Ohio State will welcome Youngstown State back to the Shoe in 2023.
Youngstown State announced Monday that it has scheduled a game against the Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium for Sept. 9, 2023.
Ohio State was previously scheduled to host San Jose State on that date, but an Ohio State spokesperson said Monday that OSU and SJSU had mutually agreed to cancel that game.
SCHEDULE ANNOUNCEMENT
— Youngstown State Football (@ysufootball) April 25, 2022
Youngstown State at Ohio State
: September 9, 2023
: Columbus, OH#GoGuins // #GritU pic.twitter.com/OPEDbbt5gB
The game will be Ohio State’s first game against an FCS opponent in 10 years. The Buckeyes last played a non-FBS team in 2013, when they beat Florida A&M 76-0.
Ohio State had stopped scheduling games against FCS opponents since that matchup. Now, however, the door appears to be open for the Buckeyes to play FCS teams once again. Another possible future opponent from the Football Championship Subdivision could be Tennessee State, as TSU head coach Eddie George – a former Ohio State running back – said earlier this month at the Ohio State Coaches Clinic that he and Gene Smith had discussed the possibility of Ohio State playing Tennessee State in the future.
The matchup with Youngstown State should also bring a former Buckeye back to the Shoe, as former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel is now Youngstown State’s university president.
Next year’s game will be Ohio State’s third game against Youngstown State, who the Buckeyes previously hosted in 2007 and 2008. The Buckeyes defeated the Penguins 38-6 in 2007 and 43-0 in 2008.
Youngstown State is now set to be Ohio State’s first non-conference opponent on the 2023 schedule, which also includes Western Kentucky (Sept. 16 at home) and Notre Dame (Sept. 23 away). Ohio State is currently slated to opened the 2023 season on the road at Indiana, but the Big Ten is expected to make adjustments to the 2023 conference schedule after already doing for 2022.
