Predicting Every Game on Ohio State's 2026 Football Schedule

Head Coach Ryan Day has never suffered a season with three losses so far during his coaching career with Ohio State. This season is looking to be one of his hardest tests.

The Buckeyes head into 2026 with one of the hardest schedules in the country, with 6 AP Preseason Top 25 teams featured on the gauntlet. Three of those (Oregon, Texas, and Indiana) are top 10 teams.

With the start of the 2026 season only 16 days away, here are predictions for every Ohio State game this season.

vs Ball State: 66-3

In the Ryan Day era, Ohio State has played 6 times against the Mid-American conference and outscored those opponents 357-48. With Ball State being picked towards the bottom of the conference this year, this should be the perfect warmup game for all the new starters.

The Buckeyes have also scored more than 50 points in 5 of these 6 matchups, the only time not being against an Ohio Bobcats team last season that finished top 50 in scoring defense in the country. It would be hard to expect anything less in a great first showing for new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.

at Texas: 17-13

As Ohio State has won the last two matchups against Texas thus far, I believe this game is much more of a toss-up than the other two, and that says a lot.

Day has found ways to win this matchup against Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian the two times before, and there is still strong belief Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith are the two best players in this game, and should be able to grind it out again versus this top-5 Longhorns squad.

vs Kent State: 52-6

Kent State is predicted to finish higher in the MAC than Ohio State’s other opponent Ball State, but is also another projected finisher in the bottom half of the conference.

Their quarterback Dru Deshields can lead a couple scoring drives and make some plays in this game, but there is no reason not to expect another route in this matchup, with the lower scoring margin more being a hangover after a tough matchup in Texas.

vs Illinois: 38-10

This matchup against Illinois last year was supposed to be one of the biggest early tests for an undefeated Ohio State team coming into that matchup, as Illinois was ranked No. 17 in the country and were seen as one of the sleeper teams in college football.

What resulted was a pretty comfortable 34-16 victory where the Buckeyes really never felt any pressure. Facing an Illinois team with loaded talent from the portal anywhere and not a lot of continuity from last year’s team, this should be an expected steamroll in The Shoe.

at Iowa: 24-9

For many people watching the Ohio State schedule release, this was an immediate circled game as a possible trap game for the Buckeyes. Kirk Ferentz has built a tough program that always makes the Hawkeyes a tough out, and the last time the Buckeyes played at Iowa they suffered one of the worst losses in the last decade.

Yet, the talent on their roster just does not match the Buckeye attack. The defense from Iowa should slow this game down and limit the big plays from the offense, but expect a gritty win here where the defense really shines.

vs Maryland: 35-13

After two down years for the Terrapins, they should have a much better season this upcoming year. Malik Washington has shown flashes that he can be a solid quarterback and the defense should be much improved, but again just lack all of the talent around to catch Ohio State at home.

They should fare better in the run game and make it more of an aerial attack for the Buckeyes, but expect Julian Sayin to have a big game and it also could be a potential breakout for freshman Chris Henry Jr.

at Indiana: 14-17

The only blemish on the Ohio State’s schedule, the Hoosiers retained a lot of their talent from their national championship team a season ago and reloaded majorly in the transfer portal. This should be another instant classic in the budding rivalry, but the Hoosiers catch the Buckeyes in a tough environment in Bloomington.

If Ohio State is able to keep away pressure from Sayin and not miss key opportunities, they can absolutely take this in Bloomington. Yet, Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti has really built a program in his short stint already, and a game that is hard to see him dropping at home.

at USC: 38-35

This should be one of the most fun, but also scarier games of the season as a Buckeye fan. Jayden Maiava returns as one of the most prolific passers in college football, and their offensive attack should be one of the best in the country this upcoming season.

Yet, Lincoln Riley has struggled to win these big games up to this point in his career and Ohio State’s offense will do just enough in this matchup. This could be one of Jeremiah Smith’s biggest games of the season, and the running backs could easily produce upwards of 150 yards rushing in an instant classic in Los Angeles.

vs Oregon: 28-24

The last game of the toughest stretch on this schedule for Ohio State, the Buckeyes bring in the preseason No. 2 team in the country to Ohio Stadium for one of the most anticipated matchups of the entire college football season. Oregon quarterback and Sayin will square off as both are expected to be first-round NFL draft picks next April.

This game should play out close to how it did in Oregon two years ago, but with a flipped outcome. Both offenses should be very stellar in this game with star wideouts Smith and Evan Stewart shining, but a late Oregon drive late stalls and Ohio State is able to crawl out of this stretch 2-1.

vs Northwestern: 24-10

This score could very well be much higher than it is predicted above, but Northwestern is a very physical matchup for the Buckeyes after a very tough matchup with Oregon. With new offensive coordinator and former Ohio State playcaller Chip Kelly, the Wildcats can keep this game close enough to a little sweat.

Some turnovers could be seen in this game as stud safety Robert Fitzgerald returns for Northwestern, and the running game might stutter a little. Yet, still expect the Buckeyes to take this one and move on with some lessons learned before the final two games.

at Nebraska: 38-13

After a tough week against Northwestern, this is the get right week before The Game. The Huskers have some pieces on both sides to make this interesting, and Matt Rhule is due for the breakout year, even after losing quarterback Dylan Raiola in the transfer portal.

The difference in this game is the play from the offensive and defensive lines, where they are able to get the run game going and attack new quarterback Anthony Colandrea. The Buckeyes are able to roll early and keep the foot on the gas, bringing in some momentum before Michigan.

vs Michigan: 20-10

This matchup is already making headlines this summer as new Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham and returning quarterback Bryce Underwood are downplaying the rivalry. It is a questionable strategy after watching the Buckeyes dominate all three phases of the game in Ann Arbor last season.

Expect Ohio State to dominate the middle of the field as the linebackers are young for the Wolverines, and for the secondary to dominate once again against the still young Underwood and finish the season once again with double-digit wins.

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