How Ohio State's football schedule gets harder next season

After avoiding some of the top teams in the Big Ten during the regular season, 2026 pins big game after big game for the Buckeyes.

Dec 31, 2025; Arlington, TX, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day looks on in the first quarter against the Miami Hurricanes during the 2025 Cotton Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

With the new Big Ten involving 18 teams, conference schedules will be ever-changing from year to year. This season, Ohio State came under some controversy for maybe getting an easier Big Ten schedule by missing out on the other top teams in the league, in Oregon and Indiana. 

To be fair, the Buckeyes did take on the preseason No. 1 Texas Longhorns and the preseason No. 2 team, the Penn State Nittany Lions.

While both teams were expected to have big seasons, both underwhelmed and missed the playoff. Penn State specifically went just 7-6 and fired its head coach, James Franklin. 

The Buckeyes also traveled to Champaign to take on Illinois, the preseason No. 12, another team that did not fully meet their expectations, finishing 9-4 and unranked. 

For the 2026 season, the competition just gets harder.

To start the season, the Buckeyes will host a MAC foe in the Ball State Cardinals. In week 2, though, there will be a big-time matchup as the Bucks will travel to Austin, Texas, to take on the Longhorns once again.

Texas will return starting quarterback Arch Manning, star sophomore receiver Ryan Wingo, and look to add more weapons like Cam Coleman in the transfer portal. Texas ended this season with a thrashing over Michigan in the Citrus Bowl, 41-27.

Week 3 involves another MAC opponent in the Kent State Golden Flashes, but the rest of the opponents, other than Michigan, of course, do not have a date set in stone. 

We do know that the Bucks will get the Big Ten champion next season, as they will travel to Bloomington to take on the Indiana Hooisers. Indiana will most likely lose some key pieces, like Heisman-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, senior rushing leaders Kaelon Black and Roman Hemby, and receiver Elijah Sarratt.

Curt Cignetti will surely be able to replace these players, though, as there is a big market for transfer quarterbacks and running backs already. 

Ohio State will also host the other Big Ten school in the final four of the CFB Playoff, as Oregon will come to town. Dante Moore seems to be going to the draft, but even with him going, Oregon will maintain tons and tons of talent across the board. 

Next year's schedule also involves some of the mid-tier Big Ten schools like Maryland, Northwestern, and Illinois. 

The final couple of games will all be on the road, involving Nebraska, Iowa, and USC. With Dylan Raiola transferring out, Nebraska could be an easier game, Iowa is always going to be a tough place to play on the road, and USC is bringing in the No. 1 recruiting class in 2026 and will surely be active in the portal.