Historic College Football Program Predicted to Win Big Ten Title

A college football media pundit has projected this program to win the Big Ten in 2026.

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate (17) attempts to catch a pass against Michigan Wolverines defensive back Zeke Berry (10) in the first half of the NCAA football game at Michigan Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. | Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Just under four months separate the beginning of May from the opening weekend of the 2026 college football season.

This period of waiting brings about a time for the media to project what will occur over the course of the upcoming college football season. These projections may include team rankings, College Football Playoff brackets and early Heisman Trophy odds.

"Crain and Cone" of On3 released power rankings for the Big Ten in 2026 on Sunday. The top program in their rankings was Ohio State, which has not won a Big Ten title since 2020 despite all its success between now and then.

The Buckeyes return Julian Sayin at quarterback, who led all of FBS in completion percentage a season ago.

Additional returning commodities for Ohio State on offense include a 1,000-yard rusher in Bo Jackson and college football's most dominant wide receiver over the past two seasons in Jeremiah Smith.

Ohio State loses much of its production from 2026 on defense, but it experienced similar losses in 2025 only to produce a trio of first-round NFL draft choices.

Biggest hurdles for Ohio State in 2026

Indiana Head Coach Curt Cignetti during Indiana football spring practice on Thursday, April 16, 2026. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While there is always confidence around the national media in Ohio State's ability to handle adversity, the 2026 schedule is one of the Buckeyes' most challenging in recent memory. Sept. 12 will bring about the road end of Ohio State's home-and-home with Texas, although the game is ultimately meaningless for its Big Ten standing.

The Buckeyes travel to Indiana on Oct. 17, a place they have not lost since 1988. The Hoosiers put the college football world on notice with their win over Ohio State in the 2025 Big Ten Championship; they won at Oregon earlier in the season, but the general lack of victories over top-10 competition made the college football world unsure if the Hoosiers were capable of pulling off the feat.

Josh Hoover is Indiana's third quarterback in as many seasons, but it has fielded a potent offense regardless of who has taken the snaps in Curt Cignetti's tenure.

A cross-country trip to USC on Oct. 31 is not to be taken lightly. The Trojans bring back starting quarterback Jayden Maiava, along with eight more starters each on both the offense and defense, something that should help Lincoln Riley's team contend for a College Football Playoff appearance in 2026.

Oregon comes to Ohio Stadium the very next weekend. The Ducks are bringing back arguably the best quarterback prospect in the 2027 NFL draft in Dante Moore, his three top targets at wide receiver and virtually the entire starting defensive line from a season ago.

The Buckeyes blew out the Ducks in the 2025 Rose Bowl, but Oregon has won each of the last two regular-season meetings.

No list of regular-season challenges for Ohio State is complete without a mention of its annual finale with Michigan.

The Buckeyes snapped a four-game skid against the Wolverines in Michigan Stadium last year, but a stronger coaching staff and a presumably improved Bryce Underwood will present a challenge for the Buckeyes against their biggest rival.