The Ohio State Buckeyes would make the College Football Playoff in 2026/2027 if George Wrighster III and Ralph Amsden's prediction on "The Unafraid Show" comes to fruition this coming fall, and they'd beat their biggest rivals in the Big Ten during the process.
Wrightster and Amsden predicted road losses to the Texas Longhorns in Week 2 in Austin and to the USC Trojans on Halloween in Los Angeles as the two in OSU's 10-2 projected record. That'd mean wins against the Oregon Ducks, defending champion Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington, and getting the first win over TTUN at the "Shoe" since 2018.
Losses in those destination cities to non-blood rivals wouldn't be held against them nearly as much as the alternatives. A win over each team would be massive for different reasons.
Oregon is the other B1G team to beat
Oregon is the other projected Big Ten overlord besides Ohio State, so beating them would be the ultimate statement, especially since that game will take place in Columbus. This is the last of a brutal month-stretch that's preceded by the Indiana and USC games in the weeks prior. Winning it would keep the faith alive in central Ohio, even if 9-3 probably gets the Buckeyes in the postseason with their meat-grinder schedule.
Indiana needs to be put in its place
The Hoosiers got one over in the Big Ten Championship Game, but Ohio State needs to bring the power back from Indiana. If the Hoosiers hand the Buckeyes their second loss in mid-October, there will be panic. Beating Indiana on its home field would be a major moral victory for Ryan Day's squad.
'The Game' doesn't need explaining
Extending the win streak to two is paramount. Like any other year, this is the most important game on the schedule, and nothing else comes close. That goes without saying. Winning this one to wrap up the regular season guarantees no momentum. But historically, Ohio State has some ground to make up. The all-time series is currently 62–53–6 in favor of the Maize and Blue. His record against the Wolverines is Day's biggest red flag, but time and more wins would heal that wound.