Buckeyes Top Preseason Poll for First Time Since 2015
Ohio State will begin the 2026 college football season where it finished the last one: on top. The Buckeyes claimed the No. 1 spot in the preseason AP Top 25 for the first time since 2015, earning 40 first-place votes, according to two outlets covering the poll. Oregon settles at No. 2, with defending national champion Indiana at No. 6.
The ranking brings a familiar weight. One account of the preseason poll notes a quirk in Ohio State's history: every one of its national championships was won in seasons when it started lower in the rankings, and the Buckeyes have never won a title when opening at No. 1. That observation is paired with reminders that since 2000, only 2004 USC and 2017 Alabama have started the season at No. 1 and gone on to win the national championship, with 2012 USC collapsing to a 7-6 finish.
The same report frames the Buckeyes' schedule as the more pressing concern, pointing to road trips to Texas, Iowa, and USC, plus home games against Oregon and Michigan. With the expanded 12-team playoff, a loss or two may not end a championship chase, but the margin for error remains thin.
Analysts cited in that account project Ohio State could finish the regular season at 9-3, a forecast grounded in the team's 10-2 regular-season record in its 2024 championship campaign. The same prediction floats the possibility that coach Ryan Day might lean on a strength-of-schedule argument, much as Texas coach Steve Sarkisian did a year ago. Day, for his part, struck a confident tone about the new playoff structure.
"To me, it's exciting," Day said. "Because with the way the new playoff format is set, you know, we can learn a lot about ourselves and get really salty."
Big Ten's Bid for a Fourth Straight Title
A separate preview of the season frames Ohio State's No. 1 ranking within a broader conference storyline: the Big Ten's pursuit of a fourth consecutive national championship, a feat no league has managed in the poll era. The run began with Michigan's 2023 title, continued with Ohio State's in 2024, and reached its peak with Indiana's 2025 championship.
Oregon is drawing considerable attention as the next in line, armed with quarterback Dante Moore and a deep roster of returning starters and transfers. Coach Dan Lanning made clear his team's expectations are self-imposed.
"Nobody's going to have higher expectations for our team than us," Lanning said. "We're the guys in the building doing the work every single day. Certainly really proud of the team and the work they've put in. We have high expectations. We've got a lot that we want to accomplish. Having players like that only helps you."
A fourth straight Big Ten title would match the SEC's streak from 2019-22, though the SEC's record of seven consecutive championships from 2006-12 would remain out of reach.
Ohio State returns Heisman Trophy finalist Julian Sayin at quarterback and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, widely regarded as a generational talent. Indiana, meanwhile, begins its title defense without Heisman-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who departed for the NFL as a top draft pick.
The SEC, which has not placed a team in the national championship game since Georgia's 2022 title, still places five teams among the top 10 in the preseason poll. No. 3 Georgia brings back quarterback Gunner Stockton and will chase its fourth SEC title in five years. No. 5 Texas, with quarterback Arch Manning throwing to preseason AP All-American Cam Coleman—a transfer from Auburn—is positioned for a run.
Notre Dame sits at No. 4, a program that hasn't won a title since 1988 but played for the championship two years ago. Despite a season-ending 10-game win streak, the Fighting Irish were left out of the College Football Playoff last season. Miami, at No. 7, features Malachi Toney, one of the sport's most versatile playmakers, and is expected to benefit from Duke transfer Darian Mensah at quarterback.
Sportsbooks list Notre Dame's CJ Carr and Texas' Arch Manning as co-favorites for the Heisman Trophy. Manning struggled in a season-opening loss to Ohio State in 2025 and fell out of contention after another loss to Florida.
Offseason Shifts and New Beginnings
The offseason brought significant movement across the sport. Mississippi's Trinidad Chambliss returns after winning an additional year of eligibility through litigation, a rare case of a player extending his college career in the courtroom.
Coaching changes touched 34 FBS programs, including Lane Kiffin's move from Mississippi to LSU, Kyle Whittingham's from Utah to Michigan, and Matt Campbell's from Iowa State to Penn State.
The Pac-12 has been reborn with eight teams: Oregon State, Washington State, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Utah State, and Texas State.
Ohio State's coaching staff also looks different, with Matt Patricia coordinating the defense and Arthur Smith the offense, additions that could prove pivotal as the Buckeyes navigate a path that begins at No. 1—and tries to shake off history.