Ohio State football ends 11-year drought in preseason coaches poll. See where the Buckeyes landed

Ohio StateOhio State is the nation's top ranked team in the preseason coaches poll.Getty ImagesBy Stefan Krajisnik, cleveland.comCOLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State football is the nation’s top-ranked team entering the 2026 season, according to the preseason coaches poll.The poll, which dropped Tuesday, had the Buckeyes as the preseason No. 1 team for the first time since 2015, when Ohio State was coming off a national title.Coach Ryan Day’s team earned 38 of the 72 first-place votes.Sportsbooks align with the poll, with Ohio State as the favorite to win the 2026-27 College Football Playoff. However, the Buckeyes’ win total sits at 9.5.The schedule helps explain the discrepancy.6 questions about Ohio State’s offense heading into 2026 fall camp: Buckeye Talk podcastOhio State football preseason camp: 6 position battles to monitor before 2026 seasonFive-star Ohio State quarterback target sets commitment date; Here’s what he could mean for the BuckeyesDaunting Ohio State football question arises from Michigan football’s new milquetoast era — Jimmy WatkinsOhio State will face three of the top six teams in the poll: No. 2 Oregon, No. 4 Texas and No. 6 Indiana. The Buckeyes also have No. 14 USC, No. 16 Michigan and No. 22 Iowa on their schedule. Illinois and Nebraska also received votes but did not crack the top 25.Preseason coaches poll 2026Ohio StateOregonGeorgiaTexasNotre DameIndianaMiamiTexas A&MOklahomaOle MissAlabamaTexas TechLSUUSCBYUMichiganPenn StateTennesseeWashingtonSMUUtahIowaClemsonHoustonMissouriOhio State football beat writer