What Ohio States Path Now Looks Like to Getting Back to The National Championship

Two seasons after winning a National Championship, Ohio State has another difficult path to get back to the peak of the mountain

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day and players celebrate with the trophy following the 34-23 win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to win the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Jan. 22, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Ohio State continues to be one of the top teams in the country year after year their path to trying to get back to the National Championship is always difficult.

In 2026, they had an early challenge when they traveled to Texas to take on the Longhorns for the second year in a row. The Buckeyes took a 20-point lead into the fourth quarter of that game before a collapse led to an early loss for, at the time, the number one team in the country.

The schedule going forward for the Buckeyes does not get any easier as they look to fight for another National Championship.

First up on the schedule is Maryland, which could be a nice game to get the team ready for the next three weeks. This is where the real challenge comes into play for this year's Buckeyes.

Oct 3, 2026; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes offensive line Ian Moore (69) and quarterback Julian Sayin (10) and cornerback Devin Sanchez (6) celebrate after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Following Maryland will begin the first of three potential top-25 matchups in a row for the Buckeyes. The first of those is a BIG Ten Championship rematch against Indiana.

Indiana is one of three teams left in the BIG Ten with a perfect record. Currently, they sit just outside of the top five in the AP Poll and have continued to ride the momentum from an undefeated season and their first National Championship in program history.

Current Big Ten Standings pic.twitter.com/BzvPMK8Xvv

— Mr. Ohio (@MrOH1O) October 7, 2026

They then get their bye week before they travel to California to take on USC. As one of the new additions to the BIG 10, they always offer a tough challenge for their opponents under head coach Lincoln Riley.

The following week, they will be back in The Shoe to host the Oregon Ducks. Fans have seen some amazing matchups between these two teams since Oregon joined the BIG Ten in 2024, including the Rose Bowl in 2024, when Ohio State went on to win the National Championship.

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates a first down catch during the second half of the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025. Ohio State won 41-21. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The final three games on the schedule are Northwestern, Nebraska, and then hosting Michigan for The Game.

If Ohio State can win out then they will easily be in the BIG Ten Championship Game and have an opportunity to earn one of the four byes in the College Football Playoffs. Which may not be what the Buckeyes want.

They earned the two seeds last year and had a bye, which did not seem to go well for them. 2024 proved to be a different story.

In 2024, they hosted Tennessee in the first round and won big, which gave them all the momentum to run the table and win the National Championship.

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) runs past Tennessee Volunteers defensive back Jermod McCoy (3) during the first half of the College Football Playoff first round game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Dec. 21, 2024. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Buckeyes, with already one loss, could only afford about one more loss in the season and still have a good chance to make the playoffs.

The path to another National Championship for the Buckeyes is nowhere close to easy but it is very doable for this year's squad.