Ohio State Buckeyes
Countdown 2026

Ohio State Buckeyes Football

Ohio State Buckeyes football is a national institution. The Buckeyes have claimed eight national championships, produced nine Heisman Trophy winners, and sent more players to the NFL than any program in the sport's history. The Big Ten's most dominant program for a generation, Ohio State has won or shared 40-plus conference championships. The 2024 national championship under Ryan Day — Ohio State's first since Urban Meyer's 2014 title — restored the Buckeyes to their rightful place at the summit of college football heading into the 2026 season.

Ohio Stadium

Ohio Stadium — The Horseshoe — holds 102,780 fans in Columbus and has been expanded four times since its 1922 opening. The Script Ohio tradition, performed by the Ohio State Marching Band, is the most celebrated halftime formation in college football — the i-dotting by a sousaphone player draws more broadcast attention than most game highlights. Game days in Columbus begin early and end late, with the Short North and campus districts filling with Scarlet and Gray from dawn. The stadium holds 102,780 in Columbus, OH.

Rivalries

The Game against Michigan is college football's greatest rivalry. Every November, one week stands apart from the other eleven — a week when Ohio State and Michigan coaches and players think of nothing but the rivalry. The rivalry has produced 11 top-10 matchups in the last 20 years and remains the sport's most anticipated annual game. Penn State's White Out in Happy Valley is the Buckeyes' hardest road environment.

Traditions

O-H-I-O is the sport's most recognizable call-and-response cheer, echoing from Columbus to Cancún wherever Buckeye fans gather. Brutus Buckeye patrols the Horseshoe sidelines while the Best Damn Band in the Land — the Ohio State Marching Band — scripts program history into the turf at halftime.

2026 Season Outlook

Ohio State enters 2026 as the defending national champion and preseason No. 1, continuing the program's modern dynasty under Ryan Day. The Buckeyes' NIL infrastructure, facility investments, and recruiting pipelines in Florida, Georgia, and Texas have made Columbus a destination for elite high school talent, ensuring the program's sustained national relevance.

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