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Ohio State Football: Best Ways to Watch Buckeyes Live After Ditching Cable

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The Ohio State Buckeyes have a way of leaving an impression. The closer you get to the Ohio/Michigan border, the truer that statement becomes. Fans on both sides of the line tend to keep an eye on the Buckeyes football season. Cord-cutters looking to watch on TV will be happy to know they don’t need cable.

In a hurry? You only need a few channels to see every Buckeyes game. And these services provide them all and a lot more:

  • Fubo: The best streaming service for international sports also provides 150+ well-selected channels. Fubo allows you to try out its service with a free trial.
  • DIRECTV STREAM: Get a great channel lineup with the best selection of RSNs in the industry. A 5-day free trial is now available for DIRECTV STREAM.
  • Hulu + Live TV: This total entertainment streaming service provides a great on-demand selection and all the essential live TV channels.

If you can’t watch your favorite sports because of your location, get ExpressVPN to access the content you deserve.

In a hurry? Unfortunately, we don’t know a streaming service in that offers this TV channel/sport. But if you’ve already paid for the right service, and just can’t watch because of your location, there is an easy way to get the sports, movies, and TV you deserve. You need a VPN, like one of the following.

ExpressVPN

1. ExpressVPN: Established VPN provider in 105 countries. Smart DNS, a built-in ad-blocker, and unlimited bandwidth. Try it with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Private Internet Access

3. Private Internet Access: The only no-logs VPN with a location for every US state. Get 82% off + 2 months free.

If you’re overwhelmed and not sure where to begin, you’ll find all the answers in our full VPN guide.

Ohio State Buckeyes Football
Ohio State Football by Paula R Lively under CC BY 2.0.

This Week’s Buckeyes Football Game

  • The 2023 Ohio State Buckeyes football season is over.

Where to Watch Ohio State Buckeyes Games

The Ohio State Buckeyes primarily appear on network channels and the Big Ten Network (BTN). If they make it to a bowl game, there is a good chance that the game will be broadcast on ESPN, since almost all of them are.

Throughout its history, the Ohio State Buckeyes football program has appeared in 52 bowl games, so there is a good chance that you will be watching them on ESPN at least once per season.

Sign Up for a Free Fubo Trial

Unblock Your Favorite Events & Teams With a VPN

If you can’t watch your favorite events or teams because of your location, a VPN will allow you to get the access you are entitled to, plus extra security and unequaled privacy. Check out our VPN Guide for everything you need to know, including our top pick ExpressVPN.

Get ExpressVPN Today

Other brands worth checking out include Hotspot Shield and CyberGhost.

How to Stream Ohio State Buckeyes Games

To see every OSU Buckeyes game, you will need ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, and BTN. A number of streaming services provide all of these. Here we take a look at some of the top choices:

Fubo

fubotv logo

ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, and Big Ten Network are all available through the Fubo Pro package, which costs $79.99/mo. You will also be able to get other national channels like ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, FS2, CBS Sports Network (CBSSN), as well as international channels such as beIN Sports and TUDN.

And, of course, their 150+ channel lineup includes a broad range of other channels like Comedy Central, Discovery, Disney, FX, HGTV, USA, and more.

All Fubo plans come with a generous 1000 hours of cloud DVR and the ability to watch different programs on up to 10 devices at once.

See our Fubo review for more details.

Sign Up for a Free Fubo Trial

FuboTV Football
Fubo football coverage.

Sling TV

Sling TV Logo (2021 100x50)

If you want to watch Ohio State football on a regular basis with Sling TV, you will most likely want to purchase the Sling Blue plan, which comes with ABC, Fox, and NBC (select markets) for $45.00/mo. If you add Sports Extra ($11/mo) you also get BTN.

If you also want ESPN, you will need to upgrade to the Orange & Blue plan for $60/mo. With the addition of the O&B Sports Extra ($15/mo), you will get 70+ channels for less than other services.

