Ohio State is still 19 days from kicking off its 2026 season against Ball State at Ohio Stadium, but the schedule already looks like a grind.
The Buckeyes are staring at a path that includes six teams ranked in the Preseason Top 25, plus road trips to No. 4 Texas and No.
6 Indiana. That kind of slate brings the kind of matchups that decide games inside the game, and there are plenty of them for Buckeye fans to circle now.
The opener gives Ohio State a chance to see one of its most important defensive returners right away. Jackson Jr. comes into the season after a productive 2025 in which he finished with 6.5 sacks opposite NFL Draft Pick Caden Curry.
With Curry gone, Jackson is now the featured edge rusher, and he opens against Ball State’s Tristan Cook. Cook is one of only three Ball State players named to a preseason All-MAC team by Athlon Sports, and he started all 12 games for the Cardinals last season.
The next heavyweight test comes fast. Ohio State fans remember Colin Simmons from last year, when he went viral for downplaying the Buckeyes before Ohio State beat Texas 14-7 at home to open the season.
Simmons is back for another shot at Ohio State, and this time he’ll be matched with Ian Moore, the Buckeyes’ only new starting offensive lineman, charged with protecting quarterback Julian Sayin’s blindside. Simmons had just two tackles in that game a season ago, but he enters this year as a projected first-round draft pick and All-American for the Longhorns.
There’s also a key early-season exam for new middle linebacker Christian Alliegro in the second of Ohio State’s two early games against MAC opponents. He’ll be facing Dru DeShields, a second-team All-MAC preseason selection and one of the more efficient quarterbacks in the conference. DeShields brings run threat upside too, which makes this a strong early read on Alliegro’s command of the defense.
Some of the season’s most watchable individual battles come in the Big Ten stretch. Against Illinois, star receiver Smith will be trying to rebound from a game last season in which he finished below 50 receiving yards - one of only four such games all year.
On the other side, Scott enters the matchup with his own motivation after his 2025 season was cut short by injury after three games. Scott was a first-team all-conference preseason selection last year and a third-team selection this season.
Iowa brings another trench fight, and one that should test Jackson Jr. again. The Hawkeyes were the only Big Ten team last season to have four offensive linemen make an All-Big Ten team, and although they lost two of them to the draft, Lauck is back at tackle after a strong 2025. Jackson is looking to keep building his draft stock and push toward being a potential first-round pick in 2027.
Maryland offers a different kind of challenge. Jackson will be matched up with Wingate, who had 100 tackles last season and landed on the Bronco Nagurski and Butkus award watch lists for 2026. It’s one of the games where Jackson’s role in the new-look offense under coordinator Arthur Smith should be especially visible, with room for him to make impact plays on the ground.
The Indiana game carries more than one layer. After Ohio State’s loss to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship game, the rematch is circled both for the team and for Matthews, who gets another shot at Becker. Becker made some big catches against Matthews in their meeting a season ago, and Matthews now enters this year as the No. 1 corner in the room with breakout expectations.
The back end also gets tested in a marquee game against USC. McClain has drawn plenty of buzz this offseason after a strong year at safety next to first-round pick Caleb Downs, and his ball-hawking presence should be on full display against Lincoln Riley’s passing attack led by returning star Maiava.
Up front, Houston and Smith have been one of Ohio State’s best offseason stories as a duo, and they’ll get a major challenge against Laloulu, a second-team All-Big Ten selection. That one has the feel of a pivotal matchup for both sides.
Sayin, coming off a season that made him the runner-up for the Heisman, also has a notable test against safety Fitzgerald, who was a second-team All-Big Ten selection last season. Sayin is expected to keep pushing the ball downfield, and Fitzgerald gives him a strong measuring stick.
Nebraska adds another big one for Ohio State’s new starting defensive tackles. Evans, who made the Rimington Award watch list for this season, will be part of a front that could see the Cornhuskers lean more heavily on the run after the loss of Dylan Raiola. That puts more pressure on the interior battle.
And there’s one final edge matchup that stands out: Moore against Henry Daley. Daley transferred to Michigan with new head coach Kyle Whittingham after a second-team All-American season and finished 2025 with double-digit sacks. It shapes up as one of the toughest assignments Moore will face all season, right alongside Colin Simmons, with Sayin needing time to operate the passing attack.
In Other News...
Khary Wilder Is Giving Ohio State Fans An Early Reason To Believe
Khary Wilder has already made himself part of the conversation in Ohio States fall camp. The freshman defensive lineman shed his black stripe, becoming the fifth Buckeyes newcomer to do so this year, a small but meaningful marker that he is settling in quickly and starting to earn trust on a line that will need fresh pieces to emerge.
His timing matters because Ohio State is trying to reload up front after losing several key players to the NFL Draft, and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia is known for favoring a deep rotation. Wilder is expected to be in that mix, giving the Buckeyes another young option to lean on as they try to keep the defense operating at a high level even as the roster turns over. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States Backup Quarterback Battle Just Got More Complicated
The second full week of training camp has already started to clarify a key part of Ohio States quarterback picture behind Julian Sayin, and freshman Luke Fahey has pushed himself right into the conversation. Head coach Ryan Day said Fahey has been competing strongly for the backup role, a notable development for a player who arrived as a three-star recruit with a reputation for pocket passing and steady work ethic.
Fahey also earned his black stripe on Saturday, another sign that his progression is being taken seriously inside the program. His rise has made the battle for the No. 2 job more complicated, with Tavien St. Clair now feeling added pressure as camp moves forward and the Buckeyes continue sorting out the depth chart behind their starter. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Day Just Turned Up The Pressure On Ohio State's Bo Jackson
Ryan Day has made it clear that Bo Jacksons progress in fall camp is being judged with a sharp eye, and for now the Ohio State running back is being pushed to prove that his improved running style will matter when the games begin. Day said Jackson looks better than he did a year ago, but the early message from camp has been about earning trust through practice, not reputation, and that has put Jackson in a more competitive spot than some might have expected.
Jacksons path is still very much in front of him, but the way Ohio State has handled the running back rotation suggests nothing is guaranteed. Day has stressed that development has to show up on the field, and the longer that evaluation goes on, the more this becomes about Jacksons ability to keep moving forward in Columbus and forcing the staff to keep him in the picture. [Read more 🡒]