Expectations at Ohio State are high.
Thanks to a revamped roster and an upgraded coaching staff, including the hiring of Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator, the Buckeyes are among the favorites to win the national championship this year.
In the key preseason polls released earlier this month, only Georgia ranked higher.
What obstacles could derail the Buckeyes on their way to a regular-season title? Below is a ranking of the toughest games on Ohio State’s schedule.
12. August 31 against Akron
Joe Moorhead remains one of the brightest minds in college football, an early adopter of the run-pass option at Fordham a decade ago. But he has overseen a slow rebuild in Akron. In his first two seasons at the helm, the Zips finished 2-10 each season. There are few signs of optimism this fall. Akron was rated second to last in the Mid-American Conference in the league’s preseason poll. The Buckeyes earned a resounding 59-7 victory the last time the Zips visited in 2021, and the outcome is likely to be just as lopsided this Labor Day weekend.
11. September 7 against Western Michigan
Of the two MAC schools playing in Columbus for the season opener, Western Michigan appears to be in better shape. Not by much, though. The Broncos finished 4-8 last fall in their first year under the leadership of Lance Taylor, who was previously offensive coordinator at Louisville and running backs coach at Notre Dame. But they have a returning 1,000-yard rusher in Jalen Buckley, the conference’s freshman of the year, and a defense where all of the projected starters are juniors and seniors, potentially making Week 2 a little more competitive for Ohio State.
10. September 21 against Marshall
The Thundering Herd are moving to an Air Raid offense, the pass-heavy scheme popularized by the late Mike Leach, and have hired Seth Doege as offensive coordinator. Doege, most recently tight ends coach at Purdue, was once a prolific passer for Leach at Texas Tech. But it will have to happen quickly if it is to cause problems for the Buckeyes. Marshall ranked in the bottom third of the Football Bowl Subdivision in scoring offense during a .500 season in 2023, averaging just over three touchdowns per game.
9. November 9 against Purdue
Location lowers the threat level. If the Boilermakers ever gave Ohio State problems, it was in West Lafayette, Indiana. The Buckeyes have won the last 10 meetings between the teams in Columbus by an average margin of 20.9 points. Purdue’s last victory in the Horseshoe came during John Cooper’s first season in 1988. With most preseason Big Ten polls, including one from the USA TODAY Sports Network, projecting Purdue to finish last in the conference, there is little to suggest that recent history will change.
8. November 23 against Indiana
The schedule placement, a week before a crucial clash with archrival Michigan to close the regular season, makes things a little more exciting. Could the Buckeyes be caught looking forward? Consider the brash Curt Cignetti, too. Cignetti moved up from Division II to the FBS and arrived in Indiana last winter. In the offseason, he revamped the Hoosiers’ roster, bringing in more than a dozen transfers from James Madison and providing a little more familiarity than usual for a program adjusting to a new coach.
7. November 16th at Northwestern
When playing near Lake Michigan in November, you can expect changeable weather. That was the case the Buckeyes’ last visit in 2022, when wind gusts exceeded 40 mph, making for a sluggish afternoon. This game is further down Chicago’s lakefront and is scheduled to take place at Wrigley Field, as Ryan Field undergoes extensive renovations. While the historic major league ballpark promises a unique atmosphere, the configuration will also likely introduce some variables for visitors.
6. September 28 at Michigan State
When Jonathan Smith left Oregon State for Michigan State, he brought three players with him. The small handful paled in comparison to the mass that followed Cignetti from James Madison to Indiana, but the transfers will make an immediate impact as starters, particularly Aidan Chiles, a promising dual-threat quarterback from Long Beach, Calif. One particular challenge for the Buckeyes will be that the trip to East Lansing will be their first game away from Ohio Stadium and against a power conference opponent.
5. October 26 against Nebraska
It’s not too far-fetched to imagine a scenario where the Cornhuskers are 7-0 when they visit Columbus. Only one of their first seven opponents was bowl eligible last year. Of course, Nebraska will have to improve on its own, too, though there were encouraging signs in its first season under the leadership of Matt Rhule, when they started 5-3 before a winless November prevented them from reaching their first bowl game since 2016. The wild card is Dylan Raiola, a true freshman who was one of the nation’s top-ranked quarterbacks in the last recruiting cycle. How steep will the learning curve be for Raiola, who was expected to start?
4. 5 October against Iowa
Brian Ferentz, the son of longtime coach Kirk Ferentz, is no longer the Hawkeyes’ offensive coordinator. He has been replaced by former Western Michigan coach Tim Lester. This personnel change is designed to revitalize the side of the ball that has limited one of the Big Ten’s more consistent programs. While Iowa ranked in the top 10 in the FBS in total defense the past two seasons, it was last in total offense in 2023 and second to last in 2022. The Hawkeyes’ stylistic profile likely won’t change with Lester. Expect ball control. But if they can be a little more dynamic, that would better complement their disciplined defense. This is the first big test on Ohio State’s schedule.
3. November 2nd at Penn State
One could argue that Penn State poses a bigger challenge than Michigan. Among former East Division opponents, the Nittany Lions have gone through fewer personnel and roster changes and have no NCAA clouds hanging over them as the Wolverines continue to brace for potential penalties related to their sign-stealing scandal in the fall. There’s also hope that Andy Kotelnicki, a new offensive coordinator, can get more out of Drew Allar’s cannon arm. But for all the uncertainty in Ann Arbor, one thing is clear about Penn State. It rarely prevails in matchups with conference heavyweights. Since arriving in Happy Valley a decade ago, James Franklin is 4-16 against Michigan and Ohio State. The last time the Buckeyes were tripped up by Penn State was in 2016.
2. November 30th against Michigan
Ohio State wants to avoid the prospect of a fourth straight loss to Michigan, a dismal streak it last experienced when Cooper began his 1988-91 tenure with four consecutive losses to the Wolverines. That’s what’s at stake in the 120th edition of The Game, a chance for the Buckeyes to reverse the trend on Thanksgiving weekend. The annual event may have less impact on winning the conference championship or making the College Football Playoff, but the rivalry has not faded. It has no less meaning among Buckeyes fans, adding to the pressure on Ryan Day’s staff and players. With all the questions about Sherrone Moore succeeding Jim Harbaugh at the helm of the program, Alex Orji’s departure or the sheer number of departures to the NFL, the Wolverines loom large.
1. October 12th in Oregon
The Ducks are considered the most versatile team on the Buckeyes’ schedule. They have experience at the quarterback position, as Dillon Gabriel, a leading Heisman Trophy candidate, transferred from Oklahoma. Around him are playmakers, led by star receivers Tez Johnson and Evan Stewart. And there’s strength in the trenches. That has made Oregon, one of four former Pac-12 schools joining the Big Ten this year, perhaps the biggest threat to Ohio State’s hopes of returning to the top of the conference for the first time since 2020. Autzen Stadium also plays a role. Although the 54,000-seat arena has little more than half the capacity of some of the league’s largest stadiums, it’s considered one of the loudest in sports, creating a hostile atmosphere that awaits Ohio State in Week 7.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State University football for The Columbus Dispatch. Follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @joeyrkaufman or email him at [email protected].
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