The 2026 college football season is almost here, starting in less than a month. Week 0 kicks off the year on Saturday, Aug. 29, with several games. The rest of the teams from around the country will start their seasons the following week.
Ohio State’s 2026 season begins on Saturday, Sept. 5, when Ball State comes to Ohio Stadium. While it is not the marquee season-opener of a year ago — Buckeye fans will have to wait another week for a rematch with Texas — it is the highly anticipated start to the new year, which the Scarlet and Gray hope will end with a second national championship in three seasons.
Those championship aspirations aren’t far-fetched. On Tuesday, the American Football Coaches Association released the 2026 preseason Coaches Poll, and Ohio State is No. 1, receiving the most first-place votes with 38.
This marks the 12th consecutive season the Buckeyes have been in the top of the preseason Coaches Poll and the first time the Scarlet and Gray have entered the year as the preseason Coaches Poll top-ranked team since 2015.
The top five of the 2026 preseason Coaches Poll consists of Oregon at No. 2, Georgia at No. 3, Texas at No. 4 and Notre Dame at No. 5
Outside of the Buckeyes and the Ducks, the Big Ten has six teams in the preseason Coaches Poll. Indiana is No. 6, followed by USC at No. 14, Michigan at No. 16, Penn State at No. 17, Washington at No. 19 and Iowa at No. 22.
After going 12-0 in the regular season, losing the Big Ten Championship Game to Indiana and the College Football Playoff to Miami, the two teams that played for the national championship, the Buckeyes lost 12 starters (four on offense and eight on defense) and other contributors this offseason. Head coach Ryan Day and his staff brought in 51 new players through the transfer portal, high school recruiting, and walk-ons, resulting in a roster that looks different in 2026.
The Scarlet and Gray still have plenty of familiar names for Ohio State fans. This includes quarterback Julian Sayin, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, running back Bo Jackson and offensive linemen Austin Siereveld and Carson Hinzman on offense, as well as defensive end Kenyatta Jackson Jr., cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. and safety Jaylen McClain on defense. However, Ohio State has to replace talented players such as Arvell Reese, Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles, Kayden McDonald, Carnell Tate and Max Klare, who were all early-round NFL Draft picks.
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This offseason has been about integrating the new players and determining who will fill the holes left by those who departed. The Buckeyes head into fall camp on Thursday with questions that need to be answered on the offensive line and at each level of the defense.
The Scarlet and Gray open the new season against the Cardinals in just over four weeks. The game will kick off at 12:30 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network.
