The Ohio State Buckeyes enter 2026 with optimism from a successful spring practice run and a realization that things aren't going to be easy this fall. Ohio State's schedule is the toughest in the nation, even if not everyone is willing to acknowledge that fact.
That doesn't mean the Buckeyes won't run through the schedule and make the CFP for the third straight season. It could mean there are a couple of bumps in the regular season, like there was in 2024 en route to a title, and unlike 2025, which saw an undefeated regular season but no CFP wins.
Is a loss necessary to motivate Ryan Day's squad before the CFP? Hopefully not. And definitely not to TTUN. If it happens, though, these are the only teams a loss can actually happen to during the 2026 season:
Week 2 against the Texas Longhorns on the road
This might be the most anticipated loss on the docket this fall. The Texas Longhorns host the return game of the home-and-home series-opening victory last year in Columbus, when the Buckeyes edged out a 14-7 win in Week 1.
Ohio State's three-man cornerback rotation should be deadly, but if there's a team that can lower their hype, it's Texas. Auburn Tigers transfer Cam Coleman joins a loaded receiver room that includes Ryan Wingo, who the Buckeyes held to two catches for 35 yards last season, and Emmett Mosley V, who missed that game due to a lower leg injury suffered in camp.
The latter two should have an easier time within the friendly confines of DKR Stadium, while the transfer running back tandem of Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown should test a Buckeyes defense that lost star defensive tackle Kayden McDonald to the NFL draft, not to mention elite run-stopping linebacker Sonny Styles in the middle.
Couple that with perhaps the country's most menacing edge-rusher group and a not-very-mobile Julian Sayin, and this one could be the ugliest outing of the season if things don't break the Scarlet and Gray's way often.
Week 5 against the Iowa Hawkeyes on the road
The Iowa Hawkeyes could also take advantage of Ohio State's loss of difference-makers against the run, though they'd have to win a much different game against the Buckeyes in Iowa City than the Longhorns would in Austin. Neither Jeremy Hecklinski nor Hank Brown has much experience under center, so the two-headed monster of South Dakota Coyotes transfer L.J. Phillips Jr. and junior Kamari Moulton will have to carry the Hawkeyes from the running back position.
History doesn't actually matter on any gameday when it doesn't involve players who were in the last matchup, but Ohio State lost its last matchup 55-24 at Iowa in 2017. Kinnick Stadium will be a hostile environment on October 3.
Week 7 against the Indiana Hoosiers on the road
In Bloomington, word is that Josh Hoover is playing just as well, if not better, than Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza did last season. With a true home environment, the Indiana Hoosiers may be even more dangerous than they were in their Big Ten Championship win over the Buckeyes in December.
Kansas State Wildcats transfer edge rushers Tobi Osunsanmi and Chiddi Obiazor, and Notre Dame Fighting Irish EDGE transfer Joshua Burnham could be just as imposing as Mikail Kamara and Stephen Daley were in that B1G title game. We'll see if Ian Moore, Austin Siereveld, or whoever Ohio State starts at left tackle is truly ready to be a championship-level blindside during this Week 8 clash at Memorial Stadium.
Week 9 against the USC Trojans on the road
While QB Jayden Maiavia is a likely future NFL draft pick and the Gary Patterson hiring as the USC Trojans' defensive coordinator should fire up a defense sat outside the top 50 in scoring, there's really only one scenario that could set the Buckeyes up for failure in Week 9 in LA:
Ohio State rolls in 7-0, following the bye week and an emotional road win over the defending champion Hoosiers the week before, and looks past USC to a Week 10 matchup with the Oregon Ducks.
It's a very real possibility that Ohio State can't shake up enough rust to outpace a high-powered Lincoln Riley offense in this potential trap game.
Week 10 against the Oregon Ducks at home
This is the only losable home game. Besides Texas, this may be the most losable game on the entire schedule. The Oregon Ducks have championship hype entering the 2026 season and have perhaps the best college QB in the country in Dante Moore.
Dan Lanning has been knocking on the door of greatness for years. After replacing both coordinators, he's got perhaps the most pressure of anyone to finally break the glass ceiling. Oregon has been spending more than practically everyone, on par with Ohio State. If this is truly their year, the Ducks could be ready for a second win in three regular seasons over the Buckeyes and avenge their 41-21 CFP Rose Bowl loss last January.
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