After a long and lonely offseason following two puzzling faceplants, the Buckeyes are raring to go as they kick off the season ranked #1 for the first time in 11 years. This season's schedule graciously features an aperitif before the steak dinner, but there are enough intriguing matches peppered across the landscape to hold your attention after you've begun to turn your eyes upon Texas.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
Clemson Tigers @ Louisiana State Tigers
Draper: Welcome to the real beginning of CFB for 2026 with a knockdown drag-em-out, fight between....the walking corpse of Clemson and the Villains of 2026. The battle of Tigahs is reasonably intriguing with little to no competition on the family of networks, but...I just don't care. Texas Tech looked to be the team everyone was going to hate this year but "Ole King Troll" (trademark pending) Lane Kiffin burst into the chat. Sam Leavitt is a nice QB but I don't see greatness. On the other side, I couldn't name the QB. When in doubt, I tend to lean on a tough home environment (and the team with former NFL players on it). LSU probably ends with 3-4 losses...but this isn't one. The Kiffin Era keep printing money for ESPN. Clem: 17--LSU: 30
Hoying: Once upon a time, the LSU Tigers went into Death Valley East and walked out as the team to which ESPN was desperately trying to pin their title hopes after their #1 darling got pantsed in the Shoe. Then LSU went 7-6 and kicked Brian Kelly out of the fam-uh-lee. Now, as LSU desperately scrapes the bottom of the NFL wannabe barrel to fill out their opening day roster, everyone is foaming at the mouth to pin their hopes on the Bayou Bengals again thanks to volatile coach Lane Kiffin, who you last saw abandoning a Playoff semifinalist in the middle of their title run. I expect some growing pains in Baton Rouge, but do you know who else was really bad last year? That's right, the other Death Valley Tigers, and it's becoming increasingly obvious that the sport is leaving poor old Dabo behind as contrasted with the constantly self-reinventing Kiffin. As I said last year, I'll believe the Tigers (the purple ones) (the purple AND ORANGE ones) can win another big boy game against a big boy opponent when I see it. And I didn't see it all last year for the preseason #4 frauds. Nothing changes until something changes. Clem: 17--LSU: 28
Hoying: Once upon a time, the LSU Tigers went into Death Valley East and walked out as the team to which ESPN was desperately trying to pin their title hopes after their #1 darling got pantsed in the Shoe. Then LSU went 7-6 and kicked Brian Kelly out of the fam-uh-lee. Now, as LSU desperately scrapes the bottom of the NFL wannabe barrel to fill out their opening day roster, everyone is foaming at the mouth to pin their hopes on the Bayou Bengals again thanks to volatile coach Lane Kiffin, who you last saw abandoning a Playoff semifinalist in the middle of their title run. I expect some growing pains in Baton Rouge, but do you know who else was really bad last year? That's right, the other Death Valley Tigers, and it's becoming increasingly obvious that the sport is leaving poor old Dabo behind as contrasted with the constantly self-reinventing Kiffin. As I said last year, I'll believe the Tigers (the purple ones) (the purple AND ORANGE ones) can win another big boy game against a big boy opponent when I see it. And I didn't see it all last year for the preseason #4 frauds. Nothing changes until something changes. Clem: 17--LSU: 28
Schweinfurth: LSU has a lot of distractions coming into this week. With all of the court dates and noise around cut NFL players at LSU, there is no way Lane has been totally focused on this game. The dude's ego is driving the bus and it may be headed off a cliff. Clemson wasn’t great last year, but you still can’t overlook them. I think LSU squeaks by, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they lost either. Clem: 16—LSU: 17
Seeberg: Weird one to end the Saturday slate, mainly because literally everyone without a vested interest will be rooting for Dabo. Even with the potential inclusion of guys who apparently can’t make an NFL practice squad, getting traction with so much change may be difficult for Lane. How he continues to get high-profile jobs defies all logic. As for the game itself? It might as well defy all logic too. Keeping your roster from turnover should be beneficial early in the season, and Dabo’s chip on his shoulder is probably visible from space by now. Let’s get the fire Lane train rolling early Clem: 20—LSU: 17
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6
Louisville Cardinals vs. Mississippi Rebels
Draper: How about those Rebels post-Kiffin? They certainly put on a show in the playoffs, but can they continue with a new roster? Wait...what? They have Trinidad Chambliss for a David Lighty year? No real reason to expect Chambliss can't carry them against Louisville when he carried them to the semis last year. These matchups of teams in the teens always produce surprises, but I just can't quick my priors. Ole Miss will be getting a lion's share of the betting market, but week 1 is where upstart dreams go to die. The Grove should be enough, but we shall see. UL: 13--Miss: 27
