Ohio State announces full football schedule for the 2026 season -- is there a trap ahead of Michigan?

The Buckeyes will be on the road at Nebraska the week before the Michigan game.

Ohio State’s Big Ten opener in 2026 will be at home on Sept. 26 vs. Illinois. (Photo courtesy of Ohio State)

COLUMBUS — Big Ten football schedules were released Tuesday night. The news for the Buckeyes? Strap in for the second half of the 2026 season.

According to early Top 25 rankings by NCAA.com, the Buckeyes play ranked teams in four of their last six games: No. 6 Indiana and then, after their off week, No. 12 USC, No. 2 Oregon and No. 13 Michigan. Those rankings, by the way, have the Buckeyes at No. 1.

The only ranked opponent in the first half of the season is No. 4 Texas in Week 2 (though Iowa is ranked between 20 and 25 in some other early lists.)

Here’s the full schedule (with NCAA.com early rankings):

Sept. 5 – Ball State

Sept. 12 – at No. 4 Texas

Sept. 19 – Kent State

Sept. 26 – Illinois

Oct. 3 – at Iowa

Oct. 10 – Maryland

Oct. 17 – at No. 6 Indiana

Oct. 24 – Off

Oct. 31 – at No. 12 USC

Nov. 7 – No. 2 Oregon

Nov. 14 – Northwestern

Nov. 21 – at Nebraska

Nov. 28 – No. 13 Michigan

Looking for some possible advantages the week before big games:

• Ohio State visits USC the week before Oregon, while Oregon is home for Northwestern. That USC-Oregon double dip looks like the toughest back-to-back of the season. Oregon, meanwhile, hosts Michigan the week after the trip to Columbus.

• Ohio State gets a home game with Maryland before visiting Indiana. The Hoosiers are home against Nebraska the week before hosting the Buckeyes.

• Ohio State is on the road at Nebraska the week before the Michigan game. It’s not unusual for the Buckeyes to be on the road that week when they are hosting Michigan in even years, but this is a reminder those trips can be tricky. The last four times they were on the road before hosting Michigan, the Buckeyes: beat Wisconsin in overtime in 2012; beat Michigan State 17-16 in 2016 after the Spartans went for two after scoring in the final five minutes and didn’t get it; beat Maryland in overtime in 2018; and beat Maryland 43-30 in 2022 in a game the Buckeyes trailed at the half and that was within one score the entire second half. So, yes, respect that trip to Nebraska on Nov. 21. Michigan plays UCLA the week before The Game.