There’s still one week to go before Ohio State opens the 2026 season, but the wait has already been a long one for everyone around the program.
When the Scarlet and Gray take the field next Saturday against Ball State at Ohio Stadium, it will have been 253 days since their last game. A lot has changed in that span.
Ohio State is not bringing back the same group that played Miami in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal eight months ago. The Buckeyes lost 12 starters from that undefeated regular-season team, including four first-round NFL Draft picks, and then brought in 51 new players through transfers, freshmen and walk-ons.
The roster looks different, but the mission hasn’t moved an inch. Ohio State still expects to beat Michigan, win the Big Ten and chase another national title.
That backdrop framed the Bucknuts preseason roundtable, where the staff dug into how the 2026 season might unfold and whether this team can handle what’s being billed as the toughest schedule in recent memory.
One of the early questions centered on what had shifted since the start of fall camp.
Dave Biddle said his view of the freshmen has changed the most over the last few weeks. He pointed to Jay Timmons as a player whose role looks bigger than expected.
“There are a handful of freshmen that will play larger roles than I anticipated. For instance, it was clear coming out of spring that Jay Timmons was going to play this year.
But I had him pegged as a rotational piece at cornerback; not the starting nickel. He hasn't officially won the job yet, but it sure sounds like he's on the verge of doing so.
Brock Boyd is another example. I knew he would play some this year and would be a future standout at OSU.
The "future" might mean this season.”
Boyd was the other name Biddle highlighted, another freshman who may not be waiting long to make his mark.
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