2026 Season: Are You Ready For Some Football?

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Skull Session: Ohio State Could Have College Football’s Toughest Schedule in 2026, David Gabriel Georges Could Be The First Million-Dollar Running Back Recruit and Kelsey Mitchell Is A WNBA All-Star Starter

Ohio State could have college football’s toughest schedule in 2026, David Gabriel Georges could be the first million-dollar RB recruit and Kelsey Mitchell is a WNBA All-Star starter.

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Making matters even more difficult, Ohio State will have to travel 4,422 miles for its five regular-season road games (Texas, Iowa, Indiana, USC, Nebraska) – the second-most miles the Buckeyes have ever had to travel during a regular season.

 

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To answer the question, hell yes I'm ready! My other teams suck so let's do this

 

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Ohio State football prediction from Athlon Sports is what every Buckeye fan dreams of​

Ohio State football fans would sign up for this in a hurry.

This season, the Buckeyes return a ton of talent on the offensive side of the ball. In fact, they might be the best offense in the country. One major publication certainly thinks so. In fact, Athlon Sports gave their bowl predictions for this season, and they are very favorable to Ohio State.

Athlon Sports predicts an Ohio State national championship​

During their annual preview, Athlon Sports gave a prediction for every bowl game. In that prediction, they gave the Bucks the number one overall seed. They have them taking on eighth-seeded Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl. After that, they have the Buckeyes advancing to take on fourth-seeded Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl.

It culminates in Ohio State beating second-seeded Georgia in the national championship game, which takes place in Las Vegas this season. Based on their seeding, Athlon has the Buckeyes beating TTUN, winning the Big Ten, and winning a second national title in three years.

That is a prediction of which every single Ohio State fan would sign up for. That would make this team the best Ohio State football team of all-time. That could end up being true, but the Buckeyes would have to go undefeated in order to achieve that goal. That's a tall order with their schedule.

Ohio State feels confident it can win it all​

Heading into this season, the Buckeyes are extremely confident that they can pull off this exact prediction. There is a very good chance they have the highest-scoring offense in the country next year with Julian Sayin throwing the ball to Jeremiah Smith and Chris Henry Jr.

Defensively, Matt Patricia returns to coach a talented but inexperienced unit. They will have to rely on several transfer portal players on all three levels of the defense. Still, Patricia coached up the defense to have the best statistical performance of any defense in the nation a year ago.

It seems the Buckeyes have finally cured their kicking problems, or so they hope. Missed kicks have plagued the team for the last few years, and they hope that issue is fixed. That, along with the offensive line, is the biggest question mark the team possesses heading into the Fall.

If those questions are answered, Ohio State could be in the market for a lot of wins next season. In fact, it could be that golden year Day has been searching for.

 

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3 keys for Ohio State to get back to a national championship game after a disappointing 2025

The Buckeyes will look to return to their 2024 postseason form this fall, and they have the roster to do it — if a few things go their way.

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3 keys for Ohio State to get back to a national championship game after a disappointing 2025​

The Buckeyes will look to return to their 2024 postseason form this fall, and they have the roster to do it — if a few things go their way.
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A second weapon must emerge alongside Jeremiah Smith

Everyone knows Jeremiah Smith is the most talented player in college football. That’s not a secret, and neither is the fact that the team plays its best when opposing defenses can’t devote all their attention to stopping him. With Carnell Tate gone, Ohio State needs someone to step up and become the next dynamic sidekick for Smith.

The candidates are there. Chris Henry Jr., Brock Boyd, Devin McCuinn, and Brandon Inniss all have the opportunity to seize that role. If one of them emerges as a legitimate threat, it opens up the entire offense and makes Smith even more dangerous. Without that complementary piece, I find it hard to believe Ohio State can win it all. Defenses will continue to bracket Smith and force Julian Sayin to find alternative options under pressure.

Arthur Smith must commit to the run game​

This might be the most important offensive adjustment Ohio State can make. Last year, under Brian Hartline, the Buckeyes abandoned the run game in critical moments, and it cost them in losses to Indiana and Miami. Bo Jackson has the potential to be the best running back in the country. But he needs to be given a bigger workload.

With Hartline gone and Arthur Smith now calling plays, there’s reason for optimism. Smith has a well-documented history of leaning into the ground game throughout his coaching career. If he brings that same philosophy to Columbus, Ohio State’s offense should be significantly more balanced.

The ripple effect matters here, too. A stronger run game takes pressure off Sayin, who struggled when opposing defenses sent pressure after him. When teams couldn’t respect the run, Sayin was forced into uncomfortable situations. A commitment to balance fixes that.

Matt Patricia needs to unleash the 2025 recruiting class​

Ohio State lost significant defensive talent to the NFL this offseason, with Sonny Styles, Caleb Downs, Arvell Reese, and Kayden McDonald all getting drafted. The Buckeyes’ ability to reload rather than rebuild will determine whether their defense remains among the best in the country.

The 2025 recruiting class has the names to make it happen. Zion Grady, Riley Pettijohn, T.J. Alford, and Devin Sanchez all have the talent to become the next great Ohio State defender. If Matt Patricia can develop even one of these players into a dominant force at their position, the defense should continue to operate as a top unit in college football.

Winning another national championship in 2026 is absolutely accomplishable. But they’ll need to address these issues to make it happen.