The Ohio State football season enters the 2026 season with 51 new players, and still has an argument to open the season atop the rankings. Here’s why:

A longstanding tradition in Columbus is reloading talent year after year. Ohio State had four of its eleven players taken in the first round of April’s NFL Draft. Those selections bring the Buckeyes’ total to 25 over the last two years, which means a lot of production will need to be replaced.

College Football is in its transfer portal and player mobility era, which allows teams to fill voids with proven commodities rather than solely relying on freshman recruits. Ryan Day’s philosophy is to use the portal systematically to meet key needs, provided the player has a connection or pre-existing relationship with the program.

People are the Secret

He prioritizes having the right people in the building, so that’s key during a shorter relationship-building window when the portal opens. On an appearance on Josh Pate’s College Football Show’s Pate State Speaker Series, Coach Day said:

“I think there’s a lot of weight rooms, there’s a lot of stadiums, there’s a lot of cool facilities, but at the end of the day, it comes down to the people in the building. That’s what it comes down to,” Day said.

The right people are something Day continues to embed in the verbiage and fabric of his program, not as something new to Ohio State Football, but a continuation of tradition and sustainability. It all began during the days of Woody Hayes, one of the Buckeyes’ founding fathers.

“It’s the people, something we always knew. Woody said it a long time ago, you win with people, but that’s it. Because there’s nothing that, again, a cold tank or a dining room or anything like that can overcome. When you’re sending your son, or you’re sending a recruiter or prospect to a place, it’s going to come down to the people,” Day continued.

When adversity strikes, it’s people who make the difference. Following a cataclysmic loss to Michigan in 2024, the Buckeyes relied on those in the building to silence the outside noise and win a National Championship. Now, staring down arguably the most difficult schedule in program history, with 11 NFL Draft departures and 51 new players, plus Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator, Ohio State will rely on the people in the building again.

Job descriptions are different in Columbus. For Ryan Day, it’s simply to win the rivalry game and every game after that. Despite everything mentioned above, Ohio State is still expected to contend for and win the National Championship. Expectations reach levels of delusion, but inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, they call those expectations the standard.

Ryan Day’s Buckeyes have a strong case to open the season as the No. 1 team in the country. Whether the voters make that a reality or not, the goal is to earn it at the end of the season by hoisting the gold trophy.

Why Ohio State Should be No. 1

Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith return for the Buckeyes on offense. Those two players alone create fear for opposing defenses, and then add in the return of four offensive linemen, the running back tandem of Bo Jackson and Isaiah West, plus Brandon Inniss, Kyle Parker, and Devin McCuin.

Per usual, there’s a plethora of talent and playmakers for Ohio State, not to mention true freshmen wide receivers Chris Henry Jr. and Brock Boyd. Arthur Smith took the reins of the offense earlier this year, bringing fresh eyes and complementary components to Ryan Day’s Ohio State offense. Smith’s unit is projected to be the strength of the team in 2026.

On the defensive side of the ball, Matt Patricia is gearing up for his second season with a mix of developed talent and new faces from the transfer portal. Additions like Earl Little Jr. and Dominick Kelly have made immediate impacts on the back end, as has Christian Alliegro at linebacker.

James Smith and Qua Russaw bolster depth on the defensive line, led by Kenyatta Jackson and Eddrick Houston. Terry Moore is another piece that will allow the Buckeyes to rotate and keep players fresh while mixing coverages. These players help the returning Buckeyes replace production from Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles, and Arvell Reese.

Defensive backs Jermaine Matthews and Jaylen McClain are taking steps forward as leaders of an extremely talented secondary. The question for the Buckeyes on defense is whether they hit on their transfer acquisitions, because if they did, expect more of the same as a year ago. It will look different, but the skill is there for another dominant unit for Matt Patricia.

Schedule Difficulty

Ohio State plays one of the toughest schedules in college football this season. It features road games at Texas, Iowa, Indiana, USC, and Nebraska. On the flip side, the Buckeyes host Oregon and Michigan in the Horseshoe.

Ryan Day’s team will be road warriors this fall and battle-tested when the postseason rolls around. The Buckeyes also aren’t afforded an opportunity to ease into the season because they travel to Austin in Week 2. The intensity is already present inside the football facility, knowing what lies ahead.

How quickly the team gels will tell the story of September. Ohio State isn’t a stranger to marquee early-season showdowns. In fact, Ryan Day teams are 3-1 in matchup games in the opening month. His teams have a win over Texas and two over Notre Dame, with the lone loss coming to Oregon in 2021.

If history is any indicator, Ohio State will be ready, riding a three-game winning streak in September games that carry College Football Playoff implications.

NEXT: Read Why Ryan Day Will Be the First to Win Multiple Titles Since Woody Hayes