Well, lookie what we have here. Fans from both sides have been clamoring for two of college football’s all-time programs to set something up on the schedule, and according to a release from Ohio State, the Buckeyes and Alabama have finally been able to work something out.
The Crimson Tide will play its first game in Ohio Stadium Sept. 18, 2027, with Ohio State returning the favor in 2028 by traveling to Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Bryant-Denny Stadium for a game on Sept. 9.
The two programs last met at the end of the 2014 college football season when Ohio State pulled off the upset as the No. 4 seed in the first-ever College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes went on to win the national championship.
The news continues a trend of solid, big-time matchups littered across the Ohio State schedule for the upcoming seasons. Here’s a look at what’s in store for years to come.
Upcoming Power 5 Series
2020 – at Oregon
2021 – Oregon
2022 – Notre Dame
2023 – at Notre Dame
2024 – at Washington
2025 – at Texas
2025 – Washington
2026 – Texas
2027 – Alabama
2028 – at Alabama
2030 – at Georgia
2031 – Georgia
“We’d like to thank University of Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Byrne and Senior Deputy Director of Athletics Finus Gaston, who worked so hard with us to get this series scheduled,” Diana Sabau, Ohio State Deputy Director of Athletics, said in a statement. “Building a non-conference schedule with tradition-rich programs is important to the competitive excellence of our program and the department, and it is great for our fans. We are excited for both schools and pleased to be able to share in this announcement today with the University of Alabama.”
The two programs have surprisingly met just four times in their respective histories. Alabama leads the all-time series 3-1.
- At the 1978 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Bear Bryant’s Crimson Tide defeated the last of Woody Hayes’ 13 Big Ten championship squads, 35-6;
- Alabama defeated Ohio State, 16-10, at the New Jersey Meadowlands in the 1986 Kickoff Classic;
- Alabama won the 1995 Florida Citrus Bowl game in Orlando, 24-17; and
- Ohio State won the aforementioned CFP semifinal game in New Orleans, 42-35, to advance to the CFP title game, a 42-20 victory over Oregon at AT&T Stadium in North Texas.
The upcoming game in 2027 in Columbus will be the first Southeastern Conference opponent in the regular season for Ohio State since LSU 39 years ago. That game on Sept. 24, 1988, was a 36-33 Ohio State thriller. Look it up, I think you’ll enjoy it.
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