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From the opener to the finale, Ohio State football's 2026 schedule offers no shortage of major hurdles.
A glance at the Buckeyes' opponents reveals a gantlet of teams based on face value from the 2025 season. Besides the enduring prestige of the Michigan game, Ohio State faces six teams ranked inside USA TODAY Sports’ top-25 poll following spring practices in April.
In 2025, Ohio State faced no teams in the regular season schedule that made the College Football Playoff. Before the CFP, the Buckeyes faced eventual national championship winner Indiana in the Big Ten championship, losing 13-10. Earning a bye as the No. 2 seed, the Buckeyes went 25 days in between games and lost to Miami in the Cotton Bowl.
Both opponents Ohio State lost to ended up playing against each other in the national championship game.
Despite a tougher-looking schedule, Ohio State enters next season with a promising roster. In USA TODAY Network's 2026 preseason poll, Ohio State received 11 out of a possible 16 first-place votes to win the Big Ten conference. Quarterback Julian Sayin, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, running back Bo Jackson and offensive lineman Austin Siereveld were listed as all-conference selections.
No defensive players on Ohio State were All-Big Ten selections in the poll, but four defensive players received honorable mentions: defensive end Kenyatta Jackson Jr., linebacker Payton Pierce, cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. and safety Jaylen McClain.
Here are four vital games on the Ohio State football schedule with implications for a good resume for the College Football Playoff:
Ohio State and Texas have a week against a lesser nonconference opponent before squaring up in a pivotal test.
With Texas and Ohio State ranked No. 1 and No. 3, respectively, entering the 2025 season, the Buckeyes' 14-7 victory over the Longhorns boosted Ohio State to No. 1 on the AP Poll, which they held until the Big Ten championship loss to Indiana. Texas, meanwhile, picked up losses to Georgia and unranked Florida in the regular season and were the first team on the outside looking in of the College Football Playoff.
Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian has publicly questioned scheduling the nonconference game against Ohio State multiple times, most recently at SEC media days July 27.
"If we beat Ohio State last year, surely we're in a much better position when it comes to the playoffs," Sarkisian said to the media July 23. "But on the other side of it is if I don't play Ohio State and I play Jones Junior High, and we're 10-2, and our two losses are to Georgia and Florida, we're a playoff team."
While Sarkisian failed to mention Florida's 4-8 record in his petition, part of his statement is undoubtedly correct: the game last season is undoubtedly important come season's end.
Texas, meanwhile, has not gotten much weaker since losing its No. 1 AP ranking to Ohio State last season and ranked second in the 2026 SEC preseason media poll behind Georgia.
After throwing for 170 yards against Ohio State, Texas quarterback Arch Manning surpassed that total in eight of Texas' 12 remaining games. Manning went toe-to-toe with Heisman Trophy finalist Diego Pavia and threw for 328 passing yards and three touchdowns without a turnover. Without a playoff appearance to show for their late-season prowess, Texas handed Texas A&M its only loss of the regular season while Manning passed and rushed for a touchdown without a turnover.
Both Manning and Ohio State have taken strides in their development since their first meeting, and each has a new tool at wide receiver. While Sayin will be throwing to five-star prospect Chris Henry Jr., Manning will be have junior wide receiver Cam Coleman, who had a strong sophomore season at Auburn. Texas' 2026 transfer portal acquisitions rank third on 247Sports.
Ohio State has beaten Texas at a neutral site (the 2025 Cotton Bowl) and at Ohio Stadium in the past two years. Now, Ryan Day will face Sarkisian on the road in a Manning-Sayin sequel.
Besides his quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti became the face of college football in 2025 after a stunning national championship campaign. It still rings true, considering Cignetti is the cover of the EA Sports College Football 27 video game. While the Hoosiers were 12-0 entering the Big Ten championship, they were seen as a legitimate threat to winning it all after beating Ohio State.
The Buckeyes will have a chance to get revenge on the road against Indiana with the same quarterback, but the Hoosiers also have their fair share of returning starters, including three who ranked in PFF's top 10 returning players at each offensive position.
