Ohio State woke up Sunday staring at a fresh set of rankings and a bigger spotlight. After a wild Saturday ripped through the top of the polls, the Buckeyes climbed to No. 4 in the AP Poll and No. 5 in the Coaches Poll.
The shake-up started with Texas, which entered the weekend at No. 1 before falling to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry. Georgia then took over the top spot in both polls after beating then-No.
6 Alabama on the road. The chaos kept going when No.
10 LSU also went down, losing in overtime to Kentucky, 35-34.
In the AP Poll, the top five now read Georgia, Notre Dame, Miami, Ohio State and Indiana. Ohio State’s rise put it behind only those four teams, while Indiana held at No. 5 after moving up two spots. Georgia drew 66 first-place votes in the AP, with Notre Dame, Miami and Indiana also earning first-place support.
Kentucky made the biggest jump in the AP rankings, vaulting 11 spots to No. 15 after knocking off LSU. On the other end, LSU took the hardest tumble, sliding 12 spots to No. 22.
The Big Ten had a strong footprint in the AP Poll with six teams listed: Ohio State, Indiana, UCLA, Iowa, USC and Northwestern. UCLA was the conference’s biggest riser, climbing nine spots to No.
- Oregon, meanwhile, dropped out entirely after falling from No. 13 following its loss to UCLA.
The Coaches Poll told a similar story at the top, though Indiana jumped ahead of Ohio State there. Georgia finished No. 1, followed by Notre Dame and Miami, with Indiana at No. 4 and Ohio State at No.
- UCLA also made the biggest leap in that poll, moving up 10 spots to No.
The Big Ten’s Coaches Poll representation included Indiana, Ohio State, UCLA, USC, Iowa and Oregon. Oregon’s fall was the steepest in that ranking, dropping 12 spots to No. 25.
For Ohio State, the ranking movement only adds weight to what comes next. The Buckeyes head to Bloomington to face Indiana on Saturday in a Top-5 matchup, with kickoff set for noon Eastern on Fox.
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Ohio State Suddenly Faces A Tougher Indiana Test Than Expected
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For Ohio State, the concern is less about one single absence and more about how the accumulated wear shows up across the offense and defense. Injuries to offensive linemen, several receivers and multiple defenders can change the rhythm of a game fast, especially against an opponent that looks more stable and more settled entering kickoff. Indiana may still be the underdog on paper, but the matchup no longer looks like the kind of routine Saturday some expected when the week began. [Read more 🡒]