With Ohio State once again carrying massive expectations heading into the 2026 season, every judgement surrounding Day has been placed under a microscope. The predictions for the Buckeye’s standing this season are in from the Fox analyst Rob Stone. For the former head coach Urban Meyer, the predictions were so senseless that he even aimed a joke at Stone.
“I think there’s an easy scenario, Coach, where the Buckeyes are third in the Big Ten because of that schedule. It’s so brutal,” Rob Stone said during the Triple Option podcast on September 4.
“I’m going to drug test Stoner [Rob Stone] today. Something is off with Stoner. Rob’s not right today, Mark. He’s in that small room. There’s no proper ventilation in that room. He’s in the escape room. Lynn puts something in that coffee. You said Ohio State third,” Meyer said while laughing at the comment made by his fellow speaker.
“I love Ohio State. I’m just saying there’s a scenario with that schedule, man, Stone clarified again.
“Listen, the Buckeyes are going to make the playoffs,” Meyer said firmly. “But they’re going to be there with a couple losses. It’s a small room.”
Stone pointed out that conference realignment and the expanded Big Ten mean the Buckeyes can no longer rely on a few soft stretches. Ryan Day’s squad will be travelling to Austin in Week 2 to face a top-tier Texas Longhorns squad. This will leave the Buckeyes with almost no time to work out early-season rust.
This game serves as the second leg of a massive home-and-home series. In 2025, Ohio State managed to squeeze out a tight 14-7 victory over Texas in Columbus. The Longhorns will be out for revenge on their own turf. Because both teams enter the season as top-5 powerhouses, this Week 2 game will act as an early College Football Playoff preview.
Ohio State will face a demanding October stretch featuring road games at Iowa, Indiana, and USC. The Buckeyes visit Iowa on October 3, return home to play Maryland on October 10, travel to reigning national champion Indiana on October 17, then take a bye before their October 31 trip to USC. This midseason stretch could go a long way toward determining Ohio State’s Big Ten and College Football Playoff outlook.
There are few places in college football trickier to navigate than a day or night game in Iowa City. Kinnick Stadium is notoriously designed to place the crowd right on top of the visiting bench, creating a wall of sound. Iowa thrives on choking out high-powered offenses with an incredibly disciplined, physical defense. If the Buckeyes have lingering offensive line rust from their Week 2 Texas game, the Hawkeyes’ defensive front will expose it immediately.
Indiana has rapidly transformed into a high-stakes Big Ten powerhouse. The former national champions will do everything to defend their crown. As Ohio State will head into Bloomington to face the Hoosiers, it will mean dealing with a program that plays with immense confidence on its home turf. Facing Indiana on the road mid-season means the Buckeyes will get the absolute punch of a lethal, balanced offense.
Beyond the timezone change and travel fatigue, USC has drastically improved its physical identity. Historically, Big Ten teams struggle with the emotional comedown of making a massive West Coast trip. Even worse, the Buckeyes have zero room for a hangover here. They will have to fly back to Columbus immediately to face powerhouse Oregon the very next weekend.
But the former Buckeye coach, Urban Meyer, is still heavily confident with Ryan Day’s newly charged squad. According to recruiting metrics, this 2026 squad is statistically the most talented team Ryan Day has ever recruited. The roster possesses elite, top-tier talent at every single position group, especially with elite names like quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.
Meyer stated plainly, “If they stay healthy, I pick the Buckeyes.” He believes that as long as Ohio State avoids major injuries to key starters, they can successfully out-talent and out-depth the physical grind of the Big Ten schedule.