The Ohio State football team knew who they were going to play heading into 2026. What they didn't know was the order of the Big Ten opponents that they were going to face. After a disappointing finish to the 2025 season, the Buckeyes are looking to turn things around next year.
After a solid finish to the Transfer Portal, the Ohio State Buckeyes feel they are much better equipped to win games heading into 2026 than they once were. However, the schedule is much harder in 2026 than it was this past season, especially when it comes to the Big Ten slate.
With the full release of the Big Ten schedule, the Buckeyes now know their entire schedule. We predict what their final record will be next season and whether or not they will be playing in the College Football Playoff again.
Predicting the Ohio State football team's 2026 record
Ohio State will have no issues dispatching Ball State in the season-opener, so the year really begins in Austin. Ohio State barely beat Texas last season in the Shoe, and this is still a really good Longhorns team. That could be a loss they catch early on in the year.
The Buckeyes shouldn't have any issues with Kent State or Illinois in the next two weeks following the Texas game. Playing at Iowa in the first weekend in October will not be easy. That should still be a win, as Iowa's offense likely won't have enough firepower.
Maryland will get pummeled the weekend before Ohio State faces its toughest Big Ten opponent. They play at Indiana on October 17th. IU is the defending national champ, but they lose a lot of offensive talent heading into next year. That game is a true coin flip.
The bye week right before they travel to USC will be good enough for the Buckeyes to get a win in Los Angeles. They take on Oregon the following week, which should be a win with Ohio State having home-field advantage. Beating Northwestern and Nebraska the following couple of weeks shouldn't be an issue.
Getting Michigan at home now that Ryan Day has the monkey off his back should allow them to emerge victorious in that game. By count, Ohio State will finish the season 11-1 with a loss at Texas. At worst, they'll catch another loss in Bloomington and finish 10-2.
In either case, they should be back in the College Football Playoff yet again.