Ohio State is on track to get a home night game after all, and the Maryland kickoff announcement all but pointed the way.
The Buckeyes still haven’t played a night game at home this season, but that should change when Northwestern comes to Columbus on November 14. Once Maryland was set for a 4:15 kickoff, the path to a nighttime start against the Wildcats became pretty clear. Oregon is off the board, too, since that game will be a 3:30 matchup on CBS based on the TV schedules for both Notre Dame and FOX.
That makes Northwestern the likely answer, even if it’s not exactly the kind of opponent that usually turns the Horseshoe into a frenzy. A night game against the Wildcats won’t carry the same energy as one against Oregon or another marquee foe, but it does give Ohio State a chance to break out its new black uniforms. It also looks like that will be the only time the Buckeyes wear them.
The game itself should come with a heavy Ohio State favorite label. Northwestern is expected to be a multiple-touchdown underdog, which means upset talk shouldn’t be the first thing on anyone’s mind. Still, the Buckeyes know better than to take anything for granted.
This late-season night game would have looked a lot different in the Gene Smith era. Under Ross Bjork, though, the approach has shifted, and the success of the December 2024 College Football Playoff home game against Tennessee helped make that possible. Ohio State hosted Tennessee in a first-round CFP game that month, and that experience appears to have changed the way the program views late home kickoffs.
The Buckeyes also still haven’t locked in when they’ll wear their all-scarlet uniforms. That option could come against Oregon in the first weekend of November, or against Maryland for homecoming. One place they definitely should not wear them is against TTUN.
Ohio State has done that before against Michigan, but that’s a tradition many would rather not see repeated. Urban Meyer didn’t seem to feel the same way, but the feeling around this matchup is clear enough: the regular uniforms should stay put.
The schedule is about to get serious, too. Ohio State is heading into a stretch where it will face ranked teams in four of its next five games. With one loss already on the board, the Buckeyes can’t afford two more if they want to stay in the College Football Playoff hunt.
In Other News...
Ohio State Sees An Opening In Iowas Banged Up Secondary
Iowas secondary, usually the backbone of a defense that likes to make life difficult on opposing quarterbacks, is heading into its matchup with Ohio State short-handed. Tyler Brown has already been ruled out, and the group is dealing with more uncertainty after Kyler Gerady was unavailable and Darion Jones is listed as questionable, which changes the look of a back end that would rather be at full strength when facing a team with real firepower.
For Ohio State, the timing creates a potential opening after Smiths standout performance last time out, especially if the Buckeyes can force Iowa to rely on depth in the defensive backfield. Ohio State has its own injury questions to monitor with Jay Timmons and Phillip Daniels listed as questionable, but Zion Grady is expected to return, giving the Buckeyes a little more balance as they prepare for a game that could hinge on how much stress Iowa can absorb in coverage. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Is Back In The No 1 Debate For One Reason
Paul Finebaum has Ohio State back in the national No. 1 conversation, even after the Buckeyes loss, because of the kind of roster they still have and the path still ahead. He said he is torn between Ohio State and Georgia at the top of the sport, with Georgia looking like the probable No. 1 team right now but Ohio State still carrying enough talent and schedule weight to stay in the discussion.
Georgias case is built on a clean start and a resume that has looked stronger on paper through the opening stretch, even if Finebaum pointed out the competition has not yet pushed the Bulldogs the way it will soon. The real separator, as he sees it, may come with the upcoming game against Alabama, which should tell a lot more about where Georgia stands and whether Ohio State keeps its grip on the debate or slips further behind. [Read more 🡒]
Arvell Reeses NFL Start Is Raising One Early Concern For Ohio State Fans
Arvell Reeses first month with the New York Giants has given Ohio State fans plenty to track after the former Buckeyes standout went fifth overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. Reese arrived in the league with a decorated rsum from Columbus, where he piled up 112 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks across three seasons while helping lead Ohio State to the 2024 national championship.
Through three games, Reese has been on the field every week and has already collected 25 tackles, but the splash plays that made him such a high-end draft pick have not shown up yet. He has not recorded a sack or tackle for loss, and the early comparison only gets tougher when you consider former teammate Sonny Styles, who went two picks later to Washington and was just named NFC Defensive Player of the Week after Week 3. [Read more 🡒]