Ohio State climbed back into the top five in the AP poll after handling Illinois, and the Buckeyes now sit as the Big Ten’s highest-ranked team in that ranking.
The Buckeyes moved up two spots to No. 5 in the AP Top 25 after their 42-19 win over Illinois on Saturday. In the USA Today Coaches Poll, they rose one spot to No. 6.
That movement came in a week that shook up the top of both polls. Miami jumped past Indiana in the AP rankings, pushing the Hoosiers down to No. 6 after their narrow 29-23 win over Northwestern on Friday. Ohio State also moved ahead of Ole Miss, which slid from No. 4 to No. 9 in the AP poll after losing to Florida.
The Coaches Poll told a slightly different story, with Indiana slipping just one place to No. 5 and Ole Miss tumbling from No. 6 to No. 12.
Ohio State’s next opponent, Iowa, made a move of its own. The Hawkeyes are up to No. 14 in both polls after a last-second win over Michigan on Saturday. The Wolverines fell completely out of the AP Top 25 and dropped six spots to No. 24 in the Coaches Poll.
Penn State also disappeared from the AP poll after dropping from No. 13 following a home loss to Wisconsin. In the AP rankings, the Big Ten now has six ranked teams, with UCLA entering at No. 23.
The conference still has eight teams in the Coaches Poll. Penn State slid to No. 22 there, UCLA checked in at No. 23, and Washington dropped out after its loss to Minnesota.
At the top of the AP poll, Texas remained No. 1, followed by Georgia and Notre Dame. Miami moved up to No.
4, Ohio State landed at No. 5 and Indiana fell to No. 6.
Alabama is No. 7, Florida No.
8, Ole Miss No. 9 and BYU rounds out the top 10.
The Coaches Poll has Texas, Georgia and Notre Dame in the first three spots as well, with Miami at No. 4, Indiana at No. 5 and Ohio State at No.
- Alabama, Florida, BYU and Texas Tech fill out the rest of the top 10.
In Other News...
Ohio State Freshman Legend Bey May Have A Bigger Problem Than Playing Time
Legend Beys first season at Ohio State has already been shaped by interruption, and not just because of the usual freshman learning curve. After an earlier suspension and an ankle injury, the running back has been working from behind for playing time, and his role has stayed limited as the Buckeyes have moved through the season. Even in areas where young players can sometimes find a foothold, his path has been narrow.
The latest sign came against Illinois, when Bey did not play and another player handled his kick-return work instead. For a freshman trying to earn more than a spot in the rotation, that kind of move can say plenty about where he stands with the staff. If the concerns run deeper than health or depth-chart traffic, it could become a bigger issue for Bey as he looks to settle his future in Columbus. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States Future Talent Pipeline Is Starting To Look Different
Ohio States recruiting machine is still humming, but the shape of the pipeline is starting to change. The Buckeyes already hold 19 verbal commitments in the 2027 class, a group that includes six national top 100 players and the countrys No. 1 overall prospect, DJ Jacobs, giving the staff another chance to load up early with high-end talent.
The next wave looks just as promising, if a little different in how it is forming. Ohio State has five commitments in the 2028 class, four of them top 100 prospects, led by quarterback Christopher Vargas at No. 4 nationally, and even the 2029 class already has a foothold with wide receiver Austin Miller, ranked No. 50. For a program that has long built its roster on blue-chip talent, the real question is how this early momentum will translate when the class rankings and the pressure both start to rise. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Has A Growing Running Back Problem Behind Ja'Kobi Jackson
Ohio State got the win over Illinois in Week 4, but the running back room left Ryan Day with a lot to sort through. The group finished with 122 rushing yards, and Ja'Kobi Jackson accounted for the best of it with 56 yards and a touchdown, giving the Buckeyes a steadier presence than they got from the rest of the rotation.
What followed was more revealing than the box score. Day publicly singled out sophomores Bo Jackson and Isaiah West, questioning their effort when compared with Ja'Kobi Jackson, and the backdrop here is not just one uneven afternoon but a position group dealing with injuries and inconsistent play. For Ohio State, the bigger concern is whether there is a reliable answer behind Ja'Kobi Jackson, because right now the depth chart looks far less settled than a contender would prefer. [Read more 🡒]