Ohio State isn't No. 1 in preseason US LBM Coaches Poll
Unlike Michigan last year, though, Ohio State is starting close to the top. The Buckeyes received 20 first-place votes (out of 67 voters), and come in at No. 2, right behind Texas. This sets up a titanic Week 1 battle between the Longhorns and Buckeyes, and it just adds even more to a game that college football fans are looking forward to. As I'm sure all Buckeye fans recall, last time these two teams met was in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Cotton Bowl, where Ohio State won thanks to a legendary Jack Sawyer fumble return.
The top seven teams in the poll all competed in last year's Playoff, with No. 8 Alabama being the first who missed out on the postseason tournament. Penn State, Georgia, and Notre Dame rounded out the top five, with Clemson and Oregon earning the next two spots. All 12 of last year's Playoff participants are ranked, with Boise State just getting in, at No. 25.
Other 2025 Ohio State opponents in the preseason poll are Penn State at No. 3, Illinois at No. 12, and Michigan at No. 13. Of course, whether those teams will still be ranked when they meet Ohio State--or at the end of the season, which is all that matters, remains to be seen.
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