Up front, Indiana will boast left tackle Carter Smith and offensive guard Drew Evans. Wide receiver Charlie Becker also returns; the junior had a career-high 126 receiving yards against Ohio State last season.
Cignetti will also get to work with another veteran quarterback, redshirt senior Josh Hoover from TCU. With 36 games of experience, Hoover has back-to-back seasons throwing for more than 3,400 yards and 25 touchdowns. The Hoosiers have familiar Big Ten talent as incoming transfers, including Michigan State wide receiver Nick Marsh and Wisconsin offensive lineman Joe Brunner.
The rematch of the Big Ten championship game kicks off the difficult back half of the Buckeyes' schedule. After Indiana, Ohio State has a bye week before a cross-country trip to USC and a home game against Oregon. The matchup against Indiana will set the tone.
Most believed Oregon quarterback Dante Moore was a surefire candidate to forgo his college eligibility and declare for the 2026 NFL Draft. He would likely have been the No. 2 selection behind Mendoza, a position that netted Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey a $54.6 million contract. Instead, Moore chose to run it back for another season with Oregon coach Dan Lanning.
Ohio State and Oregon did not face off in the 2025 season, but each lost to Indiana in the regular season (Indiana also handed Oregon a 56-22 blowout loss in the CFP semifinal). The Ducks' prowess for the upcoming season goes beyond Moore's return, however. Tight end Jamari Johnson will be a reliable target for Moore, who recorded 510 yards while acting as backup to NFL draft 16th overall pick Kenyon Sadiq.
The Ducks also are expected to be deep at wide receiver, including UAB transfer Iverson Hooks and junior Evan Stewart, a former five-star prospect who missed the 2025 season due to injury. Two starting defensive tackles, Bear Alexander and A'mauri Washington, will also make their returns.
The Oregon game represents a peak of difficulty in Ohio State's schedule, but more for timing reasons rather than the sheer strength of the opponent. The Buckeyes will be coming off a game at USC a week before.
Ohio State's matchup against Michigan will always be crucial. Though the Buckeyes lost against Michigan in 2024, they rebounded to win the national championship. This past season, the Buckeyes broke a four-game losing streak against Michigan to change the tide of the rivalry.
2026 marks a new era of Michigan football with coach Sherrone Moore's firing after the 2026 season. Before missing the CFP playoff picture, Michigan received a visit from Ohio State in Ann Arbor and was handed a silencing 18-point loss.
Bryce Underwood, the top quarterback prospect in the 2025 class, threw for 63 yards and completed eight passes, both the lowest totals of his rookie season. Michigan finished its season ranked No. 18 in the final CFP poll and lost 41-27 to Texas in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl game; Underwood passed for two touchdowns and ran for another but also threw three interceptions.
Michigan seems to be undergoing a much-needed culture shift with former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, a former defensive coordinator for Urban Meyer. Whittingham even revealed that, to his "understanding," Underwood never had a dedicated quarterbacks coach in his first year.
While Michigan had four four-star-ranked players in the transfer portal (ranked 24th among teams according to 247Sports), the Wolverines can be a threat if Underwood plays up to his potential and develops by this season's end. Several Utah players, including defensive end John Henry Daley, cornerback Smith Snowden and wide receiver JJ Buchanan, followed Whittingham to Michigan. On the horizon is five-star prospect Savion Hiter, the No. 2 running back in the 2026 class (Alabama's EJ Crowell is No. 1).
Michigan may be rebuilding with a new staff, but "The Game" has a recent history of providing unexpected results. After a brutal second half of the schedule, Ohio State's matchup vs. Michigan could easily have CFP implications.
A majority of times to be determined at a later date.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Will Ohio State football be playoff-ready? These 4 games will tell us
Continue reading...
A glance at the Buckeyes' opponents reveals a gantlet of teams based on face value from the 2025 season. Besides the enduring prestige of the Michigan game, Ohio State faces six teams ranked inside USA TODAY Sports’ top-25 poll following spring practices in April.
