One argument about Ohio State is that it wins through easy games early before falling against elite teams. That excuse won’t exist for Ryan Day this year. In 2026, the schedule is daring the Buckeyes to prove they deserve the preseason No. 1 ranking. And Julian Sayin knows it. Now, the second-year starting quarterback is outlining four major challenges this fall.

“It’s exciting,” Sayin said during his appearance on Urban Meyer’s The Triple Option. “Playing those big games, going down to Austin in week two, going out to USC, playing Oregon at home, playing up north at home, it’s going to be a lot of fun. I think a lot of the guys are excited. And just making us prepare this summer and keeping that chip on our shoulder this summer and making us grind because we have a big season ahead of us.”

A big season is ahead of them, indeed. Ohio State’s 2026 slate is ridiculous: Texas on the road at night, USC in Los Angeles after a bye, Oregon in what could easily become a top-five showdown, and then Michigan to close the season with the whole country watching at noon on FOX once again. And the first real explosion comes in week 2.

Texas

ABC already locked the Ohio State at Texas matchup into a 7:30 p.m. primetime slot in Austin. College GameDay will also be in attendance to witness these two playoff favorites, headed by two QBs who are likely entering next year’s NFL draft. And unlike last season, there’s no grace for the loser.

Texas already learned that lesson the hard way after missing the playoffs with three losses, including a 14-7 defeat in Columbus. Julian Sayin wasn’t spectacular that night, throwing for 126 yards and one touchdown. Meanwhile, Arch Manning threw for 170 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Now the rematch moves to Austin under the lights. And maybe this is the first true measuring stick for whether Ohio State deserves that preseason No. 1 ranking from national outlets. 

USC

Ohio State gets a bye after traveling to Indiana before heading west to face USC on Halloween night at the LA Memorial Coliseum. Some fans may think Lincoln Riley hasn’t really broken through lately. That’s true, but this might be his best roster since arriving in Los Angeles. 

QB Jayden Maiava returns, veteran defensive mind Gary Patterson is now involved, and USC opened inside the top 15 of SP+ projections. Also, this matchup comes right before Oregon. Lincoln Riley is leading with a chip on his shoulder. He hasn’t reached the standard people expected after his Oklahoma years. So, this season feels important for him on a personal level, too.

Oregon

This one may be at home, but it doesn’t make it any less easy. If Ohio State survives Austin and escapes USC, then this showdown against Oregon could become the game of the year in the Big Ten. The Ducks beat the Buckeyes in Columbus back in 2021. Then they edged Ryan Day’s team 32-31 at Autzen in another classic. 

Ohio State finally got revenge in that Rose Bowl during its national title run. But as history shows, this is a very competitive game, especially with Dante Moore returning. The Ducks QB could’ve gone pro, but he came back because they believe another championship push is realistic. But there’s still one final challenge waiting.

Michigan

Last season gave Ryan Day a breather after Ohio State’s convincing 27-9 win in Ann Arbor. Julian Sayin recovered from an early interception to throw for 233 yards and three touchdowns and broke their cursed four-year losing streak against Michigan. Now the Wolverines return to Columbus with a new-look team led by head coach Kyle Whittingham and a more experienced QB, Bryce Underwood. 

There’s not much in this sport that still hits like Ohio State-Michigan at noon. And FOX knows what this rivalry still means. Last year’s matchup averaged over 18 million viewers, making it the most-watched regular-season college football game of the year. It remains to be seen if this season can keep up. 

Ryan Day is aware of the challenge ahead

Ryan Day knows Ohio State faces nine teams ranked inside ESPN’s top 50 SP+ projections, including teams like Texas, Oregon, USC, Iowa, Indiana, and Michigan. But maybe that’s exactly what the Buckeyes need. Last year, they cruised through most Saturdays, going 12-0 before finally getting punched late in the year. This season won’t allow comfort. 

“We’re gonna get challenged this year,” Ryan Day said on 97.1 The Fan about their 2026 schedule. “There’s no question about it. I mean, you look at the schedule that we have ahead of us, we are gonna learn a lot about ourselves.”

Here is Ohio State’s 2026 schedule:

Sept. 5 – Ball State 

Sept. 12 – at Texas

Sept. 19 – Kent State

Sept. 26 – Illinois

Oct. 3 – at Iowa

Oct. 10 – Maryland

Oct. 17 – at Indiana

Oct. 24 – Bye week

Oct. 31 – at USC

Nov. 7 – Oregon

Nov. 14 – Northwestern

Nov. 21 – at Nebraska

Nov. 28 – Michigan

And as Ryan Day added, “We push through this schedule, we’ll be playoff-ready at the end of the season.”

And if Ohio State survives its tough schedule, Ryan Day may finally be able to shake off the narrative that the Buckeyes fall short in big games.