By admin 
Ohio State continues to be one of the top teams in the country year after year their path to trying to get back to the National Championship is always difficult.
Read more UCLA Bruins Can Solidify Themselves As The Next Indiana With Win Over Oregon
In 2026, they had an early challenge when they traveled to Texas to take on the Longhorns for the second year in a row. The Buckeyes took a 20-point lead into the fourth quarter of that game before a collapse led to an early loss for, at the time, the number one team in the country.
The schedule going forward for the Buckeyes does not get any easier as they look to fight for another National Championship.
First up on the schedule is Maryland, which could be a nice game to get the team ready for the next three weeks. This is where the real challenge comes into play for this year’s Buckeyes.
Following Maryland will begin the first of three potential top-25 matchups in a row for the Buckeyes. The first of those is a BIG Ten Championship rematch against Indiana.
Indiana is one of three teams left in the BIG Ten with a perfect record. Currently, they sit just outside of the top five in the AP Poll and have continued to ride the momentum from an undefeated season and their first National Championship in program history.
Current Big Ten Standings pic.twitter.com/BzvPMK8Xvv
– Mr. Ohio (@MrOH1O) October 7, 2026
They then get their bye week before they travel to California to take on USC. As one of the new additions to the BIG 10, they always offer a tough challenge for their opponents under head coach Lincoln Riley.
The following week, they will be back in The Shoe to host the Oregon Ducks. Fans have seen some amazing matchups between these two teams since Oregon joined the BIG Ten in 2024, including the Rose Bowl in 2024, when Ohio State went on to win the National Championship.
The final three games on the schedule are Northwestern, Nebraska, and then hosting Michigan for The Game.
Read more Browns Linked to Former No. 5 Pick EDGE as First-Place Cleveland Plays On Without Myles Garrett
If Ohio State can win out then they will easily be in the BIG Ten Championship Game and have an opportunity to earn one of the four byes in the College Football Playoffs. Which may not be what the Buckeyes want.
They earned the two seeds last year and had a bye, which did not seem to go well for them. 2024 proved to be a different story.
In 2024, they hosted Tennessee in the first round and won big, which gave them all the momentum to run the table and win the National Championship.
The Buckeyes, with already one loss, could only afford about one more loss in the season and still have a good chance to make the playoffs.
The path to another National Championship for the Buckeyes is nowhere close to easy but it is very doable for this year’s squad.
Today’s best reads
- Ohio State Team Statistics Rankings Heading into Week 6 and What They Mean
- 3 Areas Ryan Day Wants Ohio State to Improve Against Maryland
- Ryan Day Teases Ohio State Star Jeremiah Smith Over Unstoppable Trait
- 3 Team Statistics That Will Determine Outcome for Ohio State Against Iowa
- Ohio State’s Ryan Day Protects Brand Image With Shocking Dave Portnoy Decision
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/ohiostate as What Ohio States Path Now Looks Like to Getting Back to The National Championship.
Copyright ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Read more Patriots Promote Veteran Safety Who ‘Loves’ Special Teams Role
This story was originally published October 9, 2026 at 11:30 AM.