Ohio State is the No. 1 team in the country.
But should they be?
There’s obviously still an incredible amount of talent in Columbus. Julian Sayin, Jeremiah Smith and Bo Jackson return to an offense that should be one of the best in college football.
But people might be overlooking just how much Ohio State lost.
The Buckeyes had an incredible 11 players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, including four players in the first 11 picks.
Carnell Tate is gone.
Arvell Reese is gone.
Sonny Styles is gone.
Caleb Downs is gone.
Those aren’t normal departures.
Tate went No. 4 overall, Reese went No. 5, Styles went No. 7 and Downs went No. 11. Ohio State also lost Kayden McDonald and Davison Igbinosun in the second round, among several other contributors.
The defense alone has to replace eight starters.
And here’s the bigger problem.
Look at the schedule.
Ohio State has to play at Texas, Iowa, Indiana, USC and Nebraska, while also hosting Oregon and Michigan. Nine of its 12 opponents played in a bowl or the College Football Playoff last season, and seven won at least nine games.
That’s absolutely brutal.
Ohio State could still be very good.
It could even make the College Football Playoff.
But there’s a difference between being a playoff contender and being the best team in America.
We’re assuming Ohio State will simply replace multiple first-round defensive stars because that’s what Ohio State usually does.
Maybe they will.
But until we actually see it, ranking this team No. 1 feels like we’re giving the Buckeyes a lot of credit for the name on the helmet.
Ohio State has the talent to prove everyone right.
With everything it lost and the schedule ahead, though, don’t be surprised if the No. 1 team in the country ends up losing more games than expected.
