You know the next college football season is near when ESPN is dropping its preseason power rankings.
The network published those rankings on Friday, with Ohio State in the top spot. The Buckeyes won the national title in the 2024 season before losing to the Miami Hurricanes in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals in the 2025 season.
Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) smiles as he walks off the field following the NCAA football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Nov. 29, 2025. Ohio State won 27-9.
Despite that setback, the Buckeyes are primed for more this season, with star quarterback Julian Sayin and star wideout Jeremiah Smith returning. Both players are Heisman Trophy contenders and among the best in the country.
Sayin was electric in his first season as the Buckeyes’ starter, compiling 3,610 yards through the air, 32 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Smith was a cheat code in his second collegiate season, just as he was in his first, finishing with 87 receptions for 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day does have to replace several starters on defense, but there aren’t many better programs at replenishing talent than them.
Speaking of Day, this will be his eighth full season as head coach. He also coached three games during the 2018 season and has an overall record of 82-12.
The Buckeyes’ first game of the 2026 season will be against the Ball State Cardinals on Sept. 5, before a showdown with the Texas Longhorns on Sept. 12. They’ll play some of the top teams in the Big Ten later in the season, including the Indiana Hoosiers, USC Trojans, Oregon Ducks, and Michigan Wolverines.
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