Ohio State is coming off a National Championship season in 2024, but there is still a sense of disappointment from last year's team, as they never beat Michigan, their arch-rival. Head Coach Ryan Day has not beaten Michigan since 2019, having lost four straight times, with the 2020 game cancelled due to COVID-19. This year, there is a referendum on whether Day can beat Michigan. Below are the three most important games for Ohio State this season, starting with the Michigan game.
1)Week 12 at Michigan (November 29th)
Ohio State fans greatly enjoyed winning the National Championship last year, but losing to Michigan still did not make them feel good. As I mentioned above, this game will largely define Ohio State’s season. Beating Michigan this year would not only validate Ohio State’s 2025 season, but it would also show that Ryan Day is over his Michigan yips. This game, along with winning the National Championships, defines head coaches at Ohio State. Day currently stands 1-4 in this game, so winning this game would be a huge positive for him. It would also make the fan base feel better about their Head Coach. Day has a National Championship but now needs to get back to beat Ohio State’s chief rival.
It has been 2,000 days since Ohio State has beaten Michigan.
— Blue By 90 (@bluebyninety) May 22, 2025
Here's every Michigan touchdown vs. Ohio State during that span. #GoBlue 〽️ pic.twitter.com/749qQ7HSBZ
2)Week 8 vs. Penn State (November 1st)
The other end of the spectrum for Ohio State is their dominance over Penn State. This game is the 2nd most important because it would allow Ohio State to beat a good opponent in the Big Ten. Penn State’s Head Coach, James Franklin, has not been at Ohio State since the 2016 season. This year is Franklin's best team, and Ohio State is having to replace 8 starters on defense, which could mean Ohio State struggles on defense. Plus, having a 1st year starting quarterback for Ohio State could make a difference compared to returning starter Drew Allar for Penn State. The benefit for Ohio State is that this game is towards the end of the season, so they should be battle-tested by then.
Is Ohio State vs Penn State a "rivalry" in college football?@THIThappens says No. @Bcarp3 says Yes.
— Morning Juice (@MorningJuice971) July 11, 2025
Whose side are you on?
.@MorningJuice971, Monday through Friday!
6a-8a: https://t.co/k5tPFXi4ZT
10a-12p: 10TV+ app (@10TV) pic.twitter.com/xeYlGNeVKi
3) Week 1 vs. Texas (August 30th)
This week's 1 match-up is fascinating to see who wins this game. This will also be a rematch of Ohio State and Texas’s quarterfinal playoff game last year in the Cotton Bowl. All eyes will be on the quarterbacks as Arch Manning of Texas is one of the most hyped starting quarterbacks' debuts we have seen in a while (he did start 2 games last year when Quinn Ewers started). On the other sideline, Ohio State will have either quarterback Julian Sayin or Lincoln Keinholz making their 1st start as a Buckeye. It is also week 1, which has an entire off-season of hype surrounding the game. Whoever wins this game will have a major win to help boost their College Football playoff resume.
Paul Finebaum is convinced Texas will beat Ohio State:
— The Silver Bulletin (@tSilverBulletin) July 11, 2025
The experience of (Arch Manning) being an understudy to Ewers and understanding Sark’s system is what’s going to get them over the top and probably — well, not probably — definitely beat Ohio State in the opener.” pic.twitter.com/RZi9mG3bEV