COLUMBUS, Ohio — For the fifth-straight season, Ohio State is a preseason top five pick in college football, as the Buckeyes were ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press (AP) Poll released Monday.
The Buckeyes, led by third-year head coach Ryan Day, finished 2020 ranked No. 2 after losing to Alabama in the College Football Playoff final. Alabama is the preseason No. 1 after winning last year’s national title.
Oklahoma, which will be joining Alabama in the SEC in 2025, was picked No. 2, followed by Clemson. Georgia comes in at No. 5. The Buckeyes received one first-place vote out of 63.
Other Big Ten teams ranked in the Top 25 include Wisconsin (No. 12), Iowa (No. 17), Indiana (No. 18) and Penn State (No. 19). Ohio State faces Indiana on Oct. 23 and Penn State a week later.
Oregon, who Ohio State faces on Sept. 11, was ranked No. 11.
Ohio State has been ranked at least once every season in the AP Poll since 1968. Overall since the poll’s inception, the Buckeyes have been in the top 25 a total of 935 times, more than any other program.
The Buckeyes’ offense will likely have a new look from a year ago as OSU looks to replace quarterback Justin Fields and running back Trey Sermon. Day said on Monday that C.J. Stroud has emerged as the frontrunner to be OSU’s starting quarterback, but stopped short of declaring him the starter.
One other Ohio team, Cincinnati, was ranked No. 8. The Bearcats are led by former OSU linebacker, defensive coordinator and interim head coach Luke Fickell.
