SB Nation Ranks Ohio State No. 1 in 2026 Preview as 27 Games Shape Title Race

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Aug 24

Ohio State opened SB Nation’s 2026 college football preview at No. 1, with the outlet betting on quarterback Julian Sayin’s second-year jump and an offense that returns four starting linemen.
Three first-round defensive losses to the NFL — Sonny Styles, Caleb Downs and Arvell Reese — are the main concern, leaving coordinator Matt Patricia to integrate transfers such as Alabama’s James Smith and Duke’s Terry Moore.
Indiana, the defending national champion, was flagged as a possible step-back team despite portal additions, while a second tier of contenders included Michigan, LSU, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Texas Tech.
Twenty-seven regular-season games were highlighted as season-defining, led by LSU at Ole Miss on Sept. 19 — Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford — where upper-deck corner tickets were already listed at $589 in July.
The preview also widened to Heisman candidates, hot-seat coaches and key quarterbacks, underscoring how portal movement, coaching changes and sophomore passers could reshape the 2026 season.