Ohio State Earns Massive Love in Way-Too-Early Top-10 CFB Games List

Ohio State is likely to remain a College Football Playoff contender this fall.

Apr 18, 2026; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State head coach Ryan Day greets fans before the annual spring game at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Under 100 days remain until the start of college football season. Amongst the most teams discussed, Ryan Day's Ohio State Buckeyes remain near the top of that list.

ESPN made sure to prioritize the Buckeyes when it released its preview of the top-10 biggest games during this upcoming season. Out of the 10 games listed, three of them feature the Buckeyes. Although, an argument could easily be made that four, five, or six Buckeye games hold meaning (including the ignored Michigan Wolverines game in late November), but alas it didn't happen.

What it did include, though, were the three no-brainer games: a Week 2 rematch with the Texas Longhorns and quarterback Arch Manning, a key October showdown with the defending national champion Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington and a must-circle game in early November against the Oregon Ducks.

All of these predictions hold the merit weight that all three teams the Buckeyes face will be in College Football Playoff contention by the time each game rolls around.

Oddly enough, two of those games are revenge tilts. The Buckeyes will be trying to erase the bad taste of their 2024 heartbreaker in Eugene, despite what the season's eventual outcome was. Adding to this, the Hoosiers put the first of two dents into the end of the Buckeyes' season this past year by upending the Buckeyes in the Big Ten title game last December before the Buckeyes saw their season end weeks later against the Miami Hurricanes in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.

Should the games deliver as the on-paper assessment indicates, Buckeyes fans are in for a rollercoaster ride of emotions. It'll either be three losses that derail the season, a 2-1 mark that likely means going unbeaten the rest of the season or a sweep that could carry momentum toward an unbeaten conclusion.

Ohio State has been in big-time spots in recent years. It's something Day and star wideout Jeremiah Smith know all too well. This is no different, except the pressure is part of a grand stage the Buckeyes still have yet to fully conquer. Winning the Big Ten should remain the top regular-season priority, much less taking care of those three opponents.

All the chips are in front of it to have a memorable season. But if there are shortcomings in Columbus, it will likely trace back to ESPN's must-see list. Should it, the season is set up for cinematic proportions