The Ohio State Buckeyes have a tougher road to the College Football Playoff in 2026 than they had in 2025, but should they make the field for the third straight year, OSU should have a better shot at winning it all after a one-and-done loss to the Miami Hurricanes on New Year's Eve.
Saturday Blitz's Nicholas Rome spoke of Ohio State as a shoo-in for the 12-team 2026/2027 field, believing that facing teams like the Illinois Fighting Illini, Iowa Hawkeyes, Indiana Hoosiers, USC Trojans, Oregon Ducks, and TTUN in conference play will have them better prepared than having played the Purdue Boilermakers, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, James Franklin-less Penn State Nittany Lions that had given up on their season, and UCLA Bruins a season ago.
"The biggest issue for Ohio State in 2025 may have been the fact that they weren’t tested enough. This season, the Buckeyes should face a tougher schedule, which will make sure this team is ready for the Playoff. Non-conference play is headlined by the Texas game, which once again could be a matchup between the two top teams in the country," Rome wrote.
"Conference play will be much tougher for Ryan Day's team, which should ensure they're ready for the College Football Playoff. Ohio State faces Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, USC, Oregon, and Michigan, which will be a gauntlet compared to last year's schedule."
USA Today's Matt Hayes sees the Buckeyes' schedule as a way to dunk on the SEC for complaining about difficult schedules in the past, as they continue to cancel games now, labeling Ohio State's slate "daunting."
"What if I were to tell you Ohio State in 2026 will play seven of the top nine Big Ten teams from the 2025 final standings? A schedule so daunting, it would be like Georgia playing Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and LSU in 2026," Hayes wrote.
"Of course, that’s not happening. Now is it, Mr. and Mrs. SEC? Georgia in 2026 does play Alabama, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and … that’s where the heavy lifting ends. Georgia in 2026 does play Alabama, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and … that’s where the heavy lifting ends."
Ohio State may be able to afford three losses in 2026
Former Buckeyes linebacker Bobby Carpenter believes Ohio State's schedule is so tough in 2026 that a 9-3 record may be enough for the CFP selection committee to accept them into the field. That'd be the first time a 9-3 team ever made the Playoff.
"I think Ohio State, with that schedule next year, could be the first 9-3 team to get in, should they potentially do that, with how difficult their schedule is. But the SEC has also kind of lost some of that grace with the scheduling when the Big Ten has won the last three national titles," Carpenter said on Bishop & Friends on 97.1 the Fan. "That's the other thing. They can't champion 'our 9-3 is better than yours'. Is it?"
If you want to piss off the SEC, sending a 9-3 Big Ten team into the field, particularly the sport's darling Buckeyes, is the perfect way.
That's what you get for playing truly tough schedules. The Texas Longhorns had an interesting 9-3 case in 2025, but they probably should've lost to the Texas A&M Aggies instead of the Florida Gators.
There's a slim chance Ohio State takes a loss to the Maryland Terrapins in a similar fashion this fall. But if they do take three losses, to any of the aforementioned teams in the B1G or to Texas in Austin, the Buckeyes may test the CFP selection committee in an unfathomable way.