COLUMBUS — Ohio State’s football program agreed to terms with two Mid-American Conference schools for future games and “mutually agreed” with Texas to move the two teams’ home-and-home series back three years, it was announced Wednesday.
The Buckeyes’ department of athletics came to agreements with Buffalo for a 2020 game and with Akron for a 2021 date. Both games will be played in Columbus.
The series with Texas — which recently agreed to a series with Alabama — originally was scheduled for 2022 and 2023. Under the terms of the new agreement, Ohio State will begin the 2025 season by traveling to Austin, and the Longhorns will play the return game in Columbus in September, 2026.
ABC also announced Ohio State’s game against Texas Christian this season will have an 8 p.m. start Sept. 15 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Ohio State, which regularly has played MAC schools as part of its nonconference schedule, already had a 2019 game against Miami on the docket. The Buckeyes most recently played Toledo in 2011 and opened the 2016 season against Bowling Green.
Ohio State’s schedule is now filled through 2021.
2019
Aug. 31 – Florida Atlantic
Sept. 7 – Cincinnati
Sept. 14 – at Indiana
Sept. 21 – Miami (Ohio)
Sept. 28 – at Nebraska
Oct. 5 – Michigan State
Oct. 12 - Off
Oct. 19 – at Northwestern
Oct. 26 – Wisconsin
Nov. 2 – Off
Nov. 9 – Maryland
Nov. 16 – at Rutgers
Nov. 23 – Penn State
Nov. 30 – at Michigan
2020
Sept. 5 – Bowling Green
Sept. 12 – at Oregon
Sept. 19 – Buffalo
Sept. 26 – Rutgers
Oct. 3 – Off
Oct. 10 – Iowa
Oct. 17 – at Michigan State
Oct. 24 – at Penn State
Oct. 31 – Nebraska
Nov. 7 – Indiana
Nov. 14 – at Maryland
Nov. 21 – at Illinois
Nov. 28 – Michigan
2021
Sept. 4 – at Minnesota
Sept. 11 – Oregon
Sept. 18 – Tulsa
Sept. 25 – Akron
Oct. 2 – at Nebraska
Oct. 9 – Purdue
Oct. 16 – Off
Oct. 23 – at Rutgers
Oct. 30 – Michigan State
Nov. 6 – at Indiana
Nov. 13 – Maryland
Nov. 20 – Penn State
Nov. 27 – at Michigan
Contact Nicholas Piotrowicz at npiotrowicz@theblade.com, 419-724-6110 or on Twitter @NickPiotrowicz