Forward Amare Bynum (1) rises up for a dunk. Ohio State beat Butler 82-73 Oct. 25th in an exhibition game. Credit: Graham Hovis | Freelance Photographer.

The Buckeyes did not defeat a ranked opponent until mid-February last season.

They will look to start their 2026-27 campaign with a win over a ranked team.

Ohio State opens its season against No. 25 BYU Monday in Salt Lake City in the Delta Center. The Cougars are one of nine teams on the Buckeyes’ schedule that are currently ranked in the AP Top 25. Four of those opponents are against nonconference teams.

Head coach Jake Diebler said BYU, which brings in 10 newcomers and returns third-team All-Big 12 guard Robert Wright III, has several offensive scoring threats.

“Their roster is put together well and they have a lot of options, that’s the thing that kind of pops, I think on film, is you’ve got really four or five guys that are capable of having a big night offensively, and that versatility allows them to do some things and play with some pace,” Diebler said.?

In Ohio State’s exhibition games, in a 79-68 loss to Cincinnati on Oct. 7 and a 82-73 win over Butler on Oct. 25, it lost the rebounding battle in both games and was outrebounded by a combined 19 rebounds.?

Diebler emphasized the importance of the team’s defense and rebounding improvement ahead of the Buckeyes’ matchup with the Cougars.?

“We’ve got to be dialed in on the defensive side, which I like everything we’ve been doing and how we’ve been trending defensively,” Diebler said. “We’ve got to rebound better.”

With the game being the first of the season, Diebler said how crucial it will be sticking to the Buckeyes’ principles and adjusting to the gameplay.??

“They’ve had a lot of success there, so there’s going to be things that they’re going to do that we won’t fully know of, that’s why we have to double down on our principles and make sure those are really, really good,” Diebler said. “That way we can make adjustments on the fly when we need to, and vice versa. We’ve got to be able to put them in a bind as well, with showing some things we necessarily haven’t shown yet too.”?

Guard John Mobley Jr., who was named to the Preseason All-Big Ten team, left the Buckeyes’?

During the offseason, Ohio State brought in nine new players. In the Buckeyes’ two exhibition games, Ohio State tallied more turnovers than assists.

Diebler said that while the chemistry off the court has been noticeable, the team needs to improve playing together on the court.?

“The chemistry off the court’s been tremendous, even before they got on campus, that part’s great and you need that, that’s important,” Diebler said. “What we’re working on is that chemistry carrying over in between the lines. When it does, when we have great spacing and the ball’s moving, and we’re connected defensively, it’s a beautiful thing. We’ve got to do it more.”

Diebler said he believes this team has the most depth and talent he’s had, entering his third season as head coach. He assessed how the team’s depth can become a strength.

“We’ve got to shift our mentality a little bit and just wear people down with how hard we’re playing, how tough we’re playing and when other teams go to their bench and they don’t have 10, 11 guys that they can play, we do,” Diebler said. “So we can wear them down over time, and that’s what we’re working towards.”?

Guard John Mobley Jr., who was named to the Preseason All-Big Ten team, left the Buckeyes’ exhibition game against Butler Sunday in the final minutes with an ankle injury.?

Diebler addressed Ohio State’s team’s health heading into the game.

“As of right now, I don’t think we’re in a position to say, ‘hey, we’re going to be missing anybody,’” Diebler said. “But I’m also not in a position to say we’re not going to be missing anybody yet.”?

A season ago, Ohio State played four ranked opponents outside of the Schottenstein Center.

They lost all four.

Ohio State will look to turn the tide to start its season as it faces No. 25 BYU in Salt Lake City at 9 p.m. EST.?