Once upon a time, early September in college football meant marquee matchups-blue bloods clashing before conference play began, setting the tone for the season and giving fans a taste of playoff-caliber football right out of the gate. One of those long-awaited showdowns was supposed to be Alabama vs.
Ohio State, a home-and-home series slated to kick off in Columbus in 2027, with a return trip to Tuscaloosa in 2028. But now?
That heavyweight bout may never see the field.
Why the sudden uncertainty? The SEC’s decision to move to a nine-game conference schedule starting in 2026 is reshaping how programs approach non-conference scheduling.
And according to Paul Finebaum, Alabama might already be backing away from the Ohio State series. Speaking on 97.1 The Fan in Columbus, Finebaum said, “I sincerely doubt the Alabama game is going to happen based on what I’ve heard from Alabama’s AD.”
That’s a big statement-and it’s not without context. Alabama’s new head coach, Kalen DeBoer, has dropped four games in each of his first two seasons.
In the current college football landscape, where every loss matters more than ever, adding a road game against Ohio State is the kind of risk most programs aren’t eager to take. Georgia, Finebaum noted, might still honor similar agreements, calling them “a little more in-tune and aligned,” but he doesn’t expect that to be the norm across the SEC.
The bigger picture? The SEC’s ninth conference game is tightening the screws on scheduling flexibility.
Alabama already scrapped a home-and-home with West Virginia and pushed a 2026 date with South Florida all the way to 2032. That’s not random.
It’s a strategy. Programs with playoff aspirations are realizing that stacking tough non-conference games on top of a brutal SEC slate could be a recipe for disaster.
One or two losses might be all it takes to derail a postseason run.
And if Alabama walks away from Ohio State, don’t be surprised if others follow. The Buckeyes could find themselves scrambling to fill those 2027 and 2028 slots, and good luck finding a team of similar caliber willing to step in on short notice.
We’ve already seen how early-season losses can haunt a team. Just look at Texas.
The Longhorns took a Week 1 loss to Ohio State this past season and finished 10-3. That single defeat kept them out of the playoff conversation.
Former Alabama star Mark Ingram brought that up in December, questioning why the Tide should stick with the Ohio State series after watching Texas get burned for scheduling bold.
Alabama’s 2026 schedule offers a glimpse of the new normal. They open with East Carolina, then host Florida State on Sept.
- Add in nine SEC games and a late-season date with Chattanooga, and you’re looking at a slate that already leaves little room for error.
Toss in Ohio State? That’s a high-wire act with no safety net.
So what does all this mean for the future of college football? If Finebaum’s right-and the trend lines certainly back him up-we’re heading toward a landscape where premium non-conference matchups are the exception, not the rule.
The expanded playoff was supposed to reward strength of schedule, but the reality is starting to look a lot different. In an era where one early stumble can cost you everything, self-preservation is becoming the name of the game.
And that’s a loss for the fans. Because Alabama vs.
Ohio State in September? That’s the kind of game that reminds us why we love college football in the first place.