Urban Meyer is leaning into the preseason consensus, but he’s not handing Ohio State the 2026 national title without a warning label.
The former Buckeyes coach said he’s taking Ohio State to win it all, pointing to a roster that brings back Heisman finalist quarterback Julian Sayin, a strong line, running back Bo Jackson, and consensus top wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. But Meyer also made clear that the path is brutal.
“I’m going to pick the Buckeyes,” said the former Buckeyes coach.
Ohio State opened at No. 1 in both the preseason AP rankings and the first Coaches Poll, a familiar sign that the Buckeyes are once again viewed as the team to beat. Still, Meyer noted that top-ranked teams in August rarely finish the job in January.
And in Ohio State’s case, the schedule may be as big a threat as anything else.
“This is the toughest schedule they’ve had in a bit,” Meyer said.
“They gotta go out to USC, they go to Iowa, they gotta to go Indiana, and to Austin, Texas. That’s real.”
Ohio State is projected to face six AP-ranked opponents this season. That stretch includes three straight road games at Indiana and USC, then a home matchup with preseason No. 2 Oregon to open November, before the regular season ends against archrival Michigan.
Defensively, Meyer didn’t identify a major flaw, but he did point to the challenge Matt Patricia faces after losing a handful of elite tacklers. Caleb Downs, Caden Curry, Averell Reese, and Sonny Styles are among eight outgoing starters.
That led Meyer to a second team that he views as the clearest threat to Ohio State.
Notre Dame, in Meyer’s eyes, has built itself back into the national picture by modernizing its program and facilities. He described the changes with a memory from his time there in the 90s.
“They’ve gone from a place where they wouldn’t let us use cell phones because it wasn’t Notre Dame-ish, back when everyone was using cell phones, they didn’t have training tables,” Meyer said.
He added: “Now you’re talking about, they pay their coaches, they’ve got a great coaching staff, great head coach. They have great football players and, by the way, have the best college football facility in America. And they got a great schedule.”
The Irish do have their own questions. They no longer have the rushing punch that helped them average more than 200 yards per game last season, with Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price gone. But quarterback CJ Carr is back after a strong first season, and he’ll work with a promising receiver group.
On defense, Marcus Freeman has Chris Ash back for a second season as coordinator after a unit that finished 10th nationally in scoring and picked off 21 passes, the fourth-most in the country. Leonard Moore returns in the secondary, giving Notre Dame another anchor on that side of the ball.
Meyer’s final take put the two contenders side by side.
“If they stay healthy, I pick the Buckeyes. If someone gets dinged, I’m going Notre Dame.”
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