Buckeyes Earn Shocking Spot In Way-to-early 2026 Top-25 Rankings

We don’t cognize who nan National Champion for nan 2025-2026 assemblage shot play will beryllium yet --that will beryllium sorted retired later coming betwixt Indiana and Miami -- but it’s ne'er excessively early to return a look astatine nan favorites to triumph adjacent year’s tournament.

And the Ohio State Buckeyes fig prominently, according to On3.

According to a canvass of assemblage shot analysts, the Buckeyes are classed No. 1 connected On3’s measurement excessively early 2026 assemblage shot Top-25 published this Monday, acold up of Hoosiers and Hurricanes.

According to On3’s Chris Low, “Having nan apical pass-catch combo successful assemblage shot is ever a bully spot to start. Julian Sayin returns astatine backmost and Jeremiah Smith astatine receiver. They hooked up for 12 touchdowns successful 2015. Running backmost Bo Jackson, aft rushing for 1,090 yards and earning existent freshman All-America honors, is besides returning, on pinch nan near broadside of nan violative statement and halfway Carson Hinzman. The Buckeyes mislaid a ton connected defense, truthful bringing backmost protect extremity Kenyatta Jackson aft his breakout 2025 play was a large triumph for Ryan Day. The Buckeyes are hopeful Alabama transportation Qua Russaw tin adhd immoderate pass-rushing punch.”

Indiana, who handed nan Buckeyes their first nonaccomplishment of their run during nan Big Ten Championship Game came successful fifth, while Miami, who eliminated Ohio State successful nan quarterfinal information of nan College Football Playoff, was placed ninth.

The Buckeyes started nan 2025 play arsenic nan nation’s defending champs, pinch their sights group connected earning nan school’s first ever back-to-back nationalist titles. Their twelvemonth started connected their correct ft pinch a triumph complete top-ranked Texas to unfastened nan season, and they went done their regular play undefeated -- including their first triumph complete Michigan successful 5 years -- until they ran into nan Hoosiers successful Indianapolis.

Ohio State past was taken retired by nan ‘Canes during their CFP debut this year, putting an extremity to a heartbreaking postseason aft specified a promising start.

While seeing nan Buckeyes placed truthful precocious supra Indiana and Miami considering what we conscionable witnessed during Ohio State’s past 2 games, it is successful nary measurement shocking to pencil them successful arsenic 1 of nan top-tier candidates for adjacent year’s crown. After all, they do return arguably nan game’s astir talented subordinate successful Smith, and are one of nan fewer teams returning their starting quarterback from this year, thing that Hoosiers aliases Hurricanes will not beryllium capable to do for 2026.

Additionally, a bunch of talented veterans will besides travel backmost for nan Buckeyes, including some Jacksons and Hinzman, successful summation to bringing nan top-ranked enlistee astatine wideout successful nan land, Chris Henry Jr., connected committee for Sayin.

The way won’t beryllium easy, but caput coach Ryan Day’s Buckeyes already cognize that. It’s really they grip that adversity aft nan lessons learned successful 2025 what will find really acold they tin go.