Ohio State Buckeyes Miss Top Spot in ESPN's Big Ten Power Rankings

The Ohio State Buckeyes aren't the top-ranked Big Ten team in ESPN's most recent power ranking.

Despite having Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs, arguably the best two players in college football, the Buckeyes came in ranked second in the conference. ESPN ranked Penn State No. 1, with the Oregon Ducks coming in third and the Illinois Fighting Illini fourth.

Here's what they had to say on Ohio State football.

"The defending national champions lost a record-tying 14 players to the NFL and must fill significant holes at quarterback and along both the offensive and defensive lines. But Ohio State also has arguably the nation's best two players in wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and safety Caleb Downs, other standouts such as wide receiver Carnell Tate and linebacker Sonny Styles, and notable transfers such as tight end Max Klare (Purdue). Never count out the Buckeyes," the World Wide Leader in Sports wrote.

The biggest unknown right now is at quarterback for the Buckeyes. Julian Sayin is expected to start, but it isn't quite as clear as it was a season ago when seaoned starting quarterback Will Howard transferred to Columbus. That unknown seems to be throwing off analysts.

The Buckeyes don't have an easy schedule either. With Michigan, Illinois, and Penn State in conference play and then the Texas Longhorns to kick the season off on August 30, Ohio State will be challenged early and often throughout the season.

Battling against Arch Manning and Texas to open the season will be a good gauge of where Ohio State is on a national level. Many around the sport still expect Ohio State to be a College Football Playoff contender, but if it loses that game, the future will certainly be a bit cloudy.

#1 Texas @ #2 Ohio State

First time EVER that #1 and #2 play in a season opener.

I can’t wait. pic.twitter.com/jc7loyWi39
— College Football Report (@CFBRep) August 4, 2025

The Buckeyes have a week or so to figure out who will call the signals to open the season. Historically, they have been very good in Big Ten play, and having James Franklin's number over the last several seasons, there's no real reason to think Penn State can pull off the upset this time around.

Nonetheless, maybe being ranked second in the conference will put some fire under the Buckeyes and make them realize their real potential, just like losing to Michigan last season did.

With just a few weeks until the season kicks off with a bang, it is almost time to get ready for Ohio State Buckeyes football!