Ohio State has made a tweak to its 2024 season.
Instead of opening the season against Southern Miss, the Buckeyes will kick off the 2024 campaign against in-state opponent Akron instead.
Per a release from the athletic department, Ohio State and Southern Mississippi mutually agreed to cancel the game to modify their respective schedules. The Buckeyes switched opponents with Kentucky, who was originally scheduled to open its 2024 season at Akron but will now host Southern Miss on Aug. 31 instead.
The meeting will be the 10th all-time between Ohio State and Akron, with the Buckeyes winning 59-7 on Sept. 25, 2021, in the schools' most recent meeting. The Buckeyes lead the all-time series 8-1.
With the change in the schedule, the Buckeyes will play one nonconference game against an Ohio Group of Five school for each of the next four seasons: Akron (2024), Ohio (2025), Kent State (2026) and Bowling Green (2027).
Akron is 2-9 this season in coach Joe Moorhead's second year as head coach.
An updated 2024 schedule is below.
| Date | Team | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Aug. 31 | Akron | Home |
| Sept. 7 | Western Michigan | Home |
| Sept. 21 | Marshall | Home |
| Sept. 28 | Michigan State | Away |
| Oct. 5 | Iowa | Home |
| Oct. 12 | Oregon | Away |
| Oct. 26 | Nebraska | Home |
| Nov. 2 | Penn State | Away |
| Nov. 9 | Purdue | Home |
| Nov. 16 | Northwestern | Away |
| Nov. 23 | Indiana | Home |
| Nov. 30 | Michigan | Home |
