Ohio State Buckeyes Change Schedule, Will Play Akron Zips in 2024 Season Opener

The Ohio State Buckeyes are making a matchup adjustment to their schedule for the 2024 season.

Ahead of their monstrous rivalry matchup with the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor on Saturday, the Ohio State Buckeyes announced Tuesday that they’re already making schedule adjustments for next season.

Ohio State has officially changed its opponent for the 2024 season opener, as the Buckeyes will now play an in-state foe in the Akron Zips at home on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. Ohio State was originally set to play Southern Mississippi to start the season, but the two sides “mutually agreed to cancel the game in order to modify their respective schedules.”

The game will mark the 10th all-time meeting between OSU and Akron, the last of which occurred in 2021. The Buckeyes won that game 59-7.

Ohio State leads the all-time series 8-1. Akron won the fourth-ever meeting between the two programs, 12-6, on Sept. 5, 1894. The two teams also met the following season, but wouldn’t clash again until 2001.

This season, Akron is a woeful 2-9, but the Zips’ record in not indicative of their performance. Akron has been in seven one-score games this season, winning two. The others have been losses, which has included three crushing overtime defeats.

With the changes, here’s a look at the new 2024 schedule for Ohio State:

Aug. 31 – Akron

Sept. 7 – Western Michigan

Sept. 14 – BYE

Sept. 21 – Marshall

Sept. 28 – at Michigan State

Oct. 5 – Iowa

Oct. 12 – at Oregon

Oct. 19 – BYE

Oct. 26 – Nebraska

Nov. 2 – at Penn State

Nov. 9 – Purdue

Nov. 16 – at Northwestern

Nov. 23 – Indiana

Nov. 30 – Michigan