Everyone thinks they know how a Buckeyes season goes. You cruise through some non-conference cupcakes, survive a white-knuckle October in the Big Ten, and then everything boils down to that final Saturday in November. But honestly? The ohio state buckeyes schedule 2025 was anything but a standard "business as usual" year for Ryan Day and the squad. If you were looking for a predictable path to the playoff, you weren't paying attention to how the new-look Big Ten basically flipped the script on everyone.
The 2025 season will be remembered for the year the "soft schedule" narrative died. Seriously. While some critics spent the summer whining about who the Buckeyes weren't playing—missing Oregon and Indiana in the regular season—they completely ignored the absolute gauntlet that started on Day 1.
The August Earthquake: Texas Comes to Columbus
Forget a "tune-up" game. On August 30, 2025, Ohio State didn't open with a local MAC school. They hosted the Texas Longhorns.
It was a 12:00 PM kickoff on FOX, and it felt like a January bowl game in the humid Ohio summer heat. Most people expected a shootout, but it turned into an old-school defensive slugfest. Ohio State walked away with a 14-7 win, a result that looked "ugly" to some but proved vital for their ranking later in the year. Texas was the preseason No. 1 for many, and knocking them off early set a tone that this Buckeyes team was built on grit rather than just flash.
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Following that heart-stopper, the Buckeyes did get a breather.
- Sept 6: A 70-0 blowout against Grambling State (a rare HBCU matchup for OSU).
- Sept 13: A 37-9 victory over the Ohio Bobcats.
Then came the first of two bye weeks. In the old days, you’d get one break. Now, with the expanded schedule, those off-weeks on September 20 and October 25 were basically life-rafts for a roster trying to survive the physical toll of an 18-team conference.
The "New Big Ten" Road Trip
On September 27, the Buckeyes did something they haven't done in nearly two decades: they flew to Seattle. Facing Washington at Husky Stadium wasn't just a road game; it was a litmus test for how Ohio State would handle the cross-country travel of the expanded Big Ten.
They handled it fine, winning 24-6, but the travel fatigue was a real talking point among the beat writers. It’s one thing to bus to Bloomington; it’s another to fly across three time zones and play in the rain.
October’s Grind and the Julian Sayin Era
By the time the Buckeyes hit the meat of the schedule in October, we started seeing the shift at quarterback. Julian Sayin basically took the reins and didn't look back. The kid was electric. In the 34-0 win over Wisconsin on October 18, he threw for 393 yards.
Wait. Think about that.
393 yards.
Against a Phil Longo offense in Madison.
It was the kind of performance that turned Sayin into a household name and earned him Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors. But while the offense was humming, the schedule was tightening its grip.
Why the Back Half of the 2025 Schedule Was a Trap
Most fans circled the November 1 game against Penn State. It’s always the "White Out" or the "Big Noon" showdown. In 2025, the Nittany Lions came into the Shoe and got smacked 38-14. This was supposed to be James Franklin's year, but Penn State struggled, eventually finishing the season 7-6 and moving on from Franklin.
But here is where it got weird.
People stopped taking Illinois and Purdue seriously. That was a mistake. The Buckeyes had to go to Champaign on October 11 to face a Fighting Illini team that was ranked No. 17 at the time. They won 34-16, but it was closer than the score looked for three quarters.
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Then you had the West Lafayette trap. November 8 at Purdue. Every Buckeye fan has "Purdue Harbor" PTSD. Thankfully, this time the Buckeyes took care of business 34-10, but the tension in the first half was palpable.
"The Game" and the Postseason Heartbreak
The regular season ended exactly where it always does: against that team up north. On November 29, 2025, Ohio State walked into Michigan Stadium.
The Buckeyes were the No. 1 team in the country. Michigan was No. 15. The stakes? Massive.
Ohio State dominated. A 27-9 victory in Ann Arbor felt like an exorcism of the last few years of frustration. It secured their spot in the Big Ten Championship game and basically punched their ticket to the College Football Playoff.
The Post-Season Reality Check
However, the high of beating Michigan didn't last forever. The ohio state buckeyes schedule 2025 ended with two brutal losses that changed the narrative of the season:
- Big Ten Championship (Dec 6): A shocking 13-10 loss to Indiana in Indianapolis.
- CFP Quarterfinal (Dec 31): A 24-14 loss to Miami (FL) in the Cotton Bowl.
It’s crazy to think a 12-2 season with a win over Michigan could feel "disappointing," but that’s the standard in Columbus. The team finished with a perfect home record (7-0) and a perfect road record (5-0), but those neutral-site games (0-2) were the Achilles' heel.
Looking Ahead: How to Prepare for 2026
If you're already looking at the 2026 schedule, keep your eyes on the return trip to Austin. Texas will be looking for revenge, and Arch Manning will likely be the guy under center.
Actionable Insights for Fans:
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- Ticket Strategy: If you're planning for 2026, the home games against Ball State and Kent State are your best bet for affordable seats, but the "Big Games" are going to be significantly more expensive due to the 2025 "missed" matchups.
- Travel Planning: Start looking at Austin, Texas, accommodations now for the September 12, 2026, rematch. That city will be at capacity.
- Roster Watch: Keep an eye on the transfer portal this spring. After the loss to Miami in the Cotton Bowl, Ryan Day is likely to be aggressive in the portal to shore up the defensive line depth.
The 2025 season proved that the schedule is no longer just about who you play, but where and when you play them. The cross-country era is here, and the Buckeyes are still right in the thick of it.
To keep up with the latest roster moves and official 2026 kickoff times as they are announced, make sure to monitor the official Ohio State Athletics site and local Columbus sports radio for the most accurate, non-rumor-mill updates.