Ohio State hasn't lost a season opener in 27 years. What happened last time?

It's been 27 years since Ohio State lost a game to open a football season, with 26 games in a row marking the longest active unbeaten streak in the country. What happened in the last loss? The Buckeyes will open up their 2026 season Sept. 5 against Ball State, with Ohio State opening the week as 50½

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What is the story about?

It's been 27 years since Ohio State lost a game to open a football season, with 26 games in a row marking the longest active unbeaten streak in the country. What happened in the last loss?

The Buckeyes will open up their 2026 season Sept. 5 against Ball State, with Ohio State opening the week as 50½-point favorites to win the nonconference game. Historically, Ohio State is 39-1 all-time against current members of the MAC Conference with a 36-game unbeaten streak.

Starting with the first recorded season in 1890, Ohio State has an opening game record of 120 wins, 12 losses and four ties.

When was the last time Ohio State football lost an opening game?

Ohio State cornerback Ahmed Plummer breaks away from Miami receiver Santana Moss after an interception during the Kickoff Classic at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Aug. 29, 1999. The Buckeyes lost 23 - 12.

The last time Ohio State lost a game to start its season was 1999 against Miami.The Buckeyes lost 23-12 at Giants Stadium to the Hurricanes in the Kickoff Classic,

the annual season-opening college football game held from 1983 to 2002.

After finishing 11-1 a season prior, the Buckeyes had a rough campaign in 1999 with a 6-6 record, including losses to Michigan State, Illinois and Michigan to end the season. The season started with immediate frustration, too; Ohio State quarterbacks Austin Moherman and Steve Bellisari combined for three turnovers and 104 passing yards in the 11-point loss.

Ohio State finished the game with four fumbles and Miami recovered two of them. Miami quarterback Kenny Kelly also lost two fumbles and threw two interceptions, but the Hurricanes outgained the Buckeyes 398 yards to 220.

The Buckeyes played in the Kickoff Classic three times, losing once in the 1986 season to Alabama.

What were the other Ohio State opening losses?

Here's a list of all 12 Ohio State opening game losses.

1999: Miami 23, Ohio State 12
1986: Alabama 16, Ohio State 10
1978: Penn State 19, Ohio State 0
1967: Arizona 14, Ohio State 7
1965: North Carolina 14, Ohio State 3
1957: Texas Christian 18, Ohio State 14
1950: SMU 32, Ohio State 27
1943: Iowa Seahawks 28, Ohio State 13
1894: Akron 6, Ohio State 12
1893: Otterbein 22, Ohio State 16
1892: Oberlin 40, Ohio State 4
1891: Western Reserve 50, Ohio State 6

Ohio State's largest deficit in an opening loss was in its second recorded season in 1891 against Western Reserve, which the Buckeyes lost 50-6. It was the latest start to an Ohio State football season, with the game played on Nov. 11. The second latest was the 2020-21 COVID season, which began on Oct. 24.

After losing four consecutive opening games from 1891 to 1894, the Buckeyes did not lose an opener for another 49 years, losing 28-13 in 1943 to the Iowa Seahawks, a U.S. Navy preflight school at the University of Iowa that played college football for three seasons.

Ohio State University football coach Woody Hayes during the September 17, 1978 game against Penn State.

Ohio State's biggest opening game loss in the 20th century was against Penn State in the 1978 season, the last coached by the legendary Woody Hayes. The Nittany Lions shut out the Buckeyes 19-0, and freshman quarterback Art Schlichter had a less-than-ideal debut, throwing a whopping five interceptions. The loss was the fourth opener that Hayes dropped in 28 seasons as head coach.