Hoying: How long can Ole Miss keep its mojo? The last time a scummy coach (Hugh Freeze) left town, the Rebs spent the next few years having about as much success as their namesakes until the next scummy coach came along. Most of the pieces of last year's puzzle are still in place. The only star player Ole Miss put into the NFL was WR De'Zhaun Stribling, and the Ohio State transfer pipeline seems to be closed off for the moment. And it was current coach Pete Golding, not Lane Kiffin, who had the Rebs one Hail Mary completion away from having a shot at Indiana for the championship (still will never be not weird). The other sideline in this one is less interesting. Louisville is just always kind of there (unless they're upsetting the mighty Miami Hurricanes, see, it can be done), and short of being the latest landing spot for a less-than-elite backup Ohio State quarterback (Lincoln Kienholz this time), there's not much intrigue. The mighty SEC gets to flex its muscles against a ranked opponent, and ESPN gets to breathe a sigh of relief that Week 3 Armageddon won't get spoiled early. UL: 17--Miss: 24
Hoying: How long can Ole Miss keep its mojo? The last time a scummy coach (Hugh Freeze) left town, the Rebs spent the next few years having about as much success as their namesakes until the next scummy coach came along. Most of the pieces of last year's puzzle are still in place. The only star player Ole Miss put into the NFL was WR De'Zhaun Stribling, and the Ohio State transfer pipeline seems to be closed off for the moment. And it was current coach Pete Golding, not Lane Kiffin, who had the Rebs one Hail Mary completion away from having a shot at Indiana for the championship (still will never be not weird). The other sideline in this one is less interesting. Louisville is just always kind of there (unless they're upsetting the mighty Miami Hurricanes, see, it can be done), and short of being the latest landing spot for a less-than-elite backup Ohio State quarterback (Lincoln Kienholz this time), there's not much intrigue. The mighty SEC gets to flex its muscles against a ranked opponent, and ESPN gets to breathe a sigh of relief that Week 3 Armageddon won't get spoiled early. UL: 17--Miss: 24
Schweinfurth: Early season game and I don’t have much to say here. Is losing Lane Kiffin addition by subtraction? Maybe. Ole Miss should win this. UL: 24—Miss: 35
Seeberg: Lincoln Kienholz makes his actual, meaningful debut here (bowl games need not apply). He’s hyper athletic but the supporting cast still leaves something to be desired. I do think Brohm can coach him up reasonably well, but it’s just too early for that to take full effect. The Lane-less Rebs get a W. UL: 20—MISS: 31
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
Southern Methodist Mustangs @ Florida State Seminoles
Draper: Why are we picking this? This is just rude. I know my colleagues are simply trying to get me to just pick my alma mater who has just fallen on rough times so they can let me start the year in a hole....SO THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'LL DO!!! You thought FSU was in trouble against NMSU? AU CONTRAIRE! This was a masterful rope-a-dope by Norvell as the Noles are ready to reemerge onto the national stage by putting a beatdown on the Mustangs. You say the defensive line had 0 pressures against the Aggies? That just shows the New Mexico State is ready for the big time. There's gotta be 4 first rounders on that Aggie Oline. SMU won't know what hit them as the Seminole Uprising returns to Doak (Note: I may or may not believe this....I'll leave it to the reader to decide). SMU: 30--FSU: 34
Hoying: Florida State getting passed up for a spot in the 2023 CFP at 13-0 may be one of the cruelest robberies in the history of college football. Not just because it let The Abomination win the championship that year (no, Florida State wouldn't have beaten them either, but let me dream), but because that might have been the last chance at greatness this program may ever enjoy. Much like the Nebraska Cornhuskers, the Noles enjoyed decades of success under a legendary head coach, some lesser greatness under a successor they chased away, and now look bewilderedly mediocre year after year. At least Nebraska still fills Memorial Stadium, I guess. I just can't understand how a team in such fertile recruiting territory with such a rich history of success and swagger can be so bad. Even Miami managed to resurrect themselves (still waiting on Florida, though, but take your time, boys). More to the point, S M U, a program that was literally killed off in the 80s, has managed to claw their way back into perennial playoff contention in (technically) a power conference. If I hadn't just watched Florida State squeak by New Mexico State last week, I might have picked the Noles under a "they can't be this bad forever" theory, but...actually, let's just go with that. The worm has to turn sometime, right? Right? SMU: 27--FSU: 30
