Buckeyes draw primetime kickoff in B1G opener against Wisconsin
COLUMBUS — Ohio State just a week away from beginning Big Ten play without being the reigning champion for the first time since 2017.
The Buckeyes will open their conference slate against Wisconsin, and now they know just when that game will take place on Sept. 24.
Three of their first four games will be in primetime. Ohio State (2-0) and Wisconsin (1-1) will face off on ABC with a 7:30 p.m. kickoff inside the Horseshoe. The networks announced the time slot for Week Four on Monday, using the 12-day window to choose when that matchup will take place.
The Buckeyes have already played a night game in the Horseshoe. They play another one this week against Toledo this week.
Ohio State beat Notre Dame under the lights in the Horseshoe to open the season on Sept. 3. After a Noon win against Arkansas State, the Buckeyes will play their next two games in the evening window. All four games in September are home games for Ohio State, as is the fifth game of the season, which will be against Rutgers.
With eight games at home this season, the Buckeyes have high expectations to achieve all three of their stated goals. That will be put to the test against Wisconsin under the lights.
“I think the thing that’s unique about Ohio State is every year, we’re expected to win the whole thing,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said before the season. “And that’s part of the deal here. A lot of times you go 11-2 and Rose Bowl, you say it’s one heck of a season. Well, not around here. And we knew that going in, and and our goal is every year is to beat [Michigan], win the Big Ten championship and win the national championship. So we didn’t get those things last year. The expectations don’t change year in and year out at Ohio State. We all know that.”
The first test on the Buckeyes path to winning the Big Ten will come against Wisconsin. That game will be in primetime.
The full Ohio State schedule can be found below.
Sept. 3 — vs. Notre Dame (21-10 win)
Sept. 10 — vs. Arkansas State (45-12 win)
Sept. 17 — vs. Toledo (7 p.m., FOX)
Sept. 24 — vs. Wisconsin (7:30 p.m., ABC)
Oct. 1 — vs. Rutgers (3:30 p.m., TBD)
Oct. 8 — at Michigan State (TBD)
Oct. 22 — vs. Iowa (TBD)
Oct. 29 — at Penn State (TBD)
Nov. 5 — at Northwestern (TBD)
Nov. 12 — vs. Indiana (TBD)
Nov. 19 — at Maryland (TBD)
Nov. 26 — vs. Michigan (Noon, FOX)
