Greg McElroy isn’t pretending the preseason means anything close to certainty, and that’s exactly why his latest top 10 has people talking.
The ESPN analyst put Ohio State at No. 1 in his 2026 preseason college football rankings on the Always College Football podcast, with Notre Dame, Indiana, Oregon and Miami right behind the Buckeyes. Georgia checked in as the top SEC team at No. 6, followed by Texas at No.
7, Alabama at No. 8, Texas A&M at No. 9 and Oklahoma at No.
McElroy made sure to set the tone before anyone got too attached to the list. "Every single year we put together a top 10 and someone in that top 10, at least one, maybe two, they won't be ranked by season's end," McElroy said.
Ohio State’s case starts with star power at quarterback and receiver. Julian Sayin threw for more than 3,600 yards last season, completed 77% of his passes and did it as a first-year starter.
Jeremiah Smith has become the kind of wideout defenses have to account for on every snap, piling up 87 catches, more than 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. The Miami native has led the Buckeyes in catches, yards and touchdowns in each of his two seasons.
What makes Smith stand out even more, according to McElroy, is how he shows up when the stage gets bigger. In six career postseason games - all against top 10 opponents - Smith has 34 receptions for 682 yards and six touchdowns.
"The better the opponent, the better he is. That's the rarest thing a receiver can be," McElroy said.
McElroy also pointed to the Buckeyes’ offensive shift. Ryan Day replaced Brian Hartline with Arthur Smith, whose NFL background stretches across 17 years and includes play-calling stops with the Titans and Steelers. "He hired the guy whose identity is running the football and hitting you on play action off of it," McElroy said.
The preseason Coaches Poll landed on the same No. 1 team. Ohio State collected 38 of 72 first-place votes, marking its first preseason No. 1 in that poll since 2015.
But the Buckeyes aren’t exactly bringing everyone back. Ohio State has to replace eight defensive starters, and three of them were first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft: safety Caleb Downs and linebackers Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles. Only three defenders who started every game last season are back, which has turned fall camp into a live competition.
"It is a competition. We want guys to compete, and a lot of guys have earned the right to do that," Day said.
There’s also the memory of how the season ended. Ohio State gave up only six sacks in the regular season, then Indiana and Miami combined for 10 sacks and 16 tackles for loss over the final two games.
"They didn't necessarily get out schemed. They just got beaten at the line of scrimmage twice in a row with the season on the line," McElroy said.
Up front, though, the Buckeyes do have continuity. Four of five starters are back on the offensive line, and the mood around the group has clearly shifted under the new coordinator. After camp practice No. 6, center Carson Hinzman put it this way:
"It's like, 'Man, it doesn't matter what's going to happen, we're going to go and rock these dudes off the ball,'"
Ohio State gets a quick opening stretch before the first major stress test. The Buckeyes open against Ball State on Sept. 5, then head to Texas on Sept. 12 at 7:30 p.m.
ET on ABC. It’s a rematch of last year’s 14-7 Ohio State win in Columbus, and Week 2 will bring a serious answer about whether the rebuilt Buckeyes are ready for the kind of front Texas can bring, with edge rusher Colin Simmons leading the charge.
In Other News...
Ohio State's 2026 Hopes May Rest On 3 True Freshmen
Ohio States roster planning for 2026 is already getting a fresh layer of intrigue from the incoming class, with the Buckeyes carrying real expectations that some newcomers could be asked to play meaningful roles right away. The broader college game has moved in that direction for a while now, and Ohio State is no exception, especially when talent arrives with enough polish to make the leap from high school to the Big Ten feel less like a stretch than a timeline.
Among the names drawing the most attention are a pair of wide receivers with different skill sets and a cornerback whose recruitment added a late twist to the class. The receiver room will always have its own pecking order, and the secondary tends to be one of the hardest places for a freshman to break through, but Ohio State is clearly betting on a few first-year players to help shape what 2026 looks like. Which of them becomes the early difference-maker is still the part worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Is Making An Early Push For An Elite 2028 DB
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Pridgeons plans to see Ohio State in person are another sign that the Buckeyes remain squarely in the mix as his recruitment develops. For a program that has built its brand on landing elite secondary talent, getting him on campus for a fall visit gives Ohio State an important chance to strengthen a relationship that is already drawing attention across the country. [Read more 🡒]
John Walker Could Change Ohio States Defensive Line Faster Than Expected
Ohio States defensive line got a quietly important addition when John Walker arrived from UCF through the transfer portal, bringing three seasons of experience and a profile that fits what the Buckeyes want inside. After spending last year sidelined by injury, Walker is back on the field and working toward a role as a run-stopping tackle, the kind of piece that can change the feel of a front without needing to dominate the stat sheet.
The bigger question is how quickly that role turns into real snaps, because Ohio State already has other defensive tackles in the mix and Walker still has to earn his place in the rotation. Even so, the early read is that he is positioned to be a major factor when the Buckeyes get to the 2026 season, with a chance to push for a starting job and reshape the interior before the year even gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]