Will Ohio State open at No. 1 in the AP preseason Top 25 on Aug 17?
75% of users predicted YES — the community got this one right. 28 predictions cast.
Ohio State opened at No. 1 in the AP preseason Top 25 released Aug. 17, 2026, receiving 40 of the available first-place votes. Oregon was ranked second with 14 first-place votes, followed by Georgia, Notre Dame and Texas rounding out the top five. It marked the Buckeyes' first preseason No. 1 ranking in the AP poll since 2015. Voters pointed to returning quarterback Julian Sayin, a Heisman finalist who posted a Big Ten-record 77% completion rate last season, along with a roster that reloads talent as well as any program in the country and a recruiting class ranked No. 3 nationally. Ohio State reached this preseason billing after a 12-2 2025 campaign that ended with a Big Ten Championship Game loss to Indiana and a Cotton Bowl quarterfinal exit to Miami, so the ranking reflects forward-looking roster strength rather than a title defense. The Predict Six community largely anticipated this result, with 75% forecasting a "yes" on Ohio State opening at No. 1, matching the actual outcome.