For just the second time in program history, Ohio State Club Football is set to play multiple NCAA schools in the same season.
The Buckeyes are set to take on Wittenberg and Denison University’s JV programs in 2023, the first time in two years Ohio State has scheduled two JV programs in the same season. Ohio State is also set to renew multiple familiar rivalries the Great Lakes Conference, which was split into two divisions for 2023 following the addition of the University of Pittsburgh.
Ohio State will compete in the East Division of the Great Lakes Conference this season, joining Toledo, Wright State and Pitt. The West Division will consist of Oakland University, UW-Milwaukee, Loyola (Chicago) and Michigan State.
To open the year, the Buckeyes are scheduled to travel to Oakland University, where they will take on the Grizzlies for the fourth straight season. It will be the ninth meeting between the two programs, with the previous eight matchups resulting in a 4-4 split. After dropping the first four games to Oakland from 2013-16, Ohio State has won the last four from 2019-2022. The teams played twice in 2019, as victories over Oakland in the season opener and national championship game bookended Ohio State’s perfect season. Last season, the Buckeyes collected a 54-10 win over Oakland. Kickoff against the Grizzlies is set for Sunday, September 17 with a kickoff time to be determined.
The following week, the Buckeyes will make the familiar trip to Mulholland Field to take on Wright State on Sunday, September 24 at Noon. It will be the third straight season Ohio State has played the Raiders on the road. Ohio State has not lost to Wright State in nearly a decade and has played the Raiders at least once per season since 2012. Last year, the Buckeyes came away with a 53-12 victory.
After two weeks on the road, Ohio State’s home opener will come against the University of Pittsburgh. After two seasons in the Mid-Atlantic Conference, the Panthers join the East Division of the Great Lakes Conference and will make their first trip to Columbus since 2018, a 42-7 Ohio State win. The Buckeyes have played Pitt four times in program history, winning each time. The last matchup came in 2019, a 41-0 Ohio State win at Pitt. Kickoff is set for Saturday, Sept. 30 at 4:30 p.m.
Currently, Ohio State has an open Week 4 (October 7/8) proceeded by an off week. The Buckeyes are actively searching for a Week 4 game and any interested parties should contact Head Coach James Grega ASAP at osugrega@gmail.com.
Following an off week, Ohio State is set to take on back-to-back NCAA JV programs. First, the Buckeyes will renew their rivalry with Denison University on Sunday, October 22 at 3 p.m. The two programs have met four times in history with a split 2-2 record. The Big Red came away with victories in 2012 and 2021, while the Buckeyes collected wins in 2013 and 2022. Last season was the largest margin of victory between the two programs, as the Buckeyes came away with a 40-21 win.
After visiting Denison, the Buckeyes will make their first ever trip to Wittenberg University to take on the Tigers. Wittenberg’s varsity program is coming off of a 5-5 campaign in 2022 and will play host to Ohio State for the first time in team history on Sunday, October 29 at 2 p.m.
Finally, the Buckeyes will return home for the regular season finale against the University of Toledo on Sunday, Nov. 5 at 1 p.m. The Rockets enter their third season as a program and are coming off a 5-2 campaign, losing only to Ohio State and Michigan State, who played in the conference title game a season ago. Ohio State has defeated Toledo in each of the first two matchups, winning 51-14 in Columbus in 2021 and 51-20 in Toledo in 2022.
Should the Buckeyes win the East Division, Ohio State would play in its fifth straight conference championship game. The Buckeyes are 3-1 in their previous four conference title games, losing only to eventual national champion Apprentice School in 2018. Last season, the Buckeyes won the Great Lakes Conference title after defeating Michigan State, 59-21.
The NCFA semifinals are set to be played Saturday, Nov. 18 and the NCFA National Championship Game played on Saturday, Dec. 2. Last season, the Buckeyes broke an NCFA record for the largest win in NCFA postseason history by defeating George Mason 63-6 in the semifinals before eventually falling to Gordon State in the championship game, 35-15.
Ohio State is set to open fall practice Tuesday, August 22.
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