Ohio State opens its 2026 football season today against Ball State in a nonconference matchup at Ohio Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
The 2026 season will be the 137th in Ohio State football history.
Ohio State vs. Ball State: Key Facts
- Ohio State has won 26 consecutive season openers, the longest active streak in the country.
- The Buckeyes are 487-115-20 all-time at Ohio Stadium, which begins its 104th season as Ohio State’s home in 2026.
- Ryan Day’s teams are 24-1 in September and 19-1 in regular-season nonconference games.
- The game against Ball State will be Day’s 31st against a non-Big Ten opponent as Ohio State’s head coach, including wins over Oregon State and TCU as acting head coach in 2018.
Day’s Buckeyes are 24-6 in their previous 30 games against non-Big Ten opponents and have averaged 41.7 points per game. Those 24 wins include seven against teams ranked in the top 10: No. 1 Texas in 2025, No. 3 Clemson in 2020, No. 5 Texas in 2024, No. 5 Notre Dame in 2022, No. 7 Notre Dame in 2024, No. 9 Tennessee in 2024 and No. 9 Notre Dame in 2023.
Ohio State is 8-0 in season-opening games under Day, with an average margin of victory of 25.4 points per game.
Ohio State and Ball State Meet for the First Time
The Buckeyes and Cardinals will meet for the first time in program history.
Ohio State is 39-1 all-time against current members of the Mid-American Conference and enters the game riding a 36-game unbeaten streak against MAC teams.
Ohio State’s 2025 Season in Review
Ohio State had one of the most dominant scoring defenses in college football last season, allowing 9.3 points per game in 2025. That figure was the third-fewest in the BCS and College Football Playoff era, which dates to 1999. Ohio State was also one of only five FBS defenses across those eras to allow fewer than 10 points per game.
The Buckeyes allowed 129.7 passing yards per game in 2025, the second-fewest by any FBS team in the College Football Playoff era and the lowest total by any team since 2014.
Ohio State ranked No. 1 or No. 2 nationally in nine categories, including No. 1 in scoring defense at 9.3 points per game, total defense at 219.1 yards per game, passing defense at 129.7 yards per game, first-down defense at 184, red-zone scoring defense at 66.67 percent and fewest plays of 10 or more yards allowed at 90.
Jeremiah Smith has already set more than a handful of Ohio State records. He became the fastest Buckeye to reach 100 receptions, 1,000 receiving yards, 1,500 receiving yards, 2,000 receiving yards and 25 touchdown receptions.
Julian became a Heisman Trophy finalist and led the nation with a 77.0 percent completion rate. He ranked second nationally in efficiency at 177.5 after throwing for 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns, the fourth-most in the country, with only eight interceptions.
Julian’s 77.0 percent completion rate in 2025 was the best single-season mark in Ohio State history, a Big Ten record and the third-highest mark in FBS history. Bo Nix completed 77.4 percent of his passes at Oregon in 2023, while Mac Jones posted the same percentage at Alabama in 2020.
Bo Jackson was one of three true freshmen to rush for more than 1,000 yards last season, joining Caleb Hawkins of North Texas and Nate Sheppard of Duke. Jackson became the fifth Ohio State true freshman to surpass 1,000 rushing yards in a season, following Robert Smith with 1,126 yards in 1990, Maurice Clarett with 1,237 yards in 2002, JK Dobbins with 1,403 yards in 2017 and TreVeyon Henderson with 1,248 yards in 2021.
Ball State Cardinals Preview
Ball State finished the 2025 season with a 4-8 record, including a 3-5 mark in MAC play.
Cardinals head coach Mike Uremovich is entering his second season at Ball State. He previously served as Butler’s head coach from 2022 through 2024, compiling a 23-11 record.
Ball State enters the 2026 season with 11 players from Ohio on its roster, including Ohio State transfer defensive back Diante Griffin.
The Cardinals have 19 transfers on their roster who last played at Power Four schools, including five transfers from the Big Ten.
Ball State is replacing starting quarterback Kiael Kelly, who led the Cardinals in both passing and rushing in 2025. The likely Week 1 starter is redshirt junior Keldric Luster, who transferred from Texas State after previously playing at SMU.
Over his previous three years in college, Luster played in nine games, completing 4 of 12 passes for 37 yards with zero touchdowns and zero interceptions. He also recorded 16 carries for 76 yards.
Ball State returns three of its top four running backs from last season. Redshirt junior TJ Horton leads the group after rushing for 180 yards on 60 carries in 2025.
On defense, the Cardinals return three starters from last season: defensive tackle Ameir Glenn, cornerback Willizhuan Yates and safety DJ Fields.
Ohio State 2026 Football Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 5 | Ball State | 12:30 p.m. |
| Sept. 12 | at Texas | 7:30 p.m. |
| Sept. 19 | Kent State | 12:00 p.m. |
| Sept. 26 | Illinois | TBA |
| Oct. 3 | at Iowa | TBA |
| Oct. 10 | Maryland | TBA |
| Oct. 17 | at Indiana | TBA |
| Oct. 31 | at USC | TBA |
| Nov. 7 | Oregon | TBA |
| Nov. 14 | Northwestern | TBA |
| Nov. 21 | at Nebraska | TBA |
| Nov. 28 | Michigan | 12:00 p.m. |
Source: ohiostatebuckeyes.com
