This season's matchups with Army and UNLV will mark the first time Ohio State has played either program in its storied history, thus raising the question of which schools the Buckeyes have never faced.
There are currently 129 teams at the Football Bowl Subdivision level, and Ohio State has yet to face 43. That's a lot considering the Buckeyes are entering their 128th season of play.
Then again, Ohio State has operated as a member of the Big Ten Conference since 1912, so it's not as if the schedule has been filled with programs from all corners of the country week after week. And with only a few non-conference games each year and limited bowl tie-ins, it's hard to imagine the Buckeyes cross off every team on this list anytime soon.
| acc |
|---|
| GEORGIA TECH |
| WAKE FOREST |
Ohio State could potentially play Georgia Tech or Wake Forest in the Orange, Pinstripe or Quick Lane bowls, as all three have conference tie-ins with the ACC and Big Ten.
| american |
|---|
| EAST CAROLINA |
| MEMPHIS |
| TEMPLE |
| TULANE* |
| UCONN |
| USF |
The Buckeyes will play Tulane on Sept. 22, 2018.
| BIG XII |
|---|
| IOWA STATE |
| KANSAS |
The Big Ten and Big XII do not share any conference tie-ins for potential bowl matchups.
| MAC |
|---|
| BALL STATE |
| CENTRAL MICHIGAN |
Ohio State is more likely to schedule one of the six MAC schools based in Ohio, but a 10-year sweep of the directional schools from that state up north could be fun.
| MOUNTAIN WEST |
|---|
| BOISE STATE |
| COLORADO STATE |
| NEVADA |
| NEW MEXICO |
| UNLV* |
| UTAH STATE |
As mentioned, Ohio State will face UNLV for the first time in program history on Sept. 23.
| SEC |
|---|
| MISSISSIPPI STATE |
| OLE MISS |
Ohio State has an all-time losing record against half of the SEC, but a chance to even that record at .500 could come in Citrus, Music City, Outback or TaxSlayer bowls.
| SUN BELT |
|---|
| APPALACHIAN STATE |
| ARKANSAS STATE |
| COASTAL CAROLINA |
| GEORGIA SOUTHERN |
| GEORGIA STATE |
| IDAHO |
| LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE |
| LOUISIANA-MONROE |
| SOUTH ALABAMA |
| TEXAS STATE |
The Big Ten and Sun Belt do not share a conference tie-in for bowl games. Idaho will drop to the Football Championship Subdivision following the 2017 season, so it's highly unlikely the Buckeyes ever meet the Vandals given Big Ten teams can longer schedule FCS schools.
| CONFERENCE USA |
|---|
| CHARLOTTE |
| FAU** |
| FIU |
| LOUISIANA TECH |
| MIDDLE TENNESSEE |
| NORTH TEXAS |
| OLD DOMINION |
| SOUTHERN MISS |
| UTEP |
| UTSA |
| WESTERN KENTUCKY |
The Big Ten and Conference USA do not share a conference tie-in for bowl games. Ohio State will play Florida Atlantic on Aug. 31, 2019.
| INDEPENDENTS |
|---|
| ARMY* |
| UMASS |
The Buckeyes will face Army for the first time on Sept. 16.
With that said, Ohio State's schedule is complete through the 2019 season. And with one open date each year from there, here are five schools (in no particular order) we'd like to see the Buckeyes play for the first time.
GEORGIA TECH
With 723 victories, good for 17th overall in college football history, the Yellow Jackets are the winningest program Ohio State has yet to face. A potential home-and-home could help the Buckeyes' recruiting efforts in Georgia, too.
BOISE STATE
The only two programs to have more wins that Boise State over the last decade are Alabama and Ohio State. A matchup of this magnitude — model upstart versus blue blood — would surely garner a lot of hype.
OLD DOMINION
The Monarchs, entering only their fourth season at the FBS level, have not been afraid to schedule big-time opponents in the past and into the future. Ohio State's recent recruiting efforts in Hampton Roads, Virginia, makes this matchup enticing.
MISSISSIPPI STATE
Ohio State has faced neither Mississippi State nor Ole Miss, but the Bulldogs get the edge because of Urban Meyer's relationship with head coach Dan Mullen, who was an assistant under Meyer at Bowling Green, Utah and Florida from 2001-08.
APPALACHIAN STATE
Do I even need to explain myself? Surely a win over the program that humiliated Michigan 10 years ago this season is something worth pursuing. The Mountaineers would certainly love the opportunity to pull another upset, too.