The Sling Orange plan (or Orange + Blue) comes with ESPN3, which airs pretty much all ABC Sports broadcasts live. So you will be able to watch all the games the Buckeyes play on ABC, even if it is not available in your area.

You can also set up an antenna, which you can interface with the Sling TV app. This is such a common thing to do that Sling offers free digital antennas if you sign up for at least 2 months.

For more information, see our Sling TV review.

Save 50% on Sling TV Now

DIRECTV STREAM

DIRECTV STREAM

The DIRECTV STREAM Entertainment package starts at $79.99/mo and allows you to watch local stations (including ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC) as well as ESPN and ESPN2. So you can watch most of the OSU games. If you want BTN, you need to upgrade to the Choice package for $108.99/mo. It also includes ACC Network and SEC Network.

All DIRECTV STREAM plans come with unlimited cloud DVR and the ability to stream on unlimited devices at once. This makes it a particularly good service for large households.

See our DIRECTV STREAM review for more.

Get DIRECTV STREAM Free for 5 Days

Hulu + Live TV

hulu logo

Hulu + Live TV starts at $76.99/mo and comes with local networks such as ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC. It also comes with ESPN, FS1, and BTN. This means that you will be able to watch every Ohio State football game live. In all, you get 85+ channels as well as Hulu’s outstanding on-demand library. Finally, you get ESPN+ and Disney+!

You get unlimited cloud DVR with 9 months of storage and the ability to stream on up to two devices simultaneously.

For all the details, see our Hulu + Live TV review.

Try Hulu + Live TV Today!

Vidgo

vidgo logo

Vidgo is a good streaming service for OSU fans specifically and NCAA fans generally. It provides most of the channels you need to watch Buckeyes games: ABC and Fox (select markets) as well as BTN. But it also provides many other important channels for NCAA: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, FS1, FS2, and the conference networks for ACC, Pac-12, and SEC, as well as Longhorn Network.

In all, you get more than 100 base channels. You can stream on up to 3 devices and record up to 20 hours of content on its cloud DVR.

Learn more in our Vidgo review.

Try Vidgo Today!

Vidgo Football
Vidgo offers great coverage of college and professional football.

Other Options

There are other ways to watch Ohio State Buckeyes games and NCAA games in general.

  • Antenna: Ten of OSU’s 12 regular season games were on ABC or Fox in 2022. In most areas, you can watch these games with a digital antenna. These can be easily set up inside your house with little money.
  • ESPN+: It may not provide any Buckeyes football in a given year, but it does feature other sports and teams. And it’s just $10.99/mo for a subscription. Or get the Hulu, Disney+, ESPN+ bundle for just $14.99/mo.
  • YouTube TV: Offers a similar plan to Hulu + Live TV for $72.99/mo.
  • Streaming Apps: ABC, Fox, and BTN all have their own apps that you can use to watch live with a streaming account via TV Everywhere.

Superpower Your Sports Streaming With a VPN

For the sake of privacy, security, and access, you should be using a VPN. They are low-cost and easy to use. We’ve been using them for years and our top pick is ExpressVPN. Other brands worth checking out include Hotspot Shield and CyberGhost.

i Our VPN Buyer’s Guide provides a complete introduction and all you need to know to choose the best VPN for your needs.

Live Streaming Devices for Ohio State Buckeyes Football

Sling TV ESPN3
Android phone running Sling TV with channels related to NCAA football.

You probably already own one or more streaming devices or TVs that are supported by the services we’ve discussed above.

All the services support Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, and Roku devices. And they all support mobile devices based on iOS and Android. And you can use them all with Android TV-based smart TVs.

All the services (except Vidgo) support Samsung smart TVs. The smart TVs from LG and Vizio are supported by Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, and YouTube TV.

Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, and YouTube TV support the gaming system Xbox One. You can use Sling TV with Oculus. Hulu supports Nintendo Switch. And Hulu and YouTube support PlayStation systems.

See our streaming reviews for complete details.

