Oddsmakers agree: Ohio State’s 2026 schedule is a gauntlet.
If the sportsbooks know (and they seem to more times than not), Ohio State’s 2026 schedule will be one of the toughest in college football next fall.
| TEAM | ODDS |
|---|---|
| NOTRE DAME | +675 |
| OHIO STATE | +700 |
| TEXAS | +700 |
| INDIANA | +700 |
| OREGON | +925 |
| GEORGIA | +1100 |
| MIAMI (FLORIDA) | +1400 |
| LSU | +1450 |
| TEXAS TECH | +1450 |
| TEXAS A&M | +1700 |
According to consensus odds to win the national championship from DraftKings and FanDuel, the teams with the five best odds to win it all next season include Ohio State (+700) and three of OSU's regular-season opponents: Texas (+700), Indiana (+700) and Oregon (+925).
Notre Dame (+675) is the only team with better odds to win the national championship than Ohio State, Texas and Indiana.
The Buckeyes' schedule also includes USC (35/1) and Michigan (40/1), who are among the top 15 in odds to win it all next season.
Per On3’s composite of nine early preseason rankings from national media outlets, Ohio State – which is ranked as the No. 1 team in the country – is set to face the No. 2 (Indiana), No. 3 (Texas), No. 5 (Oregon), No. 14 (Michigan), No. 15 (USC) and No. 21 (Iowa) teams in 2026, with four of those games coming on the road.
Also, of the 81 games on the 2026 Big Ten schedule, The Athletic's Scott Dochterman ranked four Ohio State games (at Indiana is No. 1, vs. Oregon is No. 2, vs. Michigan is No. 3 and at USC is No. 4) as the four best Big Ten games next season.
The Buckeyes will certainly be far more battle-tested entering the CFP next season – assuming they make it – than they were this past season, at least if the odds entering the season are correct about who the nation’s best teams will be.
