The Ohio State Buckeyes Top the Preseason AP Poll

The 2026 college football season kicks off Sept. 5, and the preseason AP Poll has the Big Ten Conference leading the charge, with the Ohio State Buckeyes ranked No. 1 and the Oregon Ducks at No. 2.

Ohio State enters the season with 40 first-place votes, earning the preseason No. 1 ranking for the first time since 2015. The Buckeyes will face a challenging path to another College Football Playoff berth, beginning with an early-season test at No. 5 Texas. They will also travel to No. 6 Indiana, which defeated Ohio State in last season’s Big Ten Championship Game, before facing late-season showdowns against No. 2 Oregon and No. 14 Michigan.

In total, the Buckeyes will face six preseason Top 25 opponents as they pursue their 10th national championship.

Julian Sayin, a Heisman finalist last season and the winner of the Shaun Alexander National Freshman of the Year Award, returns under center. He will be joined by All-American wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and sophomore running back Bo Jackson among the team’s notable returning offensive starters.

While Ohio State returns eight starters on offense, just three starters are back on defense. Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia will be tasked with rebuilding the unit after two Buckeye defenders were selected in the top five and four were taken within the top 15 of the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Buckeyes will open their 2026 campaign against Ball State at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. EDT.