Ranking Ohio State football’s 2026 opponents from easiest to toughest

Spring football practice is less than a week away for the Ohio State Buckeyes, and after a frustrating end to the 2025 campaign, they are looking to chase another national title in 2026. The path back will not be easy. Ohio State faces what is likely the toughest schedule in the Big Ten and one of the most challenging in the country. Based on how teams finished in 2025, the Buckeyes are set to face five AP Top 25 opponents in 2026, along with several difficult road environments.

Here is how I see Ohio State’s schedule stacking up from least difficult to toughest.

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12. Week 1 vs Ball State

Ohio State should make quick work of the Cardinals in their season opener at home in the Shoe.

11. Week 3 vs Kent State

Kent State won just five games last season and struggled badly against ranked opponents, getting outscored 172-24 in three such games. They do return some talent, but the Buckeyes should handle this one comfortably.

10. Week 10 vs Northwestern

Northwestern was quietly competitive in 2025 and even capped the season with a bowl win over Central Michigan. The Wildcats are an interesting case in 2026 after bringing in Michigan State’s former quarterback Aidan Chiles, Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator, and Jerry Neuheisel as quarterbacks coach. This game might rank lower, but Northwestern has to travel to Columbus, which makes the task much tougher.

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9. Week 6 vs Maryland

Maryland opened the 2025 season red hot at 4-0 before dropping every game the rest of the way. Freshman quarterback Malik Washington still impressed, throwing for nearly 3,000 yards and 17 touchdowns. Unfortunately for the Terps, they have to face the Buckeyes in the Shoe, where Ohio State should take care of business.

Nebraska won seven games last season, and former five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola has since transferred to Oregon, making 2026 more of a building year in Lincoln. Still, Memorial Stadium is never an easy place to play, with more than 80,000 fans in attendance. Ohio State should still find a way to get the win.

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Illinois was actually quite good in 2025, losing just four games and finishing the year with a bowl win over Tennessee. Ohio State beat the Illini 34-16 in Champaign last season, and the Buckeyes should have the edge again as Illinois replaces its starting quarterback, four of five offensive linemen, and several key defensive front players.

6. Week 5 at Iowa

Teams coached by Kirk Ferentz always play a tough brand of football, whether it is pretty or not. Iowa held its own against top teams last season, losing by just five points to Indiana and two to Oregon. The last time Ryan Day coached in Iowa City, he was the offensive coordinator, and the Buckeyes were blown out 55-24. You can imagine Day would love to flip that script nearly a decade later.

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5. Week 8 at USC

This stretch of the schedule is grueling for Ohio State. The Buckeyes will face the defending national champion Hoosiers the week before and a likely top ten Oregon team the week after. Playing at USC is always a unique environment, and this 2026 Trojans squad could be the best of the Lincoln Riley era. USC is bringing in the No. 1 recruiting class in the country with 35 commits, including three five stars, 17 four stars, and 15 three stars, along with 10 transfers. All of that talent makes this a fascinating matchup for the Buckeyes.

It is the rivalry game, no doubt, and it is usually Ohio State’s toughest and biggest matchup of the season. But this 2026 schedule is so loaded that Michigan comes in as the fourth toughest game in our eyes. The Buckeyes got back in the win column last season with a dominant 27-9 victory over TTUN in the snow in Ann Arbor. Since then, Michigan has brought in longtime Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham to lead the program. The big question is whether Bryce Underwood develops into the quarterback they paid big money to land. Michigan also has serious running back talent coming through the pipeline and added legitimate pieces in the transfer portal, including several players from a strong Utah team.

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3. Week 9 vs Oregon

The Ducks made another College Football Playoff run before falling short again, this time in a blowout loss to the Hoosiers in the semifinals. Dan Lanning has built one of the strongest programs in the country, and Oregon enters 2026 loaded once again. The Ducks return star quarterback Dante Moore, who likely would have been a top-three pick had he declared for the NFL Draft. They also bring in the No. 2 recruiting class in the country and return plenty of talent on both sides of the ball. Since 2010, Ohio State is 3-2 against Oregon, most recently dominating the Ducks in a Rose Bowl blowout in 2024 that Oregon fans would rather forget. This will be a major test for both teams, especially with the Buckeyes coming off a brutal two-game stretch with road trips to Indiana and USC.

2. Week 2 at Texas

Another early-season battle with the Longhorns is never easy, especially with this one taking place in Austin. Texas may actually have the better overall roster heading into this matchup. Arch Manning is now more seasoned, the Longhorns added a top-three transfer class, and the offense is loaded with legitimate weapons around him. Texas will also be highly motivated after Ohio State has had its number the past two meetings. Auburn transfer wide receiver Cam Coleman could present a serious challenge for an OSU secondary that will be replacing Davison Igbinosun after his departure to the NFL. It should be a wild game and one with major stakes right from the start of the season in Week 2.

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1. Week 7 at Indiana

A rematch with the Hoosiers in the middle of the season in Bloomington will be must-watch TV. Indiana is losing Fernando Mendoza and several playmakers on both sides of the ball, but Curt Cignetti showed just how elite a coach he is with the speed of the program’s turnaround. The Hoosiers brought in TCU transfer quarterback Josh Hoover and added a top-eight transfer class to help offset those losses. Cignetti does not strike me as a one-and-done type of coach. He gets the most out of his players, and Indiana likely is not going anywhere in 2026. This sets up as a major opportunity for Ryan Day and the Buckeyes to get revenge for the Big Ten Championship game and send a message to the conference that they are still the alphas.

This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ranking every Ohio State opponent in 2026 from easiest to toughest