Sports

Ohio Football opens 2026 season at Nebraska in first test of new era

By: Ty Carpenter
Posted on: Friday, September 4, 2026

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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — After months of preparation and an offseason defined by roster turnover, Ohio football is finally ready to find out what its new-look team can do.

The Bobcats open the 2026 season Saturday on the road against Nebraska, marking the first game of head coach John Hauser’s tenure and the beginning of a season filled with questions about a roster than lost a significant portion of its production from just a year ago.

Ohio enters Memorial Stadium as 23.5-point underdogs against the Cornhuskers. The Bobcats have not won their first game of the season since 2022 when Ohio defeated FAU 41-38. They also have not won against a Big Ten opponent since 2012 when Ohio beat Penn State 24-14.

So needless to say, history might not be on Ohio’s side as they hit the road against the historic program. But the Bobcats are no strangers to beating Power 4 opponents; they’ve defeated two in the last three years and lost to Rutgers by only three points last year. So for Hauser, the season opener is less about trying to pull off something extraordinary but rather executing the fundamentals.

“I think sometimes in these games, you try to do too much at times and think you’ve got to be Superman,” Hauser said Monday. “We’re still just committed to executing our techniques and our assignments and understanding that that’s what’s going to get the job done. Let’s go in there and play our game.”

Of course, there are some question marks with this roster’s ability to pull off the upset. Hauser is the program’s third head coach in as many years, with a roster that saw its starters change at just about every position.

“I think getting better every week is something that we’ve done here,” Hauser said. “I’m excited to see some of these guys that have worked so hard for so long get to go out there and play in a great environment, on the road in a great test for us week one.”

Who’s up to the task?

Up to the task is graduate student Nick Poulos, who was named the Bobcats’ starting quarterback just over a week ago. Poulos has limited in-game experience but has taken snaps against Power 4 opponents before, notably Kentucky and Ohio State. He also brings something the rest of Ohio’s quarterback room does not: familiarity with the Bobcats’ offense.

“He’s been in our system for two and a half years now, … he’s a really intelligent football player and does a lot of communicating,” Hauser said. “He’s got a big arm strength. He can run. … Just his relationship with the guys, you know, he’s been here. They respect him. They listen to him.”

The test for Poulos will be how he handles a Nebraska defense riddled with Power 4 experience. They also brought in San Diego State transfer Owen Chambliss, who notched an impressive 110 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and four sacks last season. It’ll be a big test for an offense lacking returners, and it’s no secret for this coaching staff.

“Nebraska’s front seven is basically back. They’re big, they’re physical,” Hauser said. “They got a lot of experience coming back on the defensive side of the ball. But you know, defense is defense. It’s still about tackling and getting off blocks. … The test for us is, … just getting our guys to gel together and play smart football.”

A familiar face on the other side

While Nebraska presents a new challenge for Ohio, the Bobcats do have some familiarity with the Huskers’ starting quarterback.

Anthony Colandrea was recently named Nebraska’s QB1. He was also the starting quarterback for UNLV against the Bobcats in the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl last December. In that game, Colandrea was 19/30 passing with 184 yards and an interception.

At the time, Hauser was the Bobcat’s interim coach in the game Ohio won 17-10 for their seventh straight bowl win.

But while they’ve seen him before, Hauser recognizes that familiarity goes both ways.

“Advantage him, advantage us, right?” Hauser said. “He’s a great player. He can run, he can create, he can get out of the pocket. Seeing him at UNLV, probably a similar type of system to what he’s going to be in [at Nebraska], … he’s just a very explosive player.”

Colandrea is just one of several challenges for an Ohio defense that could be one of the team’s strengths early in the season. He joins a roster with a large group of returning receivers and an offensive line revitalized through the portal. Look to Ohio defensive returners such as Charlie Christopher and Michael Molnar at linebacker or DJ Walker and Holy Cross transfer Eli Thompson in the secondary.

It’ll be a tall task for the Bobcats as they hit the road. But while they’re underdogs, Hauser does not want his team playing like one.

“We got to be able to cut loose and let it rip,” Hauser said. “Let’s see where we’re at.”

The season kicks off bright and early Saturday at 12 p.m. ET.