Paul Finebaum Questions Ohio State's Ability to Survive Brutal 2026 Schedule
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Despite being a national championship favorite, the Buckeyes face a gauntlet of high-stakes matchups that could derail their season.
SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum believes the schedule could be the primary obstacle for the Ohio State Buckeyes as they head into the 2026 season. Speaking on "The Paul Finebaum Show," Finebaum noted that while there is much to admire about Ryan Day's squad—including the return of wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and star quarterback Julian Sayin—the team faces a series of daunting matchups.
According to reporting from Sports Illustrated, Finebaum highlighted a slate of "choice games" that could prove difficult, specifically citing contests at Texas, Iowa, Indiana, and Southern Cal, as well as games against Oregon, Nebraska, and Michigan.
Ohio State enters the season as a top contender. Sports Illustrated reports that ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) currently gives the Buckeyes a 17% chance to win the national championship, the highest of any team. This follows a history of success in the College Football Playoff era, including national titles in 2014 and 2024. However, the team is coming off a season where they went 12-0 in the regular season but suffered a 13-10 loss to the Indiana Hoosiers in the Big Ten Championship Game and a 24-14 upset by the Miami Hurricanes in the opening round of the playoff.
Sports Illustrated notes that while the Buckeyes were largely untested last year until the postseason, they will now face multiple playoff-caliber opponents during the regular season. The central question posed by Finebaum is whether the team can survive one of the toughest schedules in the country to reach the postseason battle-tested.