After an undefeated common season report in 2025, Ohio State might be going into 2026 with presumably one of its hardest schedules in this system’s historical past. Ryan Day and the Buckeyes will face video games at Texas, USC, Iowa, Indiana after which house video games in opposition to Oregon and Michigan. All of these groups completed the 2025 season throughout the Prime 25, and the vast majority of them not solely introduced again most of their 2025 roster but in addition had an excellent quantity of transfers are available. With all this thought of, will 2026 be the hardest schedule in Buckeyes historical past?
Ohio State’s first problem will are available Week 2 in opposition to the Texas Longhorns in Austin. Final season, Ohio State opened the school soccer season in opposition to Texas and gained an in depth sport that completed 14-7. Nevertheless, with having to substitute a number of gamers leaving for both the NFL Draft or the switch portal, the Buckeyes might find yourself fighting such an opponent so early within the season.
Their Massive Ten schedule isn’t the place the issues finish both. Their Massive Ten highway opponents encompass Iowa, Indiana, USC and Nebraska. Whereas their house schedule has them playing Oregon, Michigan, Illinois, Maryland and Northwestern. 9 of the 12 groups they’re enjoying this 12 months made a bowl sport or the playoffs in 2025. Seven of these groups had nine-plus wins final 12 months. And their Massive Ten opponents went 51-30 in convention play. According to CBS and different early rankings, Ohio State faces as many as 4 potential top-10 groups in 2026 and should have the only hardest schedule within the Massive Ten and within the nation.
This schedule is tough, however is it the hardest in historical past?
Effectively, there have positively been different years when the Buckeyes had onerous schedules. Previous BCS and playoff runs beneath Jim Tressel and City Meyer needed to undergo Michigan, Penn State, Wisconsin after which high nonconvention video games like Texas or USC. However what makes 2026 completely different is the quantity of highway video games in opposition to high groups (Texas, USC, Indiana) after which additionally having to play Oregon and Michigan at house. In previous years, Ohio State received examined by possibly two or three actually elite groups, however in 2026, they may must play 5 or extra video games in opposition to groups ranked in not less than the highest 15.
This 2026 slate is not less than within the dialog as one of many hardest schedules Ohio State has ever performed. But when the Buckeyes survive it with one or two losses, they’ll have one of many strongest resumes within the nation.
