Ohio State fans better get some tissues because they will cry their eyes out again this season. On Monday, the preseason AP Top 25 Poll was released, and the Buckeyes came in at number two, ranked behind Georgia, the favorite to win the title this season.
Being ranked as the second-best team in the country can’t possibly be a bad thing, right? Well, for Ohio State, being ranked as a top-two team in the preseason poll is a horrible sign because they have never won a national championship in a season they were ranked inside the top two in the first poll.
Ohio State Is Not Winning The Title Based On History
Brett McMurphy from the Action Network stated, “No. 2 Ohio State is ranked in the top 2 of the preseason poll for the 18th time in school history (6th time in past 9 years). Ohio State has never won the national title when starting year ranked No. 1 or No. 2.”
No. 2 Ohio State is ranked in top 2 of preseason poll for the 18th time in school history (6th time in past 9 years). Ohio State has never won national title when starting year ranked No. 1 or No. 2
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 12, 2024
The Buckeyes haven’t won the national championship since the 2014-2015 season, when they ranked fifth in the preseason poll.
Ohio State has possibly the best roster in college football this season, so if there’s a year that can stop history from repeating itself, this could be the time to do it.
Even though the Buckeyes roster is loaded, they welcome a new rival into their conference in Oregon, who is just as talented as them. A case can be made that they could be better because they will have the quarterback advantage with Dillon Gabriel.
Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Devin Brown (33) hands off to Quinshon Judkins (1) for the scarlet team during the first half of the LifeSports spring football game at Ohio Stadium on Saturday.
Oregon came in at number three in the preseason poll and will host the Buckeyes on October 12th, which could set up a rematch in the Big Ten title game in December.
Ohio State’s road will not be easy this season. If it wants history to stop repeating itself, it’s going to have to win major games against Oregon, Penn State, Michigan, and probably two elite SEC schools in the playoffs, like Alabama and Georgia.
