Ohio State 's 2026 football schedule will feature several opponents included in USA TODAY's college football too-early top 25 poll. Six opponents on the schedule made the top 25: Texas, Indiana, Oregon, USC, Michigan and Iowa. First up for the Buckeyes is a game on the road against the top-ranked Longhorns.

The AP voters have released their final poll of the 2025 college football season, and they seriously underrated the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Ohio State is ranked fifth in the final AP Top 25 for the 2025 season. It’s the 11th time in the last 12 years that the Buckeyes have finished the year ranked in the top six.

Indiana and Ohio State are 7-1 co-favorites to win the 2026 College Football Playoff, according to DraftKings Sportsbook, followed by Texas and Notre Dame.

Indiana is playing for national championship. When was last time Big Ten crowned a football national champion outside of Ohio State and Michigan?

Ohio State’s defense allowed just 9.3 points and 219.1 yards per game in 2025, the fewest allowed in a season by any defense since Alabama in 2011.

Ohio State will begin the 2026 season with a home game against Ball State on Sept. 5 before traveling to Austin, Texas to play the Longhorns the following week. The Buckeyes will come back home to play Kent State on Sept. 19 before Big Ten play begins.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State football, fresh off a national title, entered the 2025 season with ample turnover on defense. Along with a change at coordinator — Matt Patricia replacing Jim Knowles — the Buckeyes lost eight defensive starters to the NFL.