The hype and expectations are as high as always for the 2026 Ohio State Buckeyes. How will the preseason number one team fare this season? Here are some predictions for Ohio State football in 2026.
1. Chris Henry Jr. has a Garrett Wilson-esque freshman season
We've seen freshman wide receivers make a big impact at Ohio State in recent years in different forms. I expect Chris Henry Jr. to put up a stat line similar to Garrett Wilson in 2019. That season, Wilson put up 30 catches for 342 yards and 5 touchdowns.
He went from not starting at the beginning of the season to being their second-best receiver behind Chris Olave by the end of it. Maybe Henry won't be as good as Wilson, but in an offense that will feature the pass more, I would expect similar numbers.
2. Ohio State wins the Joe Moore Award
The Joe Moore Award is given to the best offensive line in college football. The award has been around since 2015, and Ohio State has never won it. They have many years of starting experience on this year's line. While they don't have a freak offensive tackle prospect that NFL scouts will drool over, they have a chance to be the best unit in America, and I believe that they will, especially with the fuel of how last season ended.
3. Julian Sayin breaks the record for the highest completion percentage in a season and becomes a top pick in the NFL draft
The first part of this prediction is hardly bold. Sayin had the record at the end of the regular season last year. Then he went 43/64 in the final two games to knock it down slightly. I expect a more poised and consistent Sayin in the bigger games this season, and he breaks Bo Nix's record of 77.45%.
This improvement leads Sayin to being drafted very early in the NFL draft. I won't say first overall, because Sayin is only 6'1" and other guys have better traits than him, but the production will be impossible to ignore.
4. Jeremiah Smith breaks records, wins the Biletnikoff Award, becomes a Heisman finalist, and is the first non-QB drafted
Jeremiah Smith just needs to stay healthy to break all of Ohio State's receiving records. He needs 43 catches for 312 yards and 9 touchdowns to break all of those school records. He has been the best in a decade of dominance at the receiver position at Ohio State.
I could very easily argue that he should already have two Biletnikoff awards. Last season's robbery by Makai Lemon was particularly insulting, but that will be rectified this season. In 2022, Marvin Harrison Jr. was robbed of that same award, which made him a lock to win it in 2023. I expect the same for Smith this year. He will then go to the NFL draft and be the highest non-quarterback picked, and some will call him the best prospect they've ever scouted.
5. Buckeyes win 10 games, miss Big Ten title game, make CFP semifinal
I think Ohio State goes 10-2 in 2026. They win their marquee non-conference game at Texas, but the environment in Bloomington against the defending champs proves too much. They take a loss there, and then they struggle with the travel a few weeks later.
They win at USC, but then lose the return trip against Oregon. They finish the season with a win over Michigan, but two conference losses keep them out of Indianapolis, and the Big Ten title drought reaches a shocking seven years. Indiana and Oregon, the two teams the Buckeyes lose to, face off in the Big Ten Championship game where the Hoosiers defend their title.
The Buckeyes get the six seed in the College Football Playoff and start their run with a home win over BYU. Then they avenge one of the most heartbreaking losses in program history by going to the Peach Bowl and beating Georgia in their backyard to get back to the semifinal. Their season ends in the semifinal, where they lose to Oregon in the Orange Bowl. I have the Ducks winning the national title this year, beating Notre Dame in the national title game.
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