Ohio’s two biggest football programs both enter the 2026 season under a spotlight. The Ohio State Buckeyes open their campaign as the top-ranked team in the country, while the Cleveland Browns began their regular season on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Ohio State enters 2026 as the No. 1 ranked team in the nation in both the Associated Press poll and the USA Today coaches poll. Head coach Ryan Day addressed the team’s depth heading into the opener, noting he expects to see six wide receivers in consistent rotation this season — depth he described as “way better” than the previous year. The Buckeyes enter the year with seven team captains: quarterback Julian Sayin, receivers Jeremiah Smith and Brandon Inniss, defensive end Kenyatta Jackson Jr., safety Jaylen McClain, linebacker Payton Pierce, and offensive lineman Austin Siereveld.
On the professional side, the Browns’ 2026 schedule opened on the road against Jacksonville, with their first home game set for Week 2 against Tampa Bay, and notable division matchups against Pittsburgh in Weeks 4 and later in the season. Head coach Todd Monken spoke to reporters ahead of the Jaguars matchup as the team looks to build on its offseason moves, including continued construction progress on the Browns’ new stadium project in Brook Park.
Cleveland’s sports scene is also expanding beyond football: the city recently welcomed the Cleveland Sirens as a new WNBA expansion team, adding another chapter to the region’s growing professional sports landscape heading into 2027.