Ohio State’s 2026 schedule brings the usual mix of early tune-ups, road stress, and one rivalry finish that will loom over everything else. If the Buckeyes want the kind of season scarlet and gray fans expect, they’ll need to navigate a tricky stretch that includes Texas, Indiana, USC, Oregon, and Michigan.
The opener should be no mystery. Ball State comes to Columbus in Week 1, and the prediction here is a 52-3 Ohio State win.
Ryan Day has been ruthless against non-Power Four opponents since taking over in 2019, winning those games by an average of 43.9 points per game, and Ball State enters as a 50.5-point underdog. That points to a comfortable start on Senior Day.
The first real test arrives immediately after that, with a Week 2 trip to Texas. That one is projected as a 33-30 Ohio State loss.
Steve Sarkisian has come up short in two tough battles with the Buckeyes over the last two seasons, but this time the Longhorns are expected to break through at home. Texas hasn’t hosted Ohio State since 2006, though unlike that meeting, an early loss won’t end anyone’s playoff hopes now that the 12-team College Football Playoff exists.
For Ohio State, the bigger issue is a defense still sorting out its identity.
After that, the Buckeyes should settle back in. Kent State visits in Week 3, and that game is forecast as a 49-3 Ohio State win.
Week 4 brings Illinois to Columbus, with the Buckeyes expected to win 38-10. Ohio State beat Illinois 34-16 last season in a game that never really felt close, even if the Buckeyes had trouble putting it away cleanly.
Illinois has been floated as a Big Ten dark horse after missing expectations last year, but with former Michigan State and East Carolina transfer Katin Houser at quarterback, the Illini aren’t projected to make much noise in Columbus.
The first road grind comes in Week 5 at Iowa, and that’s the kind of game that can turn ugly in a hurry. The pick is a 24-9 Ohio State win.
Iowa games tend to get messy, with defense and special teams dragging opponents into the mud. Indiana needed late heroics to win there last year on its way to a 16-0 season, and Oregon had its own fight at Kinnick too.
Ohio State is expected to survive without style points and leave at 4-1.
Maryland shows up in Week 6, and the Buckeyes are projected to win 41-17. The Terrapins aren’t expected to matter in the Big Ten race, especially with defensive end Zahir Mathis out for the season, but they could still make Ohio State work defensively.
Sophomore Malik Washington returns at quarterback after throwing for 2,963 yards and 17 touchdowns last season, while adding 303 rushing yards and four scores. That dual-threat ability gives Maryland at least some punch.
Week 7 may be the most intriguing game on the schedule: Ohio State at Indiana. The prediction is a 28-27 Buckeyes win in what could be one of the Big Ten’s best games.
Indiana, the defending national champion, hosts a rematch of last year’s Big Ten title game, and the environment in Bloomington is expected to be its best ever. Ohio State’s Week 2 trip to Texas should help prepare it for another difficult road spot, and this one is framed as the Buckeyes’ first signature win of 2026.
There’s even a note that these teams could meet more than once.
After a bye week, Ohio State heads to USC on Halloween, with the Buckeyes picking up a 30-21 win. USC has believers this year, and Lincoln Riley may have one of his best rosters since arriving in Los Angeles, but the road setting doesn’t seem overwhelming.
Ohio State should also travel west with fresh legs after the break between Indiana and USC. Jeremiah Smith is expected to have a big day in Los Angeles.
The next home game comes against Oregon in Week 10, and that’s where the Buckeyes are predicted to take their second loss, 31-28. Oregon is viewed as having the kind of roster that can win this sort of game, and the projection includes Dante Moore joining Arch Manning on the list of quarterbacks to beat Julian Sayin in 2026.
Northwestern comes to Ohio Stadium on Nov. 14, and the Buckeyes are forecast to win 42-10. Chip Kelly’s return to Ohio Stadium is mentioned as a storyline, but not much else figures to make this one memorable. Northwestern hasn’t beaten Ohio State since 2004, and that streak is expected to continue.
The final road trip is a trip to Nebraska in Week 12, with Ohio State projected to win 38-9. It’s the kind of spot that could look like a trap on paper before a rivalry game, but this Nebraska team isn’t expected to threaten much. The Huskers have named Anthony Colandrea their starting quarterback, and while he had good moments at UNLV, there isn’t much confidence in him as a Power Four quarterback after his 26 touchdowns and 20 interceptions across the 2023 and 2024 seasons at Virginia.
Then comes the one that always matters most. Ohio State is predicted to beat Michigan 33-17 in Week 13.
Day beat Michigan for the first time since 2019 last season, and now the Buckeyes are trying to keep that momentum rolling. Ohio State’s last home game against Michigan ended in chaos, with fans shouting at Day while players fought Wolverines trying to plant a flag inside The ‘Shoe.
A second straight win over Michigan would, in some ways, provide a cathartic finish to the 2026 regular season.
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Ohio State is already drawing national attention before the 2026 season even gets going, and the reason is obvious: the Buckeyes are packed with players showing up on preseason honor lists across the sport. Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin are among the names landing on preseason All-American teams and watch lists from major outlets and awards groups, while the program keeps popping up in the kind of early buzz that usually signals a roster with real postseason expectations.
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