Sign Up for a Free Fubo Trial

Ohio State Buckeyes Football

The Ohio State Buckeyes football program has been among the most successful in the nation throughout its existence.

Currently, the Buckeyes play their home games at Ohio Stadium, also known as the Horseshoe, on the Ohio State University campus in Columbus. It can hold up to 110,000 fans on game day, and this provides the school with a significant advantage when playing at home.

The Buckeyes football team is coached by Ryan Day, who has won 88% of the games during his tenure with the school — and a shocking 94% of conference matchups.

Ohio State has made five appearances in the College Football Playoff (CFP) since 2014, including last year’s 42-41 defeat at the hand of the Georgia Bulldogs in the Peach Bowl. The team has also been Big Ten champions for five of the last ten years.

The NCAA preseason rankings have OSU at Number 3 just above Alabama, which is effectively tied with it.

Sign Up for a Free Fubo Trial

2023 Ohio State Buckeyes Football Schedule

  • Sat Sep 2 : @ Indiana Hoosiers (CBS)
  • Sat Sep 9 : vs Youngstown State Penguins (BTN)
  • Sat Sep 16 : vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (Fox)
  • Sat Sep 23 : @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish (NBC)
  • Sat Oct 7 : vs Maryland Terrapins (Fox)
  • Sat Oct 14 TBD: @ Purdue Boilermakers (Peacock)
  • Sat Oct 21 TBD: vs Penn State Nittany Lions (Fox)
  • Sat Oct 28 TBD: @ Wisconsin Badgers (NBC)
  • Sat Nov 4 TBD: @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights (CBS)
  • Sat Nov 11 : vs Michigan State Spartans (NBC)
  • Sat Nov 18 TBD: vs Minnesota Golden Gophers
  • Sat Nov 25 : @ Michigan Wolverines (Fox)

Sign up with Fubo to watch all these channels live!

Wrapping Up

You can watch the Ohio State Buckeyes from almost anywhere in the country by subscribing to your favorite streaming service. This is because most Ohio State games are broadcast to a national audience on Fox, ABC, NBC, and BTN.

Fubo is our top choice for Ohio State Buckeyes football. Fubo allows you to try out its service with a free trial.

Sign Up for a Free Fubo Trial

FAQs

Who are some of the most famous athletes to play for Ohio State?

Ohio State has recruited dozens of players who have gone on to have legendary careers at the school and as professional athletes. Archie Griffin played for the team until 1975 and won two Heisman Trophy awards for being the best player in college football during a given season. Other notable players include Eddie George, Troy Smith, and Bill Willis.

When was the last time Ohio State won a national championship?

Ohio State won its most recent championship after the 2014 season. The school defeated Oregon 42-20 in the CFP final, and the Buckeyes boasted a lineup featuring the likes of Ezekiel Elliot, Joey Bosa, and Taylor Decker. All of these players would be selected in subsequent NFL drafts. Ohio State last appeared in a national championship game in 2020 when it lost to Alabama in the CFP final .

Who are Ohio State’s biggest rivals?

Ohio State’s biggest rival is the University of Michigan, and the two schools meet on the field each year to determine the best team in the Big 10. In many cases, the result of the game has national championship implications. Ohio State also has intense rivalries with Illinois and Penn State, which are also Big 10 schools and also play the Buckeyes almost every season.

How can I watch teams besides Ohio State without cable?

Check out our detailed guides for college football and college bowl games without cable. And read these team-specific guides:

You can also check out our guides for college basketball and March Madness. And read our team-specific guides:

Ditch “Big Cable” Now – 3 Simple Steps to Cut the Cord

  1. Pick the right streaming service
  2. Get the content you deserve with the best VPN.
  3. Supercharge your internet provider

That’s it — you’ll save money, take back control, and enjoy TV more!

Page Updates

  1. Updated for the 2023 season.

  2. Added links to streaming services. Added buttons for streaming services. Updated some sub-sections. Updated some section headings. Image changes.

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