COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State football is consistently among the best teams in the country, often delivering regardless of the opponent.
In ranked matchups, the Buckeyes usually have a chance to win. Against struggling foes, Ohio State typically cruises.
But there’s always one game that is unexpectedly tricky for coach Ryan Day and his team.
Here’s a look at the trap game probability of matchups on Ohio State’s 2025 schedule.
Texas (home): Low
Ohio State beat Texas in the College Football Playoff semifinals on Jan. 10. Ten days later, the Buckeyes beat Notre Dame in the title game.
Since then, the most talked about game on the college football schedule has been the Aug. 30 meeting between OSU and UT. This game won’t sneak up on anyone.
Grambling State (home): Low
A lowly opponent a week after a high-profile game can sometimes create a scare.
But the talent gap between a Big Ten power and a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) school that hasn’t won a conference title since 2017 is too big for this to be a trap.
Ohio (home): Medium
Ohio State will enter its Week 3 matchup vs. Ohio with a bye week, and the start of Big Ten play, on the horizon. It’ll be easy to look ahead, even against an in-state opponent, which could create a problem.
The Bobcats won the Mid-American Conference (MAC) title last year and return starting quarterback Parker Navarro.
Ohio plays at Ohio State on Sept. 13. AP
Washington (away): Low
Coming off a bye week, Ohio State should have its focus in check for its first road game of the season — particularly if Washington is 3-0 coming off a win against Washington State.
Minnesota (home): Medium
While Illinois carries lofty preseason expectations, Minnesota is actually ranked higher in ESPN’s preseason College Football Power Index rankings. This could mean the Gophers are a sleeper in the Big Ten.
Sandwiched between a trip to Washington and a likely ranked matchup at Illinois, Ohio State could be facing a trap game on Oct. 4.
Illinois (away): Low
Illinois won 10 games last season and, if it can manage a tricky schedule to open 2025, could be ranked in the top 15 when Ohio State comes to town.
The Illini are too good to be considered a trap.
Luke Fickell is entering his third season as Wisconsin football’s coach.Morry Gash/AP Photo
Wisconsin (away): High
Ohio State fans know Luke Fickell and saw him succeed as a head coach at Cincinnati. That success hasn’t followed to Wisconsin where Fickell is starting to face some pressure with a daunting 2025 schedule looming.
However, this Oct. 18 matchup gives Fickell a chance to make a statement against the reigning champs who might be looking ahead to a bye week and a high-level matchup vs. Penn State.
Penn State (home): Low
Penn State might be the Big Ten’s best team this season, and their defensive coordinator is Jim Knowles.
Ohio State should be awake for this matchup, especially coming off a bye week.
Jim Knowles left Ohio State football in January to serve as Penn State’s defensive coordinator. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com
Purdue (away): Low
Purdue should be significantly better than last season, but it’s still difficult to imagine the Boilermakers taking a big enough stride to compete with Ohio State.
Even after an emotional matchup with Penn State, OSU should have no problem getting out of Indiana with a win.
UCLA (home): High
Ohio State’s five game stretch after its second bye week is interesting because its bookended by games vs. Penn State and Michigan. That makes the middle three games interesting, particularly this Nov. 15 matchup with UCLA.
The Bruins made noise this offseason by adding former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava. If he plays like the five-star prospect he was in 2023, UCLA could be trouble.
Nico Iamaleava was the starting quarterback for Tennessee in a 2024 College Football Playoff game loss at Ohio State.David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com
Rutgers (home): Medium
Oftentimes, matchups before rivalry week are perfect for a trap game. That hasn’t been the case for Ohio State under Day, though.
Last year, Ohio State dominated Indiana before facing Michigan. Minnesota and Michigan State suffered similar fates in previous years. Maybe Rutgers can change that trend, but it’s unlikely.
Michigan (away): Low
Ohio State has lost four straight game against its biggest rival. It would be criminal to label this as a trap game.
Ohio State’s biggest trap game: UCLA
The trap game debate for Ohio State likely resides between Wisconsin and UCLA, and maybe you’d lean toward the road game being the scarier one.
However, that hasn’t been the case for the Buckeyes recently.
Nebraska came into Ohio Stadium last year and nearly won. Maryland, despite a lop-sided final score, did something similar in 2023.
Keep an eye on this UCLA game as a potential trap in 2025.
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