USA TODAY names Ohio State college football’s top program — here’s why

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Even after exiting the College Football Playoff before the national championship game last season, Ohio State football remains at the top.

On July 20, USA TODAY ranked Ohio State football the No. 1 college football program in the nation entering the 2026 season, as voted on by a panel of experts.

The panelists referenced Ohio State's record since 2012 (165-21) and that the Buckeyes have at least 10 wins in every full season but one since 2005 to back up their ranking.


"It is simply the Bowl Subdivision gold standard and the envy of every program in the country in and out of the Big Ten," the USA TODAY panelists wrote.

Alabama and Georgia received the second and third spots on the list, respectively. The next-highest ranked Big Ten school was Michigan at No. 7, regarded as "one of the more consistent programs in the country."

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Indiana, last year's national champion, made the list at the No. 17 spot as a relatively new powerhouse in the college football landscape.

See the rest of USA TODAY's rankings below.

USA TODAY's top 25 college football programs​

1. Ohio State
2. Alabama
3. Georgia
4. Notre Dame
5. Texas
6. LSU
7. Michigan
8. Oklahoma
9. Miami (Fla.)
10. Southern California
11. Oregon
12. Penn State
13. Clemson
14. Florida
15. Texas A&M
16. Tennessee
17. Indiana
18. Florida State
19. Brigham Young
20. Nebraska
21. Auburn
22. Washington
23. Iowa
24. Mississippi
25. SMU

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: USA TODAY names Ohio State college football’s top program — here’s why

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