2018 and 2019 Big Ten Schedules Released

The 2018 and 2019 Big Ten football schedules were released on Wednesday. Featured in 2019 is a trip to Lincoln.  

Ohio State’s home games in 2018 are against North Carolina, Rutgers, Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska and Michigan. The season opener is still TBA. The Buckeyes travel to TCU, Penn State, Purdue, Michigan State and Maryland. They don't play Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa or Northwestern. 

In 2019, Ohio State welcomes Cincinnati, TCU, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Maryland and Penn State to Ohio Stadium. On the road, the Buckeyes will face Indiana, Nebraska, Northwestern, Rutgers and Michigan. No plays are Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Purdue. A third non-conference date is yet to be determined, but Ohio State indicated it wants the game played on Aug. 31 as the season opener.

So far, six home games are scheduled for '18 and '19, making it likely that the TBA games will be played at Ohio Stadium to ensure seven home game. Athletic director Gene Smith has indicated that Ohio State will never play less than seven home games in a season.

• Ohio State opens Big Ten play in 2019 with consecutive road games: at Indiana and at Nebraska.
• Ohio State, in 2019, will be making its first visit back to Evanston to play Northwestern since the thriller two weeks ago.
• Also in 2019: Wisconsin will play in Columbus for the first time since the game earlier this season. (That's six-year breaks between Ohio State's last visit to Northwestern and Wisconsin visits to Ohio State).
• After its home opener in 2019 (still to be determined) Ohio State plays Cincinnati, at Indiana, TCU, at Nebraska, Michigan State, at Northwestern and Wisconsin.
• North Carolina's visit to Ohio Stadium in 2018 will be its first since 1975.
• Ohio State will play for the first time at TCU in 2018. The return game against the Horned Frogs in 2019 will be TCU's first visit to Columbus since 1973.
• The Big Ten begins its nine-game conference schedules in 2016.
• The Buckeyes will play nine consecutive weeks of Big Ten games in 2016 without an off week.
• Ohio State and Indiana will kick off the 2017 season Sept. 2 in Bloomington. The game will represent Ohio State's first season opener vs. a Big Ten school since 1976 (Michigan State) and it will be the first time Ohio State has opened a season on the road since 1998 (at West Virginia).
• Ohio State will resume its 2017 Big Ten campaign four weeks after the IU game. The Buckeyes will play at Rutgers Sept. 30 before hosting Maryland Oct. 7 for its first Big Ten home game.
• The 2014 Big Ten schedule will feature a new East/West division alignment and include the conference debut of Maryland and Rutgers.
• Ohio State will kick off its 2014 Big Ten season, and its first season as a member of the Big Ten's East Division, with the first of consecutive games against the two newest members of the Big Ten, Maryland and Rutgers. The Buckeyes travel to College Park, Md., Oct. 4 for their first-ever game against the Terrapins at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium and, following an off week, host the Rutgers Scarlet Knights Oct. 18 at Ohio Stadium.

2018 Ohio State schedule  

2019 Ohio State schedule