The Mid-American Conference released the full 12-game schedules for each of its teams on Friday. Kickoff times have yet to be announced.
Ohio begins its season on Sept. 4 when it hosts Syracuse. The two teams have not played each other since 1921, and it will be the first time Ohio has hosted an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent at Peden Stadium. The home stint will continue when the Bobcats host Duquesne on Sept. 11.
The Bobcats will spend the last two games of their nonconference schedule on the road when they travel to Lafayette, Louisiana to face Louisiana on Sept. 18, followed by a trip to Northwestern on Sept. 25.
Conference play begins for Ohio on Oct. 2, when it travels to Akron. On Oct. 9, the Bobcats return to Peden on Oct. 9 to host Central Michigan on Homecoming weekend.
They will hit the road again the following week to take on Buffalo, whom they haven’t faced since 2019. The two were originally slated to face each other on Dec. 5 in Peden, but the game was canceled due to COVID-19 issues with the Bobcats.
Following a home game against Kent State on Oct. 23, Ohio will be granted its first bye week. It will have 10 days to prepare before it hosts Miami for the annual “Battle of the Bricks” rivalry game on Nov. 2. The rivalry game will also kickoff the beginning of Ohio’s annual midweek games.
Ohio will hit the road for a trip to face Eastern Michigan on Nov. 9, whom it hasn’t squared off with since the 2017-2018 season. The Bobcats defeated the Eagles 27-20 in overtime. From there, it will return to Athens for a game against MAC West opponent Toledo on Nov. 16.
The regular season will round out with a road trip to Bowling Green on Nov. 26.
Before the 2020 season, Ohio’s original season schedule was canceled after the MAC postponed the season on Aug. 8. A shortened, conference-only schedule was announced on Sept. 25, and Ohio was picked to finish third in the preseason coaches’ poll. It finished the season 2-1 after COVID-related issues canceled its games against Miami, Buffalo and Kent State.
