Ohio State fans can puff their chests out and say, “my team is the best.” But how do you determine the best? Do you count national titles, draft picks, winning percentages, and tradition? Well, if you want a clean performance report, you go to the AP Poll. And when you do that, you’ll find the Buckeyes sitting at the head of the table. 

Ohio State topped the rankings for the most combined appearances (football and basketball) at #1 in AP poll. The Buckeyes football program ranks second all-time in No. 1 appearances with 120 while the basketball program is tied for 10th with 37. That’s a combined 157 appearances at No. 1 across the two biggest college sports. 

When you look at Ohio State in the football lens, the Buckeyes have appeared in the AP preseason poll 73 of the 77 seasons since it debuted in 1950. They missed only four years in 1966, 1967, 1979, and 1988. Nobody else in the country sits close. Oklahoma trails behind with 68, followed by USC (63), Notre Dame (62), and Alabama (60). And the streak they’re on is just impressive. 

For 58 straight seasons, Ohio State has been a mainstay in the AP poll. That’s the nation’s longest active streak as well as the longest in AP poll history. The second longest is far behind at 29 years. Since 2012 alone, the Buckeyes have been ranked in 212 back-to-back polls when eligible, the fourth-longest run ever. 

In 2025, Ohio State began like an elite team they are. Ryan Day’s team opened the season ranked No. 3 and knocked off preseason No. 1 Texas in Week 1. Then the Buckeyes made a record as the second-longest single-season No. 1 run in school history by sitting 11 straight weeks atop the AP Top 25. The only longer stretch was in 2006 when they held the top spot for 15 weeks before losing the BCS title game to Florida.

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But then, Indiana delivered the ultimate heartbreak. The Hoosiers stayed No. 2 for a stretch and even snagged six first-place votes after escaping Penn State. Then they beat Ohio State and shoved them down to No. 2. While it stings, that loss only added fuel heading into the next season and the Buckeyes are already projected among elite contenders. 

Ohio State’s way-too-early playoff projection

It’s early but projections are already coming in as the 2026 roster comes into shape. Unsurprisingly, Ohio State is right in the mix. According to On3’s Brett McMurphy, the 12-team CFP would include the Buckeyes as one of the top four seeds alongside Notre Dame, Georgia, and Miami. Other playoff projected teams include Texas, Texas Tech, Indiana, Oregon, Utah, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and UTSA. But the question is if the Buckeyes can overcome their schedule. 

Ohio State is set to meet seven ranked opponents in 2025. In their 2026 schedule, there’s back-to-back games against Illinois and Iowa. Then there’s a three-game pressure with Indiana, USC, and Oregon. If the Buckeyes overcome that and land in the top four, McMurphy’s bracket would set them up for a second-round matchup against either Oklahoma or Texas Tech. 

If Ryan Day runs this roster through that schedule and through a 12-team playoff, it would further cement Ohio State’s status as an elite team.