Ohio State enters the 2026 college football season where few teams have started and even fewer have finished: No. 1.
The Buckeyes sit atop the AP Poll, making them the first team outside the SEC to open a season ranked No. 1 since Clemson in 2020. They were also the runaway choice in the preseason ranking, collecting 40 of the 69 first-place votes from AP media members - 26 more than No. 2 Oregon.
For Ohio State, this is familiar territory. The Buckeyes are opening a season ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll for the ninth time, and the first time since 2016. That total ties Alabama for the second-most preseason No. 1 rankings in AP history, with only Oklahoma ahead at 10.
The ranking is hardly a surprise. Ohio State has spent this century operating like a permanent national title threat, first under Jim Tressel, then Urban Meyer, and now Ryan Day. Since 2011, the Buckeyes have won at least 11 games every year except the 2020 COVID-shortened season, which is exactly the kind of consistency that keeps AP voters coming back to the Scarlet and Gray.
Even after losing 12 starters from a team that went 12-0 in the last regular season and reached the Big Ten Championship Game and the College Football Playoff, Ohio State still looks loaded. The roster blends returning stars with transfer and freshman additions, and the coaching staff got a boost too, with Arthur Smith arriving as offensive coordinator. That gives the Buckeyes two coordinators who were once NFL head coaches.
Still, the real question isn’t whether Ohio State deserves to be No. 1 in August. It’s whether starting there can help the Buckeyes finish there, too.
The program’s goal has never been to own the preseason spotlight. It’s to be standing alone at the end.
In Other News...
Khary Wilder Is Giving Ohio State Fans An Early Reason To Believe
Khary Wilder has already made himself part of the conversation in Ohio States fall camp. The freshman defensive lineman shed his black stripe, becoming the fifth Buckeyes newcomer to do so this year, a small but meaningful marker that he is settling in quickly and starting to earn trust on a line that will need fresh pieces to emerge.
His timing matters because Ohio State is trying to reload up front after losing several key players to the NFL Draft, and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia is known for favoring a deep rotation. Wilder is expected to be in that mix, giving the Buckeyes another young option to lean on as they try to keep the defense operating at a high level even as the roster turns over. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States Backup Quarterback Battle Just Got More Complicated
The second full week of training camp has already started to clarify a key part of Ohio States quarterback picture behind Julian Sayin, and freshman Luke Fahey has pushed himself right into the conversation. Head coach Ryan Day said Fahey has been competing strongly for the backup role, a notable development for a player who arrived as a three-star recruit with a reputation for pocket passing and steady work ethic.
Fahey also earned his black stripe on Saturday, another sign that his progression is being taken seriously inside the program. His rise has made the battle for the No. 2 job more complicated, with Tavien St. Clair now feeling added pressure as camp moves forward and the Buckeyes continue sorting out the depth chart behind their starter. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Day Just Turned Up The Pressure On Ohio State's Bo Jackson
Ryan Day has made it clear that Bo Jacksons progress in fall camp is being judged with a sharp eye, and for now the Ohio State running back is being pushed to prove that his improved running style will matter when the games begin. Day said Jackson looks better than he did a year ago, but the early message from camp has been about earning trust through practice, not reputation, and that has put Jackson in a more competitive spot than some might have expected.
Jacksons path is still very much in front of him, but the way Ohio State has handled the running back rotation suggests nothing is guaranteed. Day has stressed that development has to show up on the field, and the longer that evaluation goes on, the more this becomes about Jacksons ability to keep moving forward in Columbus and forcing the staff to keep him in the picture. [Read more 🡒]