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Ohio State Football: Takes on recent rankings, Buckeyes No. 1

By Charlie Lockhart

LINCOLN, NE - SEPTEMBER 28: Head coach Ryan Day of the Ohio State Buckeyes on the field before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on September 28, 2019 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
LINCOLN, NE - SEPTEMBER 28: Head coach Ryan Day of the Ohio State Buckeyes on the field before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on September 28, 2019 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /
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It’s always fun to look at preseason rankings and especially the one by Phil Steele. He has the Ohio State football team ranked at the top heading into the 2020 season.

In most preseason rankings the Ohio State football team and the Clemson Tigers are listed as the top two teams. In Phil Steele’s rankings the Buckeyes come in No. 1 and the Tigers No. 2.

I always look forward to Mr. Steele’s because he does such a great job analyzing all of the college football programs and is usually pretty accurate in his predictions. Here are his Top 25 teams heading into the 2020 season as reported by Brad Crawford of 247Sports.

  1. Ohio State
  2. Clemson
  3. Alabama
  4. Oklahoma
  5. Texas A&M
  6. LSU
  7. Georgia
  8. Notre Dame
  9. Oregon
  10. Penn State
  11. USC
  12. Texas
  13. Florida
  14. Wisconsin
  15. Michigan
  16. North Carolina
  17. Miami
  18. Virginia Tech
  19. Auburn
  20. Tennessee
  21. Kentucky
  22. UCF
  23. Iowa
  24. Oklahoma State
  25. Memphis

There is plenty of interesting info in the 247Sports article you should check out. Here are a few takes on teams I am familiar with, starting with ones ranked in the Top 4.

I’m torn whether Ohio State or Clemson should be ranked No. 1, but they should be considered the two best teams in the country. Alabama will be back in the hunt for a national title and I’ll buy Oklahoma until another Big 12 team dethrones the Sooners.

Now, here is where I disagree with Mr. Steele.

How Texas A&M and LSU are ranked so high is a head-scratcher. The Tigers lost a ton of talented players including a QB who won the Heisman Trophy. The Aggies haven’t won any title recently. Staying in the SEC, I think Florida may win the East Divison instead of Georgia.

I am also high on Oregon to win the PAC 12 and make a push to be included in the CFP now that the Ducks don’t have to play the Buckeyes.

I also think three Big Ten teams, Penn State, Wisconsin and Michigan are a little underrated. Iowa may be also.

dark. Next. Can Chris Olave become a 1,000 yard receiver?

I always enjoy checking out Phil Steele’s preseason Top 25 because he really studies the entire college football landscape. It’s also fun to pick out things I think he has wrong because that’s what college football fans do.

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