Ohio State Begins 137th Season Saturday Against Ball State

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State is set to begin its 2026 schedule today with non-conference matchup against Ball State inside Ohio Stadium.

Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. The 2026 football season will be the 137th in Ohio State program history.

FIRST AND TEN

Ohio State has won 26 consecutive season-opening games, the longest streak in the country.

The Buckeyes are 487-115-20 all-time in Ohio Stadium, which will begin its 104th season as home of the Buckeyes this fall.

Ryan Day's teams are 24-1 in the month of September and 19-1 in regular season non-conference games.

The season-opener against Ball State will be head coach Ryan Day's 31st game against a non-Big Ten Conference opponent in his tenure as head coach (wins vs. Oregon State and TCU as acting head coach in 2018 included).
- Day's Buckeyes are 24-6 in the previous 30 games and average 41.7 points per game.
- Included in those 24 wins are seven against teams ranked in the Top 10: vs. No. 1 Texas (2025), vs. No. 3 Clemson (2020), No. 5 Texas (2024), No. 5 Notre Dame (2022), No. 7 Notre Dame (2024), No. 9 Tennessee (2024) and No. 9 Notre Dame (2023).

Day's Buckeyes are 8-0 in season-opening games with an average margin of victory of 25.4 points per game.

SETTING THE SCENE

The Buckeyes and Cardinals will meet for the first time in series history today.

Ohio State is 39-1 all-time vs. current members of the MAC and is riding a 36-game unbeaten streak.

LOOKING BACK AT LAST SEASON

Ohio State had a historic scoring defense, allowing just 9.3 points per game in the 2025 season which was the third-fewest in the BCS and CFP era (1999-Present) and were one of just five FBS defenses in those two eras combined to allow less than 10.0 points per game.

Ohio State allowed just 129.7 passing yards per game in 2025 which was the second-fewest by any FBS team in the College Football Playoff era and the fewest by any team since 2014.

The Buckeyes ranked nationally either No. 1 or No. 2 in nine different categories, including No. 1 in scoring (9.3), total defense (219.1) passing yards (129.7), first down defense (184), red zone scores (66.67) and fewest plays of 10-or-more yards (90).

Jeremiah Smith has already set more than a handful of school records, including the fastest Buckeye to 100 receptions, to 1,000, 1,500 and 2,000 receiving yards, and to 25 TD receptions.

Julian became a Heisman Trophy finalist and led the nation in completion percentage (77.0 pct.), ranking second nationally in efficiency (177.5) while throwing for 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns (fourth nationally) with only eight interceptions. His 77.0 completion percentage in 2025 is the best in single-season program history, is a Big Ten Record and also is third highest in FBS history (Bo Nix in 2023 at Oregon (77.4 pct.) and Mac Jones in 2020 at Alabama (77.4 pct.)).

Bo Jackson was one of three true freshmen to top 1,000 rushing yards last season (Caleb Hawkins, North Texas; Nate Sheppard, Duke). He was the fifth Buckeye true freshman to top 1,000 rushing yards for a season after Robert Smith (1,126 yards in 1990), Maurice Clarett (1,237 yards in 2002), JK Dobbins (1,403 yards in 2017) and TreVeyon Henderson (1,248 yards in 2021).

ABOUT BALL STATE

Last season, Ball State finished with a record of 4-8 (3-5 MAC).

Cardinals head coach Mike Uremovich is in his second season leading Ball State after serving previously as the head coach at Butler from 2022-24 where he went 23-11.

Ball State goes into the 2026 season with 11 players on the roster from the state of Ohio including Ohio State transfer defensive back Diante Griffin.

In total, the Cardinals roster has 19 transfers who last played at Power-4 schools including five from the Big Ten.

Ball State is replacing starting quarterback Kiael Kelly who led the Cardinals in both passing and rushing in 2025. The Cardinals likely starter for week one will be redshirt junior Keldric Luster, who transferred in from Texas State and previously played at SMU.
- Over his previous three years in college, Luster has played in nine games, completing 4-of-12 passes for 37 yards with zero touchdowns and zero interceptions. He also has 16 rushed for 76 yards

In the running back room, Ball State returns three of its top for backs from last year with redshirt junior TJ Horton leading that group with 180 yards on 60 carries in 2025.

On defense, the Cardinals return three starters from last season in defensive tackle Ameir Glenn, cornerback Willizhuan Yates and safety DJ Fields.

OHIO STATE BUCKEYES SCHEDULE
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.

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