Big Ten Post-Spring Rankings Has Blue-Blood Program at No. 1

The Big Ten has spent the past three seasons proving it owns college football, with a different member program lifting the national championship trophy each time. As the calendar inches toward the 2026 kickoff, every contender in the league has finished spring drills and the picture is coming into focus.

A fresh set of post-spring power rankings from CBS Sports' Cody Nagel slots Ohio State at the top for the third consecutive year, with Oregon, Indiana, USC and Michigan rounding out the top five.

The Buckeyes hold that spot despite a glaring omission on the resume over the last half-decade.

Why Ohio State sits No. 1 again

Nagel acknowledged the awkward part of the ranking right away. Ohio State has not won a Big Ten title in five seasons, a stretch that includes last year's run to a national championship that bypassed the conference trophy entirely. It's hard to be the best team in the Big Ten when the Buckeyes haven't won a conference title in years.

What keeps Ryan Day's program parked at the front of the line is talent retention. Quarterback Julian Sayin opted against the transfer portal and returns after a redshirt freshman campaign that produced 3,610 yards, 32 touchdowns and just eight interceptions with a 77% completion rate

He throws to junior wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who many evaluators now consider the top prospect in the 2027 NFL Draft, is also ranked No. 1 in my best returning college football wide receivers list.

Add sophomore running back Bo Jackson, who piled up 1,090 yards at 6.1 per carry as a true freshman, and the offense returns its three signature pieces.

The drought everyone is talking about

For a program with 29 NFL Draft selections over the last three cycles, tied with Georgia and Texas for the most in the country, the absence of conference hardware is the elephant in Columbus. The Buckeyes have stacked top-five recruiting classes and produced first-round picks at a pace no one else can match, yet the Big Ten trophy keeps going somewhere else.

A 2026 conference title may prove elusive. Ohio State drew Indiana on the road on Oct. 17, Oregon at home on Nov. 7 and Michigan at home on Nov. 28, with a Halloween night trip to USC sandwiched in between.

Ohio State Buckeyes running back Bo Jackson (25) carries the ball against the Miami Hurricanes during the second half of 2025 Cotton Bowl. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Last year's two-game collapse against Indiana and Miami still hangs over the building, and the seven returning offensive starters mean Sayin should not have to carry the load alone. The schedule offers ample chances to silence skeptics.

The Buckeyes open the season against Ball State at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 12 p.m. ET on FOX.

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