Quarterback Julian Sayin speaking at the Big Ten Football Media Days. Credit: Avi Schoenberg | LTV Sports Producer
CHICAGO — Ohio State did not trail once in the second half of a regular-season game last year.
Then came the postseason. The Buckeyes faced two second-half deficits, lost both games and watched their hopes for the first back-to-back national championships in program history disappear.?
They may not have to wait nearly as long to face adversity this season.?
Ohio State will play six teams that finished in last season’s final AP Top 25, including four matchups on the road against teams who had nine wins or more in 2025. The demanding schedule will immediately test a rebuilt Buckeyes roster featuring 51 new players.
“You come to Ohio State to play in those big games,” quarterback Julian Sayin said.?
In the first two months of the 2026 season, Ohio State will tackle road games against Texas and Iowa, as well as reigning national champion Indiana and USC.?
“These environments are going to be really loud,” head coach Ryan Day said. “What a great way to challenge our guys and to get calloused and get tough and become world warriors early in the season.”
Not only will Ohio State have to overcome tough matchups to start the season, but it will also have to develop chemistry early with a team that has revamped much of its roster from a year ago.
The Buckeyes lost 11 players to the 2026 NFL Draft and had more than 30 players enter the transfer portal.?
Day said the atmospheres of the away games early in the season will help the Buckeyes build chemistry.?
“You almost become like the villain when you go into these environments,” Day said. “You come together, you come closer as a team.”?
Other challenging games on Ohio State’s schedule include Oregon and Michigan at home, both of which defeated Ohio State two seasons ago.?
“When you look at the schedule, you just get excited, you get fired up because you know that you have to be on your stuff week in and week out,” Day said.?
Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith agreed this year’s schedule will benefit the Buckeyes, especially as they head toward the playoffs.
“[We’re] definitely going to be battle-tested this year, and it’s going to show a lot at the end of the season,” Smith said.
Day is equally convinced the demanding schedule will make the Buckeyes more prepared as the season unfolds.
“We’re going to get stronger every single time we play in one of these games,” Day said. “One thing about our players, you don’t come to Ohio State unless you want to play in those styles of games.”
