Alabama may be reshaping its future schedule, and Ohio State could end up being the casualty. The Tide announced on February 23 that it will open the 2028 season against Georgia State, even though Ohio State had previously been slated as Alabama’s September 9 opponent that year. Since Alabama is already playing UT Martin and Oklahoma State, it looks like the OSU game might be struck off from the schedule.

Per the series agreement signed in 2020, Ohio State and Alabama were expected to meet in the 2027 and 2028 seasons. However, since competition around getting into the playoffs has become extremely tight, SEC programs are not keen on playing marquee opponents. Since these teams are already playing 9 conference games from 2026 onwards, Alabama might be avoiding the risk of failure. The stakes get even higher for the Tide if the playoff bracket is expanded. The Big Ten is pushing for a 24-team format, starting with 16 for the 2027 and 2028 seasons.

However, OSU isn’t entirely out of the picture for Alabama. The SEC’s new scheduling rules from the 2026 season onwards mandate that teams have to play one P5 opponent from outside the conference. The Buckeyes can still be that opponent for the Tide. Before Alabama onboarded Georgia State, the OSU AD said that he had no word about SEC schools “interested in not playing those games.” Former Buckeye linebacker Bobby Carpenter also confirmed the same on his show.

“I think they view those high-power matchups — if anything, right now you play them, and you win, and then you’re in a great spot,” Bjork added. That was precisely the case for Miami getting into the playoffs, while Notre Dame missed. Wins against P4 opponents are bound to keep teams on the CFP Committee’s good books. OSU’s win over Texas played an important role in its postseason run. There will be a rematch of this game in the 2026 season as well.

Moreover, Ohio State won’t be losing much if they do get the cut. The 2028 schedule looks like a cakewalk for the Buckeyes, with the only big opponents being Penn State and Michigan. Maybe Illinois, Washington, and UCLA could throw some surprises. Unlike the SEC, the Big Ten doesn’t require teams to play a P4 non-conference game. The Buckeyes can emerge as a clear frontrunner when the 2028 season is in play. But an Alabama under Kalen DeBoer at that time doesn’t look that hopeful, according to Paul Finebaum.

Paul Finebaum already saw the cancellation coming

Paul Finebaum is not one to shy away from attacking the team’s weak points. He already figured that Alabama won’t be inclined towards keeping the OSU games, because this team is not the Alabama that existed before DeBoer’s arrival.

“I sincerely doubt the Alabama game is going to happen based on what I’ve heard from Alabama’s AD,” Finebaum said on 97.1 The Fan on February 6. “He’s got a shaky situation there anyway with a coach who is in trouble. Georgia might do it because they’re a little more in-tune and aligned, but I really don’t think we’re going to go too far and see those games. … [The] reality is that the ninth SEC game is going to be very costly for a lot of programs.”

Sure, DeBoer managed to get some glory for Alabama by making the playoffs in 2025. They also seemed pretty dominant in the first half of the season. But down the line, that power seemed to fade. Alabama was handed a humiliating end to the 2025 season by Indiana, which kept the Tide to just 3 points in the playoffs. DeBoer is entering the 2026 season with such a record. CBS Sports ranked him as the 8th most vulnerable coach on the hot seat. Alabama will also be rolling out younger players on the team, compared to those of the 2024 and 2025 seasons. There were players from the Nick Saban era in both those groups.

How Kalen DeBoer plans to navigate the 9-conference game schedule and fare in the postseason will be his next test at Tuscaloosa. Cutting Ohio State out of the picture will definitely take some pressure off him.