Ohio State 2026 football schedule: Buckeyes face road games at Texas, USC in rough slate originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Of the 18 schedules released by the Big Ten Tuesday, the Ohio State Buckeyes may have the toughest amongst the elite teams in the conference
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Nonetheless, though, the Buckeyes have a mission: return to the national title game this fall for the first time since 2024. Whether they can, though, is to be determined. Coach Ryan Day has previously stated that no other task is more important than striving for titles.
“Woody Hayes is the last one to win multiple national championships at Ohio State, and that’s something that I’ve now kind of set for myself — is to be the next head coach to win multiple national championships at Ohio State,” Day told Charles Barkley on “The Steam Room” podcast.
AD Ross Bjork further clarified his commitment to Day this past fall, revealing to Eleven Warriors how ecstatic he still gets that Day continues to lead the Buckeyes on a daily basis.
“It has been a true pleasure to work alongside Coach Day over the past year,” Bjork wrote. “Coach leads an amazing program and anchors a great culture of academic success, socially responsible young men, a championship level of performance, and provides leadership that is expected here at Ohio State.”
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With both men all-in and working toward making the football program and each other successful, the Buckeyes have to showcase the same intensity this fall, especially with quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith returning.
Below is the Buckeyes’ full schedule.
MORE: Indiana 2026 Big Ten schedule
Ohio State 2026 football schedule
|
Game |
Date |
Location |
|
Week 1: vs. Ball State |
Sept. 5, 2026 |
Ohio Stadium (Columbus, Ohio) |
|
Week 2 at. Texas |
Sept. 12, 2026 |
Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (Austin, Tex.) |
|
Week 3: vs. Kent State |
Sept. 19, 2026 |
Ohio Stadium (Columbus, Ohio) |
|
Week 4: vs. Illinois |
Sept. 26, 2026 |
Ohio Stadium (Columbus, Ohio) |
|
Week 5: at Iowa Hawkeyes |
Oct. 3, 2026 |
Kinnick Stadium (Iowa City, Iowa) |
|
Week 6: vs Maryland Terrapins |
Oct. 10, 2026 |
Ohio Stadium (Columbus, Ohio) |
|
Week 7: at Indiana Hoosiers |
Oct. 17, 2026 |
Memorial Stadium (Bloomington, Ind.) |
|
Week 8: BYE |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Week 9: at USC Trojans |
Oct. 31, 2026 |
United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (Los Angeles, Calif.) |
|
Week 10:vs. Oregon Ducks |
Nov. 7, 2026 |
Ohio Stadium (Columbus, Ohio) |
|
Week 11: vs. Northwestern Wildcats |
Nov. 14, 2026 |
Ohio Stadium (Columbus, Ohio) |
|
Week 12: at Nebraska Cornhuskers |
Nov. 21, 2026 |
Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, Neb.) |
|
Week 13: vs. Michigan Wolverines |
Nov. 28, 2026 |
Ohio Stadium (Columbus, Ohio) |
MORE: Jeremiah Smith’s latest Ohio State warning could serve as dire message for rest of Big Ten
