ESPN updates Ohio State game predictions after loss of Julian Sayin

Nobody likes a good prediction more than we do here at Buckeyes Wire, and we get into it ourselves when the time comes, and we will throughout the 2026 Ohio State and college football season.

But if you've followed us at all, you know we like to check in on what the ESPN Matchup Predictor says about Ohio State's probability of winning each game on its schedule every week. The ESPN computers always adjust things after the latest slate of games, and we like to check in each time.

Now that Week 7 is behind us, with some major surprises, the computer model ESPN uses did its thing and spit out a new look at the chances of the Buckeyes winning each remaining game for the 2026 regular season schedule. The Buckeyes were able to outlast undefeated, defending College Football Playoff national champion Indiana last weekend, but how other teams do play into the analytics as well. And how does the loss of starting quarterback Julian Sayin play into the model, if at all?

This year's schedule is a daunting one, with remaining road contests still to go at USC and Nebraska, and home games vs. Oregon and Michigan also on the docket to finish out the regular season schedule.

Here's what ESPN's Matchup Predictor says for a game-by-game prediction of the remainder of the Ohio State football schedule after seven weeks and how it's changed from the start. We include completed games going forward into the projected record for the Buckeyes.