washington, Wisconsin.

Yuck. Yeah, it’s not bad to miss Penn State and Washington, but five of the eight teams missed didn’t go bowling last year.

That means the Buckeyes have to deal with Indiana, Oregon, USC, and Iowa – they didn’t play any of the four last year.

Ohio State’s Best and Worst Case Scenarios in 2026

Best Case: The Buckeyes beat Indiana

Yeah, Ohio State lost the Big Ten Championship to the Hoosiers. The last time it last to them in the regular season was 1988.

The Buckeyes super-flex in a strong win over the defending national champs, follow it up with a win at USC, and they take care of home from there with wins over Oregon and Michigan.

They don’t have any problems with the nasty schedule. OR …

Worst Case: Texas is a problem

Ohio State loses at Texas in Week 2, drop the date at Indiana, and all of a sudden, the team that will be No. 1 in most preseason rankings will be one more biff away from not even making the College Football Playoff.

And Michigan is the one that makes it happen.

Ohio State Football 2026 Schedule

Sept 5 Ball State
Sept 12 at Texas
Sept 19 Kent State
Sept 26 Illinois
Oct 3 at Iowa
Oct 10 Maryland
Oct 17 at Indiana
Oct 24 OPEN DATE
Oct 31 at USC
Nov 7 Oregon
Nov 14 Northwestern
Nov 21 at Nebraska
Nov 28 Michigan

Games That Will Decide Ohio State’s Season

1. at Indiana, Oct. 17
Ohio State wants to take its Big Ten back, and this is the game to do it.

2. at Texas, Sept. 12
With all of the tough games left on the schedule, the last thing the Buckeyes need is to come up short before the season really gets rolling.

3. Oregon, Nov. 7
Yes, of course Michigan always belongs on any list of top Ohio State games, but if everything goes right, the best rivalry game in all of sports won’t mean anything to the bigger picture of the college football season.

This story was originally published by College Football News on Jan 29, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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