How difficult is Ohio State football’s 2026 schedule? See breakdown

Just how difficult is Ohio State’s 2026 football schedule? And how does it stack up against other Big Ten opponents’ schedules?

After an early matchup against Texas, the Buckeyes have a difficult stretch of Big Ten opponents including games against Oregon and Indiana, two 2025 College Football Playoff teams.

After a bye week, the Buckeyes will also travel to Los Angeles to play USC, which owns the top recruiting class in 2026 according to 247Sports.

See how Ohio State’s schedule might stack up against other Big Ten opponents.

2026 Big Ten opponents’ 2025 conference winning percentage

While college football teams look vastly different year to year due to graduating players and transfers, Ohio State’s 2026 Big Ten opponents combined have a stronger 2025 conference win-loss percentage than any other team’s opponents. The other 2025 CFP teams, Oregon and Indiana, rank fifth and sixth on the list.

• Ohio State – 0.629
• Northwestern – 0.580
• Michigan – 0.568
• Nebraska – 0.568
• Oregon – 0.556
• Indiana – 0.531
• Washington – 0.531
• USC – 0.519
• Iowa – 0.506
• Michigan State – 0.494
• Purdue – 0.493
• Minnesota – 0.481
• Rutgers – 0.469
• UCLA – 0.469
• Illinois – 0.444
• Maryland – 0.432
• Penn State – 0.420
• Wisconsin – 0.346

Ohio State football 2026 games against 2025 College Football Playoff teams

Including Ohio State, three Big Ten teams made the 2025 College Football Playoff. Indiana and Oregon, the other two teams that played against each other in the CFP semifinals, are on Ohio State’s schedule next season. While the Buckeyes will face Oregon at home, they will face the reigning national champion in Bloomington, Indiana.

Three teams in the conference – Northwestern, Nebraska and USC – will have to play all three 2025 CFP teams next season.

Teams facing three 2025 CFB teams:

Teams facing two 2025 CFB teams

• Ohio State (Oregon, Indiana)
• Illinois (Ohio State, Oregon)
• Michigan (Ohio State, Oregon)
• Washington (Oregon, Indiana)
• Indiana (Ohio State, Oregon)

Teams facing one 2025 CFB team

• Indiana (Ohio State)
• Iowa (Ohio State)
• Maryland (Ohio State)
• Michigan State (Oregon)
• Oregon (Ohio State)
• Purdue (Indiana)
• UCLA (Oregon)

Teams facing no 2025 CFB teams

• Minnesota
• Penn State
• Rutgers
• Wisconsin

2026 Opponents on USA Today’s way-too-early top 25 list

Since the end-of-the-year rankings fail to accurately represent how a team projects for the 2026 season, USA TODAY’s way-too-early top-25 poll can be used to judge Ohio State’s opponents.

Among Big Ten teams, Ohio State plays the most teams included in the top-25 list: Texas (No. 1), Iowa (No. 21), Michigan (No. 13), USC (No. 12), Oregon (No. 9) and Indiana (No. 4). The Buckeyes are No. 2 spot in the rankings.

See what matchups the rest of the conference has below:

• Ohio State – 6 (Texas, Iowa, USC, Oregon, Indiana, Michigan)
• Northwestern: – 5 (Indiana, Oregon, Ohio State, Iowa, Penn State)
• Michigan – 5 (Ohio State, Iowa, Penn State, Indiana, Oregon)
• Washington – 5 (Indiana, Oregon, Penn State, USC, Iowa)
• Nebraska – 4 (Indiana, Oregon, Ohio State, Iowa)
• USC – 4 (Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State)
• Purdue – 4 (Notre Dame, Penn State, Indiana, Iowa)
• Rutgers – 4 (USC, Indiana, Michigan, Penn State)
• Wisconsin – 4 (Notre Dame, Penn State, USC, Iowa)
• Oregon – 3 (USC, Ohio State, Michigan)
• Indiana – 3 (USC, Ohio State, Michigan)
• UCLA – 3 (Oregon, Michigan, USC)
• Illinois – 3 (Iowa, Ohio State, Oregon)
• Maryland – 3 (Ohio State, USC, Penn State)
• Michigan State – 3 (Notre Dame, Michigan, Oregon)
• Penn State – 3 (USC, Michigan, Iowa)
• Iowa – 2 (Ohio State, Michigan)

Ohio State ‘cross-country’ trips compared to Big Ten opponents

Last season, the Buckeyes had one trip to the West Coast, to open up Big Ten play against the Washington Huskies. This season, Ohio State once again has one West Coast trip, to face USC, but the Buckeyes will be coming off a bye entering the game.

USC, on the other hand, has a trip to Wisconsin before facing Ohio State the following week. Ohio State will also travel during its nonconference season to play Texas, which is 1,237 miles away.

No eastern Big Ten travels to play a West Coast Big Ten opponent more than once in the 2026 season. West Coast teams (USC, Washington, Oregon, UCLA) travel at least three times for road matchups against eastern Big Ten opponents. USC has the most road matchups in the Midwest: Wisconsin, Indiana, Rutgers and Penn State.

2026 Ohio State football schedule

All times TBD

• Sept. 5: vs. Ball State
• Sept. 12: at Texas
• Sept. 19: vs. Kent State
• Sept. 26: vs. Illinois
• Oct. 3: at Iowa
• Oct. 10: vs. Maryland
• Oct. 17: at Indiana
• Oct. 24: OFF
• Oct. 31: at USC
• Nov. 7: vs. Oregon
• Nov. 14: vs. Northwestern
• Nov. 21: at Nebraska
• Nov. 28: vs. Michigan

Dan Aulbach covers breaking and trending sports for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at daulbach@dispatch.com and follow along X for more.