Why Ohio State's Tough 2026 Schedule Should be Looked at Positively

In contrast to the Buckeyes' 2025 regular season campaign, 2026 looks to be Ohio State's toughest schedule in recent memory.

Fireworks go off as the Ohio State football team takes the field prior to a game against Penn State Nittany Lions at Ohio Stadium on Oct. 30, 2021. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Last season, the Buckeyes lost their final two games against both teams that eventually played in the College Football Playoff National Championship.

Many believe a factor in these losses was a lack of readiness due to Ohio State’s relatively easy 2025 schedule.

That should not be a problem for the Buckeyes’ 2026 campaign, which features an early showdown against Texas and a grueling three-game gauntlet further into the year.  

Ohio State released its schedule Tuesday, which was highlighted by a Week 2 matchup against the Longhorns in Austin and later on, two back-to-back road games versus Indiana and USC before hosting Oregon the week after. The 2026 season will be the toughest regular season Ohio State has faced this decade, but it may be what the Buckeyes need to win another national title.

Why This Difficult Stretch is Good for Ohio State

Last year, Ohio State’s biggest regular season challenge was against Texas in the season opener. The Buckeyes defeated the Longhorns 14-7 in a not-so-impressive showing but went on a tear the rest of the season before losing to Indiana and Miami in the Big Ten Championship Game and Cotton Bowl, respectively.

Both of those games were completely winnable for Ohio State; however, the program appeared ill-prepared to compete despite being favored in both matchups.

The Buckeyes must be battle-tested more often in the regular season to avoid slipping up like they did in 2025 against playoff-caliber teams. The endurance test the 2026 schedule poses, especially the mid-season three-game stretch that will act as a pre-playoff run, is a perfect gauge to tell how well Ohio State will perform the rest of the season.

Ohio State lacked real competition in 2025, so for all intents and purposes, this upcoming tough schedule should be viewed as a positive for the program. Although that may sound like a backwards statement, look no further than 2024 to prove that regular season challenges can result in the making of champions.

The Buckeyes dropped two games in 2024, an away game versus the Ducks and an upset loss to Michigan at home. Both losses, especially the one against the Wolverines, woke Ohio State up and prepared it for the new 12-team CFP.

A loss to a competitive team may look like a blunder on a regular season record, but it is much better to lose and learn before the postseason as opposed to in the playoffs or conference championship games. The Buckeyes might have the toughest schedule in the Big Ten, but better to have that than a weak schedule that leaves a team unready to compete at the highest championship-winning level.