The Buckeyes Are No. 1 - What Does It Mean?

The Buckeyes Are No. 1

What Does It Mean?

Ohio State is officially the No. 1 team in the preseason AP Top 25, earning 40 first-place votes and opening the 2026 season atop both the AP and Coaches polls.

In this episode of The Buckeye Weekly Podcast, Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr discuss what Ohio State's No. 1 ranking actually means, whether it says more about the Buckeyes or the rest of college football, and just how wide open the national championship race could be this season.

The guys also look at the surprising distribution of first-place votes, the SEC getting shut out of the No. 1 spot in the AP voting, Clemson disappearing from the preseason Top 25, and the absolutely brutal schedule awaiting Ohio State — including several highly ranked opponents both at home and on the road.

0:00 — Welcome to the Buckeye Weekly Podcast
0:11 — Ohio State is No. 1 in the nation
0:25 — The Buckeyes dominate the first-place voting
1:14 — Does No. 1 say more about Ohio State or everyone else?
2:08 — Ohio State's remarkable run of preseason expectations
2:41 — A look through the AP Top 25
3:28 — Clemson's notable absence from the preseason poll
3:48 — Has Clemson finally lost the benefit of the doubt?
4:35 — Is the SEC losing its benefit of the doubt too?
5:18 — Nine SEC teams ranked, but zero first-place votes
6:46 — Indiana and Oregon now getting national respect
7:19 — Big Ten vs. SEC representation in the Top 25
7:37 — Ohio State's brutal schedule comes into focus
8:17 — The problem with Ohio State's schedule every year
8:45 — Celebrating the Buckeyes' preseason national championship
9:05 — Final thoughts and BuckeyeInsiders.com

How much stock do you put into preseason rankings? And do you think Ohio State deserves to open the year at No. 1? Let us know in the comments.

For more Ohio State football coverage, fall camp intel, recruiting discussion and more, visit BuckeyeInsiders.com and join us on The Insiders Board.

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