For the first time since 2015, the Ohio State Buckeyes begin the season ranked first in the AP and the Coaches Poll. They were a unanimous number-one team back in that poll, as they were coming off a national title. This year, they come ranked first after being eliminated in the first round of the CFP.
This ranking is certainly well-deserved after the talent that the Buckeyes bring in this year. Even so, this top ranking comes with some pitfalls. In fact, Ohio State will have a nine-year curse staring them right in the face now that they have this top ranking.
Ohio State will have to buck history in order to win a national title
No team ranked preseason number one in the AP Poll has won a national championship since 2017. That was when Alabama won the title under Nick Saban.
Oh no, Ohio State! Of past 22 @AP_Top 25 preseason No. 1-ranked teams, 20 failed to win the national title. Alabama was last to do so in 2017 https://t.co/ebn6k9ngsw
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 17, 2026
It is hard to go wire-to-wire in order to win a national championship. The Buckeyes know that firsthand, as the 2015 season ended in disappointment after Ohio State played musical chairs with the quarterback position for the first half of the year and then lost to Michigan State.
The Buckeyes have some clarity at the quarterback position, so it won't be exactly the same. Still, this is going to be a tough situation for Ohio State to end up going wire-to-wire. Ohio State has a tough schedule, so it won't be easy for them to make the College Football Playoff.
With how tough the schedule is, Ohio State has a chance to make the CFP with two losses. They could end up being the first team to make it with three losses, but that would be the worst-case scenario. Ohio State hasn't lost three games in the Ryan Day era.
Why Ohio State can be the team to break the AP Poll curse
While other teams have struggled to go wire-to-wire, this Buckeye team is good enough to do just that. They have the best player in college football in Jeremiah Smith. Julian Sayin was a Heisman Finalist last season. Defensively, Matt Patricia proved he can scheme up plays to limit opposing offenses.
That combination should lead the Buckeyes to deserve this preseason rating. Day has a chance to create a college football dynasty by winning two titles in three seasons. That would move Day into the pantheon of all-time college football coaches, and he could become the second-best coach in Ohio State history.
In order for Day to accomplish that feat, he has to beat at least four of the following teams: Texas, Indiana, Oregon, TTUN, USC, and Iowa. Beating at least four of those six opponents will get them into the College Football Playoff. At that point, the Buckeyes should be ready to have more postseason success than a year ago.
Bringing in Arthur Smith should help the offensive line play better than it did against Indiana and Miami. The unit up front might be the biggest key to breaking the nine-year curse that the AP Poll has hexed college football with.
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