The AP Top 25 is out, and the rightful kings of college football are at the top. Yup, Ohio State is No. 1, and Ryan Day will surely use this as fuel to motivate his players, while also reminding them that the Buckeyes will have a target on their backs. No preseason No. 1 has won it all since Alabama in 2017, but it's time to rewrite history.
Speaking of rewriting history, Ohio State being No. 1 in the nation brings to an end a six-year streak where SEC teams had that honor via the preseason poll. Greg Sankey must be shaking his head right now, but you know what, this is exactly the kind of humbling he and other SEC homers deserve right about now, especially with so many people trying to bring down the Big Ten for no reason:
Ohio State snaps the SEC’s streak at the top 🌰
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) August 17, 2026
The Buckeyes are the first non-SEC team to be ranked preseason No. 1 since Clemson in 2020. pic.twitter.com/NVzpu2TaWl
It's time for Ohio State and Ryan Day to get some respect from SEC country
This may not mean much to a lot of people, but the SEC-Big Ten rivalry continues to heat up, especially with there being reports and rumors of the former wanting to branch out to do its own thing. That'd be something, sure, but let's remind everyone that the last three national title winners have been Michigan, Ohio State, and Indiana.
What do all three of those teams have in common? They're in the Big Ten. This is something that SEC loud-mouths don't bring up too often, and it's no surprise why. As for Day, he's indeed going to have a bit of a target on his back once the regular season gets here. Then for Week 2, countless eyes are going to be on the Ohio State vs. Texas matchup.
With a win in Austin, Ohio State can go ahead and silence a bunch of their doubters. A loss, though, will lead to countless SEC folks bashing the Buckeyes for being overrated. A statement can be made, which is something Julian Sayin, Jeremiah Smith, and the rest of the playmakers inside of the locker room have on their minds.
As for the guys in Austin, they've surely got revenge on their minds after Ohio State took care of business at The Shoe to open the season last year. Arch Manning was humbled in that contest, with him looking nothing like a former 5-star recruit. Sayin had his struggles in that game too, but the Buckeyes did what was needed to post the victory.
Come this September, the hope is that Ohio State will once again take care of business, and do so in style. Until then, Ohio State is the No. 1 team out there, and it's a fact Sankey and Co. are going to have to deal with. And should the Buckeyes go on to win the natty this winter, it will be yet another reminder to the SEC commish that the Big Ten still runs college football, and that won't be changing soon.
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