Buckeyes Opponent Preview: Week One, Ball State Cardinals

The Ohio State Buckeyes are starting their 2026 season with a very nice handshake and welcome to the campaign against the Ball State Cardinals. 

As it stands on Tuesday, we are just about 7 weeks away from week one of the year, a week that fans everywhere are starting to itch for.  There is nothing like week one of the football season, when the anticipation and hope are overflowing for every fanbase.

For the Buckeyes this year, week one should be a nice entry to the season as they welcome Ball State to Ohio Stadium.

Unlike last year, when the Buckeyes opened with the Texas Longhorns and there was a serious question about the outcome of the game, this year should be completely different. 

As it stands now, Ohio State opened as -49.5 point favorites against the Cardinals, who are coming off of a 4-8 season where they were 0-7 on the road.

The 2025 season wasn't a good one for the Cardinals, who finished 10th in the MAC, which is the fourth-worst record in the conference.

Believe it or not, when the Cardinals and the Buckeyes kick off on September 5th, it will be the very first time that the two programs have ever played against each other. They have had no prior matchups, and this one this year will be the first ever.

Out of 137 eligible teams in Division 1, the Cardinals struggled from a statistical perspective last year. They were the 133rd ranked offense and the 103rd ranked defense last year. They enter 2026 as CBS' 134 ranked program in the entire country.

On offense, they are a mix of old and new. They will have a brand-new signal caller next season, and he will almost certainly be a transfer. The two guys competing are former Texas State dual-threat QB Keldric Luster. He will be competing with Division II transfer Tyler Mizzell, who comes from Concord University and is more of a passing-style quarterback.

Ball State's skill groups are led by two of their returning running backs who shouldered the load of an offense that ran the ball 67 percent of the time in 2025. The receiver room is again a mix of four returners and four transfers who will be competing.

Up front, the offense is anchored by the offensive line. The group is largely made up of returning players and three additional transfers. This unit is their strong suit on that side of the football.

The Cardinals' defense will have a lot to prove next year. The defensive line needs to prove a lot; the linebackers are all new, and the defensive back room is split by returners and three new transfers, including former Buckeye Diante Griffin.

The Buckeyes will ultimately have no issue in week one, and if they do, it is a sign of major issues. These games are always so tough from a player's perspective because they are competing against the standard and not against the scoreboard. 

It should be a victorious start to the year and one that will set the table for an incredible week two.

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