Ohio State football scheduling quirk revealed with six games remaining

Having Buckeyes, Hurricanes and Hoosiers all finishing their regular seasons undefeated is not out of the question thanks to this calendar quirk.

Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. (7), cornerback Davison Igbinosun (1) and defensive lineman Kayden McDonald (98) celebrate after a fumble by Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer (9) during the second half of the NCAA football game at Gies Memorial Stadium in Champaign on Oct. 11, 2025. Ohio State won 34-16. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State, Miami and Indiana share more than just the Top-3 spots of the latest AP Top-25 college football poll.

Although Buckeyes, Hurricanes and Hoosiers combine for a perfect 17-0 record to start the college football campaign, there might be a good chance that all three programs finish their regular season with a zero under the 'L' column.

As noted by ESPN, take one look at their respective schedules, and it’s easy to see that 1 Ohio State, 2 Miami and 3 Indiana have no currently ranked opponents left to play for the year.

Of course, that can – and possibly, will -- change down the road, depending on weekly outcomes. But at this point in time, it’s not entirely out of the question that they don’t face another ranked opponent for the rest of the regular season.

Ohio State’s schedule sees the Buckeyes playing at Wisconsin, Penn State, at Purdue, UCLA, Rutgers, and at Michigan for the rest of their slate. Those six programs have a combined record of 16-20, and only the Wolverines have a winning mark for the year (4-2), while the Badgers, Nittany Lions, Boilermakers, and Scarlet Knights are all 0-3 in Big Ten play, respectively.

As for past ranked rivals, Ohio State already took down 1 Texas in the season opener, and is coming off a dominant win over 17 Illinois last weekend.

Miami upcoming schedule has them matching up against Louisville, Stanford, at SMU, Syracuse, NC State, at Virginia Tech and at Pittsburgh. Things look a bit trickier for the ‘Canes, as their seven remaining rivals hold a combined record of 23-20, and only the Cardinal and Hokies have losing records.

To date, the Hurricanes can count 6 Notre Dame, 18 South Florida and 18 Florida State among their victories.

For Indiana, the pending games include Michigan State, UCLA, at Maryland, at Penn State, Wisconsin, and at Purdue. That’s means there’s a combined 16-20 mark for Hoosier’s opponents the rest of the way.

Indiana already owns wins over ranked 9 Illinois and last week over 3 Oregon.

Ohio State, Miami and Indiana also occupy the first three spots in the AFC Coaches Poll. Besides the Buckeyes, Hurricanes and Hoosiers, there are still another eight undefeated teams in the FBS.

The 2025 will be the second under the current 12-team College Football Playoff format. Ohio State was crowned National Champions last year, after entering the tournament ranked eight thanks to a 10-2 record.