Ohio State football schedule confirmation with top-tier SEC team is a big win for the Buckeyes and college football as a whole
College football is at its best when elite teams are taking on one another. The latest news around Ohio State football’s future schedule isn’t only a win for the Buckeyes and another SEC team, but a win for the entire sport.
The Ohio State Buckeyes opened their season against the Texas Longhorns last year and they’ll travel to Austin in Week 2 of this season. While many teams around the college football landscape are dodging playing tough out-of-conference games, Ohio State isn’t one.
There’s no sign of the Buckeyes going away from the idea, either, as we approach another expansion to the College Football Playoff that’s likely coming down the pipe. Ohio State has received confirmation their big matchups in 2027 and 2028 will stay on.
Ohio State is going to keep on playing the best the SEC has to offer
The home and home series with the Longhorns will wrap up after this season, then Ohio State will be tasked with facing the Alabama Crimson Tide the following two seasons. According to Brett McMurphy, Alabama has decided to keep its home-and-home series with the Buckeyes in 2027 and 2028. There was discussion and even doubt that the games would happen, but we now have confirmation that they indeed will.
Ohio State continuing to play at least one team capable of being in the mix to win it all is great for the program. Not only from a business standpoint for college football, but with the improvement of the Big Ten its ideal. The top of the Big Ten is second to none right now, and it can be a gauntlet. Ohio State will play Indiana, Oregon, Michigan, USC, and Iowa all in 2026 on top of playing Texas out of conference.
The game against the Longhorns will be a nice test to see where the Buckeyes are early in the season ahead of a tough slate of conference games. Ohio State has the same idea in 2027 and 2028 now with the Crimson Tide coming to Columbus two seasons from now, followed by the Buckeyes traveling to Tuscaloosa.
Alabama is sticking to this game for clear reasons
From Alabama’s POV, there seems to be little to gain by playing an out-of-conference game that will be one of the toughest on their schedule in both 2027 and 2028. With nine in-conference games starting in 2026, there may be little room for error in the contests outside of intra-league play. But I believe there are two reasons why Alabama is staying put.
The first is the rumored expansion of the College Football Playoff. If the field does in fact double in size, Alabama or Ohio State losing an out-of-conference game against one of the biggest powerhouses in the sport will sting a lot less. The second factor is the confidence of Kalen DeBoer. Armed with a seven-year contract extension and top-flight quarterbacks through the 2028 cycle, he truly believes he can win at the highest level at Alabama, and you prove that by beating other bluebloods in the sport.
Assuming both sides stay true to their word, this is a massive win not only for the programs and general viewing public but also for college football as a whole.