Ohio State’s 2026 season remained on life support Saturday. After back-to-back losses to USC and Oregon, the Buckeyes ended the skid by beating Northwestern 28-19 at Ohio Stadium.
While it didn’t solve all of Scarlet and Gray’s problems, the victory changed the mood in the Ohio State locker room. That kept the Buckeyes’ slim chance of reaching the Big Ten championship game and the College Football Playoff alive.
The season lives.
Ohio State’s 2026 college football season is in its final stretch. The Buckeyes have lost two games in a row for the first time since 2011. The consequences of a lost season have already begun. The 2026-27 Ohio State basketball season is here as the Buckeyes look to build on last year’s success. It’s the busiest time of year for Ohio State. Stay up to date with the latest Buckeye news by BECOME A BUCKNUTS SUBSCRIBER today!
After delaying the decision, the Big Ten announced the kickoff time for the Week 12 game at Nebraska. The Scarlet and Gray’s game against the Cornhuskers will begin at 12 p.m. ET on FOX.
Ohio State and Nebraska have met 11 times, with the Buckeyes holding a 10-1 record.
The two teams met for the first time in 1955. This match, between Woody HayesBuckeyes and Bill Glassford’s Nebraska at Ohio Stadium earned a 28-20 victory for the Scarlet and Gray. The teams met again the following year, also in Columbus, with Hayes’ Ohio State defeating Peter Elliott’s Huskers 34-7.
Nebraska’s first year in the Big Ten saw the Buckeyes make their first trip to Lincoln, where they were defeated 34-27 at Memorial Stadium after quarterbacking Scarlet and Gray. Braxton Miller was injured, marking Nebraska’s first and only victory in the series. Since that first Big Ten meeting, the Scarlet and Gray have dominated the series, with the closest game coming two years ago when Matt RhuleThe Cornhuskers came to Columbus, trailed, but ultimately got beaten 21-17, en route to Ohio State to win the national championship. Before that, the narrowest margin was in 2018, when Scott FrostThe team came to the Horseshoe but failed to upset Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes.
After a promising 5-0 start to the season, the Huskers skyrocketed, losing their final four games to Indiana, Oregon, Washington and Illinois. Nebraska plays Rutgers this weekend before hosting the Scarlet and Gray on November 21.
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Ohio State 2026 schedule:
Saturday, September 5 – Ohio State 56, Ball Condition 3
Saturday September 12 – Texas 24, Ohio State 23
Saturday, September 19 – Ohio State 59, Kent State 3
Saturday, September 26 – Ohio State 42, Illinois 19
Saturday October 3 – Ohio State 31, Iowa 14
Saturday October 10 – Ohio State 45, Maryland 16
Saturday October 17 – Ohio State 19, Indiana 15
OFF WEEK
Saturday October 31 – U.S.C. 30, Ohio State 18
Saturday November 7 – Oregon; 3:30 p.m. ET; CBS
Saturday, November 14 – Ohio State 28, Northwestern 19
Saturday November 21 – at Nebraska; 12 p.m. ET
Saturday November 28 – Michigan; 12 p.m. ET, FOX
Gn sports
