Ohio State’s path this season is not the kind of schedule you can breeze through and call it a day. Between the opponents and the travel, the Buckeyes are staring at a regular season that asks plenty of questions before the real prizes even come into view.
That’s why this slate feels like a true test as Ohio State chases its first Big Ten title in six years and its second national championship in three years. There are no easy stretches, no clean breathing room, and not much margin for a slip.
The opener against Ball State should give Ohio State a chance to settle in. The Cardinals come out of the Mid-American Conference, and while they’re a solid Week 1 opponent, this is not the kind of matchup that should keep anyone up at night.
Ball State hasn’t reached a bowl game since 2021, and their best season since then has been a five-win campaign. Ohio State ought to have plenty of success throwing the ball.
Then comes the one everybody circles immediately: Texas in Week 2, on Saturday night in Austin. It’s another top-five showdown between two teams that have already crossed paths twice since the calendar turned to 2025, but this one brings a different feel because it’s in Texas’ home stadium.
Arch Manning will be there. Julian Sayin will be there.
Jeremiah Smith will be there. If the Playoff were still a four-team setup, the stakes would feel enormous for everyone involved.
Even with the current format, it’s still a major game.
And if Ohio State can go into the Lone Star State and beat Texas again, that would matter. Beating an SEC team three straight times, especially a Texas team of that level, would be a serious statement. It would also go a long way toward setting the tone for the rest of the year.
After that, there’s no FCS opponent waiting around to create one of those lose-lose situations. Instead, Ohio State gets Kent State, and that’s a game the Buckeyes should handle.
Kent State won five games last season, which marked real progress after the two previous years produced just one win combined. Still, this is exactly the kind of spot where Ohio State has to avoid a trap game, especially after Texas and with Big Ten play close behind.
Illinois opens the conference schedule. The Fighting Illini, led by Bret Bielema, are a respectable program, but Ohio State is a few tiers higher. That should translate into a fairly comfortable Big Ten opener.
The road trip to Iowa is the one that jumps off the page as the most intimidating. The Hawkeyes have more wins than any other Big Ten team that has not made the College Football Playoff, and they bring the kind of game that always feels like a slog: physical, stubborn, and ugly in all the familiar ways.
Ohio State’s last road trip to Iowa came in 2017, and the memory of that result is part of why this one feels uneasy. No matter what, Iowa is a dangerous opponent.
Maryland doesn’t inspire the same level of concern, but Malik Washington Jr. gives the Terrapins a legitimate weapon at quarterback. With the game in Columbus, Ohio State should be able to control things.
Then comes Indiana on the road, and this one carries a different kind of weight. It’s a rematch of last year’s Big Ten Championship Game, and Indiana enters as the reigning National Champion.
For the first time, Ohio State is going into a game against Indiana with the goal of knocking them off the Big Ten throne. That’s a new place for the Buckeyes to be.
For years, Ohio State had Indiana’s number. Now the matchup has flipped, and the Buckeyes may even be underdogs when they head to Bloomington in mid-October.
That’s a game with real intrigue.
The trip to USC brings another challenge that has been a long time coming. Ohio State last played at USC in 2008, and this season sends the Buckeyes to the L.A.
Memorial Coliseum. The Trojans could be very good, and after a couple of years of getting used to life in the Big Ten, they look ready to take another step.
Coming off a bye week and heading to the West Coast, this is not a game to take lightly.
Oregon at home feels like a must-win. The Ducks are excellent, and this has the look of a possible Big Ten Championship preview.
These may be the two best teams in the conference entering the season. With Oregon coming east in November, Ohio State has to be ready, especially if the kickoff lands at noon.
The Buckeyes can’t afford a repeat of what happened in 2021.
Northwestern is simple: don’t make it harder than it has to be.
Nebraska comes next, and that road game in the penultimate week of the regular season could be a serious test. The weather could be a factor, the crowd could be loud, and the environment should be as tough as advertised. It’s the kind of game that will ask whether Ohio State can run the ball and control the line of scrimmage before The Game arrives.
And then there’s The Game. Ohio State cannot afford to lose three straight home games to Michigan. They just can’t.
In Other News...
Arthur Smith Has Ohio State Offense Building Real Buzz Already
Arthur Smith has brought a different feel to Ohio States offense almost immediately, and it has shown up in the way practice and scrimmage work has pushed the unit against the defense. With Julian Sayin at quarterback and Jeremiah Smith headlining the receiver group, the Buckeyes are working through a pro-style system that asks more of the group than a simple script of obvious looks and straight-line concepts.
Players have already noticed the shift in tempo and variety, along with the depth and physicality that give the offense a different edge as the season approaches. The early buzz is one thing, but the more interesting part is how quickly Smith can turn that promise into something opponents have to prepare for once the games start. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Fans Still Have One Transfer Question They Need Answered
Ohio States late-summer addition of 6-foot-9 power forward Lee Aaliya gave the Buckeyes another frontcourt piece to consider as the new season approaches. Aaliya arrives with a different kind of rsum, having played professionally in Argentina, and his path to Columbus has already been unusual after he had once been committed to Michigan before logistical issues kept him from joining there.
Even with that move in place, there is still a lingering question for Ohio State fans because the spring transfer departures continue to shape how the roster is viewed. The offseason review of the five players who left the program pointed to Taison Chatman as the one whose next step will draw the most attention, with his situation now carrying plenty of interest beyond Columbus as he lands at Utah. [Read more 🡒]
C.J. Stroud Can Change How NFL Teams See Ohio State QBs
C.J. Stroud gave Houston exactly what it needed in his rookie season, guiding the Texans to an AFC South title and a playoff win while quickly looking like the kind of franchise quarterback who could change a teams trajectory. For Ohio State, it was more than a promising debut from a former star passer. It was another chance to see one of its quarterbacks succeed at the NFL level in a way that might finally soften a long-running reputation that has followed the program for decades.
The pressure only grows from here because the story around Stroud is no longer just about potential. His performance has dipped since that strong start, and the next stretch of his career carries weight beyond Houstons win-loss record. Ohio State quarterbacks have rarely broken through in the league, and Strouds coming season offers a chance to reshape how NFL teams view that pipeline, even if the broader narrative still needs more proof. [Read more 🡒]