The 2020 college football season may be in question.
But that didn't stop two of the sport's titans from generating headlines on Thursday afternoon.
In what qualifies as a bombshell announcement from a scheduling standpoint, Ohio State announced it has agreed to a home-and-home series with Alabama for the 2027 and 2028 seasons. In a rare instance of traveling north, the Crimson Tide will play in Columbus in 2027, with the Buckeyes returning the favor in Tuscaloosa in 2028.
Both games will mark the first time either historic program has played inside the other's stadium.
Barring any future postseason matchups, the 2027 meeting between Ohio State and Alabama will mark the first matchup between the two schools since the 2015 Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff Semifinals. Behind 230 yards and 2 touchdowns from Ezekiel Elliott, the Buckeyes won that game by a score of 42-35 before beating Oregon to win the first-ever College Football Playoff championship.
“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 press release. “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.”
In addition to its upcoming matchups with Alabama, Ohio State also has a home-and-home series with Georgia scheduled for the 2030 and 2031 seasons.