In 2025, Ohio State faced no teams in the regular season schedule that made the College Football Playoff. Before the CFP, the Buckeyes faced eventual national championship winner Indiana in the Big Ten championship, losing 13-10. Earning a bye as the No. 2 seed, the Buckeyes went 25 days in between games and lost to Miami in the Cotton Bowl.
Both opponents Ohio State lost to ended up playing against each other in the national championship game.
Despite a tougher-looking schedule, Ohio State enters next season with a promising roster. In USA TODAY Network's 2026 preseason poll, Ohio State received 11 out of a possible 16 first-place votes to win the Big Ten conference. Quarterback Julian Sayin, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, running back Bo Jackson and offensive lineman Austin Siereveld were listed as all-conference selections.
No defensive players on Ohio State were All-Big Ten selections in the poll, but four defensive players received honorable mentions: defensive end Kenyatta Jackson Jr., linebacker Payton Pierce, cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. and safety Jaylen McClain.
Here are four vital games on the Ohio State football schedule with implications for a good resume for the College Football Playoff:
Week 2: Ohio State at Texas
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Ohio State and Texas have a week against a lesser nonconference opponent before squaring up in a pivotal test.
With Texas and Ohio State ranked No. 1 and No. 3, respectively, entering the 2025 season, the Buckeyes' 14-7 victory over the Longhorns boosted Ohio State to No. 1 on the AP Poll, which they held until the Big Ten championship loss to Indiana. Texas, meanwhile, picked up losses to Georgia and unranked Florida in the regular season and were the first team on the outside looking in of the College Football Playoff.
Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian has publicly questioned scheduling the nonconference game against Ohio State multiple times, most recently at SEC media days July 27.
"If we beat Ohio State last year, surely we're in a much better position when it comes to the playoffs," Sarkisian said to the media July 23. "But on the other side of it is if I don't play Ohio State and I play Jones Junior High, and we're 10-2, and our two losses are to Georgia and Florida, we're a playoff team."
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While Sarkisian failed to mention Florida's 4-8 record in his petition, part of his statement is undoubtedly correct: the game last season is undoubtedly important come season's end.
Texas, meanwhile, has not gotten much weaker since losing its No. 1 AP ranking to Ohio State last season and ranked second in the 2026 SEC preseason media poll behind Georgia.
After throwing for 170 yards against Ohio State, Texas quarterback Arch Manning surpassed that total in eight of Texas' 12 remaining games. Manning went toe-to-toe with Heisman Trophy finalist Diego Pavia and threw for 328 passing yards and three touchdowns without a turnover. Without a playoff appearance to show for their late-season prowess, Texas handed Texas A&M its only loss of the regular season while Manning passed and rushed for a touchdown without a turnover.
Both Manning and Ohio State have taken strides in their development since their first meeting, and each has a new tool at wide receiver. While Sayin will be throwing to five-star prospect Chris Henry Jr., Manning will be have junior wide receiver Cam Coleman, who had a strong sophomore season at Auburn. Texas' 2026 transfer portal acquisitions rank third on 247Sports.
Ohio State has beaten Texas at a neutral site (the 2025 Cotton Bowl) and at Ohio Stadium in the past two years. Now, Ryan Day will face Sarkisian on the road in a Manning-Sayin sequel.
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Week 7: Ohio State at Indiana
Besides his quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti became the face of college football in 2025 after a stunning national championship campaign. It still rings true, considering Cignetti is the cover of the EA Sports College Football 27 video game. While the Hoosiers were 12-0 entering the Big Ten championship, they were seen as a legitimate threat to winning it all after beating Ohio State.
The Buckeyes will have a chance to get revenge on the road against Indiana with the same quarterback, but the Hoosiers also have their fair share of returning starters, including three who ranked in PFF's top 10 returning players at each offensive position.
Up front, Indiana will boast left tackle Carter Smith and offensive guard Drew Evans. Wide receiver Charlie Becker also returns; the junior had a career-high 126 receiving yards against Ohio State last season.
