This Ohio State schedule is a far cry from an Ohio State football schedule from our youth. The Buckeyes opened the season with a conference opponent for the first time since 1976. Two opponents appeared on Ohio State's schedule for the first time (Army, UNLV) while the next three had not regularly appeared on Ohio State's schedule since 2014 (Rutgers, Maryland) or 2011 (Nebraska).
Nebraska is a unique departure from the three opponents that opened its conference schedule because the two had played before the Big Ten's last two rounds of conference realignment. The Cornhuskers and Buckeyes first played to open the 1955 and 1956 seasons, both in Ohio Stadium.