If Ohio State wants to make a national championship run in 2013, its non-league schedule shouldn't stand in its way.

The school on Friday announced it will host Buffalo on Sept. 21, 2013, completing a nonconference schedule that includes home games against Vanderbilt and Florida A&M and a road game at California.

Not exactly murderer's row.

Ohio State also announced it will host Cincinnati in 2018 in a game that had originally been scheduled for 2012. The schools mutually agreed last fall to postpone the 2012 game. The Buckeyes and Bearcats also will meet Sept. 27, 2014, in Columbus.

Ohio State will pay Buffalo a $1 million guarantee for the 2013 game.

The Buckeyes' schedules for the next three seasons are now complete:

2012

Sept. 1 –- Miami (Ohio)
Sept. 8 –- Central Florida
Sept. 15 -– California
Sept. 22 -– Alabama-Birmingham
Sept. 29 -– at Michigan State
Oct. 6 –- Nebraska
Oct. 13 -– at Indiana
Oct. 20 -– Purdue
Oct. 27 –- at Penn State
Nov. 3 –- Illinois
Nov. 10 –- Open
Nov. 17 –- at Wisconsin
Nov. 24 –- Michigan

2013

Aug. 31 –- Vanderbilt
Sept. 7 –- Florida A&M
Sept. 14 -– at California
Sept. 21 -– Buffalo
Sept. 28 –- Wisconsin
Oct. 5 –- at Northwestern
Oct. 12 -– Open
Oct. 19 –- Iowa
Oct. 26 –- Penn State
Nov. 2 –- at Purdue
Nov. 9 –- Open
Nov. 16 –- at Illinois
Nov. 23 –- Indiana
Nov. 30 –- at Michigan

2014

Aug. 30 –- at Navy
Sept. 6 –- Open
Sept. 13 –- Kent State
Sept. 20 -– Virginia Tech
Sept. 27 -– Cincinnati
Oct. 4 –- Purdue
Oct. 11 –- Open
Oct. 18 –- at Iowa
Oct. 25 –- Northwestern
Nov. 1 -– at Wisconsin
Nov. 8 –- Illinois
Nov. 15 –- at Penn State
Nov. 22 –- at Indiana
Nov. 29 –- Michigan

The 2013 schedule, which includes two open weeks, is set up for the Buckeyes to make a run. Cal's program is on the decline, and Ohio State might not face a taxing road test until Michigan in the regular-season finale. The Buckeyes will have to get over the hump at Purdue, where they've dropped their past two games.

While Ohio State is maintaining a nonconference model of one marquee opponent and at least one in-state opponent, the degree of difficulty seems to be dropping. Virginia Tech and Cal aren't exactly USC and Texas.