Hoying: Florida State getting passed up for a spot in the 2023 CFP at 13-0 may be one of the cruelest robberies in the history of college football. Not just because it let The Abomination win the championship that year (no, Florida State wouldn't have beaten them either, but let me dream), but because that might have been the last chance at greatness this program may ever enjoy. Much like the Nebraska Cornhuskers, the Noles enjoyed decades of success under a legendary head coach, some lesser greatness under a successor they chased away, and now look bewilderedly mediocre year after year. At least Nebraska still fills Memorial Stadium, I guess. I just can't understand how a team in such fertile recruiting territory with such a rich history of success and swagger can be so bad. Even Miami managed to resurrect themselves (still waiting on Florida, though, but take your time, boys). More to the point, S M U, a program that was literally killed off in the 80s, has managed to claw their way back into perennial playoff contention in (technically) a power conference. If I hadn't just watched Florida State squeak by New Mexico State last week, I might have picked the Noles under a "they can't be this bad forever" theory, but...actually, let's just go with that. The worm has to turn sometime, right? Right? SMU: 27--FSU: 30
Schweinfurth: This has to be a make or break year for Mike Norvell. He’s shown a few flashes, but hasn’t seemed able to get into the dance. They’ll have to put up quite a few points in this one to keep things on the tracks to start the year. SMU has been able to score in bunches the last few years. Should be a fun one to watch. SMU: 34—FSU: 38
Seeberg: Well, we have a bit of data at hand for this marquee(?) matchup…and it looks bad for the Seminoles. Struggling to put away a New Mexico State team that was 4-8 last year is worrying. I don’t have a ton of faith in SMU (see what I did there Methodists?), but I’ll be hard-pressed to pick FSU in any game of consequence. Bobby Bowden, Peter Warrick and Co. aren’t walking through that door anytime soon unfortunately. SMU: 34—FSU: 20
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
Ball State Cardinals @ THE Ohio State University Buckeyes
Draper: Buckeye football, we've missed you terribly. After a rather inauspicious end to the 2025 campaign, the Scarlet and Gray enter 2026 with the largest spread of week 1 (and that includes teams playing UMass....uh...sorry Buttgers). There's not much to say here. As we enter the Shoe for Senior Day (dumb), the focus will simply be on staying healthy and prepping for Texas. Ball State will happily take their paycheck and their bowling ball QB and be on their way. Sayin and Smith light it up early but the backups get extensive time starting in the first half. The defense will make a mistake or two, but it won't matter. Bucks roll. I REALLY wanted to pick the shutout, but I have a feeling a sad FG will ruin the day. I'm not sure the Buckeyes even cover to keep everything in the bag! Ball: 3--OSU: 52
Hoying: Another year, another dozen-or-so players lost to the NFL draft, and another preseason top 3 ranking notwithstanding. Get ready to get used to some new faces on both sides of the ball, especially this week as the Buckeyes hopefully go 3 or 4 strings deep. We likely won't get the answers we're looking for against BS U, but we can start to look for clues. How will the ball be distributed among the WR corps without a clear #2 option? How will the O-line make room for the running game, and does that include our newly minted captain QB? How many pieces in the secondary does it take to replace Caleb Downs, and what does that mean for getting pressure on the QB? I suggest you don't worry about this sort of thing and, just enjoy yourself. That goes for you all, too. BSU: 3--OSU: 56
Hoying: Another year, another dozen-or-so players lost to the NFL draft, and another preseason top 3 ranking notwithstanding. Get ready to get used to some new faces on both sides of the ball, especially this week as the Buckeyes hopefully go 3 or 4 strings deep. We likely won't get the answers we're looking for against BS U, but we can start to look for clues. How will the ball be distributed among the WR corps without a clear #2 option? How will the O-line make room for the running game, and does that include our newly minted captain QB? How many pieces in the secondary does it take to replace Caleb Downs, and what does that mean for getting pressure on the QB? I suggest you don't worry about this sort of thing and, just enjoy yourself. That goes for you all, too. BSU: 3--OSU: 56
Schweinfurth: I’m a simple man. I just want to see what Arthur Smith’s offense looks like (tempo please?) and how Matt Patricia has reloaded the defense. That and let’s get Jeremiah Smith’s Heisman campaign kicked off in style. No injuries, get the backups some time, and tune up for a massive one next week. BSU: 0—OSU: 59
Seeberg: Well kids, we made it. Another season of Buckeye football is upon us! We have to wait til week 2 for a banger this year, however. I am very curious how both lines will look. Lots of experience up front for Sayin, Bo and Co. If they can keep Julian upright against real competition, it’s natty or bust. The front 6 on D (might as well call it that these days) is more concerning. Lots of production gone. I trust Kenyatta and Eddrick, but too much unknown otherwise. I also no longer trust Ryan Day to go any faster than your average turtle on offense. Gonna need big plays from #4 through the air and chunk plays on the ground to score enough to justify the half-a-hundred spread. Regardless of the opponent, football is back. Enjoy Buckeye Nation, it gets real, real quick! BSU: 10—OSU: 52
Upset Special
Draper: Wisconsin over Notre Dame
Hoying: Washington State over Washington
Schweinfurth: Boise State over Oregon (hahaha)
Seeberg: Ohio over Nebraska
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