Cignetti will also get to work with another veteran quarterback, redshirt senior Josh Hoover from TCU. With 36 games of experience, Hoover has back-to-back seasons throwing for more than 3,400 yards and 25 touchdowns. The Hoosiers have familiar Big Ten talent as incoming transfers, including Michigan State wide receiver Nick Marsh and Wisconsin offensive lineman Joe Brunner.
The rematch of the Big Ten championship game kicks off the difficult back half of the Buckeyes' schedule. After Indiana, Ohio State has a bye week before a cross-country trip to USC and a home game against Oregon. The matchup against Indiana will set the tone.
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Week 10: Ohio State vs. Oregon
Most believed Oregon quarterback Dante Moore was a surefire candidate to forgo his college eligibility and declare for the 2026 NFL Draft. He would likely have been the No. 2 selection behind Mendoza, a position that netted Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey a $54.6 million contract. Instead, Moore chose to run it back for another season with Oregon coach Dan Lanning.
Ohio State and Oregon did not face off in the 2025 season, but each lost to Indiana in the regular season (Indiana also handed Oregon a 56-22 blowout loss in the CFP semifinal). The Ducks' prowess for the upcoming season goes beyond Moore's return, however. Tight end Jamari Johnson will be a reliable target for Moore, who recorded 510 yards while acting as backup to NFL draft 16th overall pick Kenyon Sadiq.
The Ducks also are expected to be deep at wide receiver, including UAB transfer Iverson Hooks and junior Evan Stewart, a former five-star prospect who missed the 2025 season due to injury. Two starting defensive tackles, Bear Alexander and A'mauri Washington, will also make their returns.
The Oregon game represents a peak of difficulty in Ohio State's schedule, but more for timing reasons rather than the sheer strength of the opponent. The Buckeyes will be coming off a game at USC a week before.
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Week 13: Ohio State vs. Michigan
Ohio State's matchup against Michigan will always be crucial. Though the Buckeyes lost against Michigan in 2024, they rebounded to win the national championship. This past season, the Buckeyes broke a four-game losing streak against Michigan to change the tide of the rivalry.
2026 marks a new era of Michigan football with coach Sherrone Moore's firing after the 2026 season. Before missing the CFP playoff picture, Michigan received a visit from Ohio State in Ann Arbor and was handed a silencing 18-point loss.
Bryce Underwood, the top quarterback prospect in the 2025 class, threw for 63 yards and completed eight passes, both the lowest totals of his rookie season. Michigan finished its season ranked No. 18 in the final CFP poll and lost 41-27 to Texas in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl game; Underwood passed for two touchdowns and ran for another but also threw three interceptions.
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Michigan seems to be undergoing a much-needed culture shift with former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, a former defensive coordinator for Urban Meyer. Whittingham even revealed that, to his "understanding," Underwood never had a dedicated quarterbacks coach in his first year.
While Michigan had four four-star-ranked players in the transfer portal (ranked 24th among teams according to 247Sports), the Wolverines can be a threat if Underwood plays up to his potential and develops by this season's end. Several Utah players, including defensive end John Henry Daley, cornerback Smith Snowden and wide receiver JJ Buchanan, followed Whittingham to Michigan. On the horizon is five-star prospect Savion Hiter, the No. 2 running back in the 2026 class (Alabama's EJ Crowell is No. 1).
Michigan may be rebuilding with a new staff, but "The Game" has a recent history of providing unexpected results. After a brutal second half of the schedule, Ohio State's matchup vs. Michigan could easily have CFP implications.
Ohio State football schedule 2026
A majority of times to be determined at a later date.
- Sept. 5 vs. Ball State, 12:30 p.m., Big Ten Network
- Sept. 12 at Texas, 7:30 p.m., ABC
- Sept. 19 vs. Kent State, 12 p.m., FOX
- Sept. 26 vs. Illinois
- Oct. 3 at Iowa
- Oct. 10 vs. Maryland
- Oct. 17 at Indiana
- Oct. 31 at USC
- Nov. 7 vs. Oregon
- Nov. 14 vs. Northwestern
- Nov. 21 at Nebraska
- Nov. 28 vs. Michigan, Noon, FOX
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Will Ohio State football be playoff-ready? These 4 games will tell us
Continue reading...
