Ohio State is back on top of the college football world before throwing a single pass. For the first time since 2015, the Buckeyes claimed the No. 1 spot in the preseason AP Top 25 poll. But while landing 40 first-place votes brings initial excitement to Columbus, it also awakens an uncanny ghost that has haunted the program for decades.

The bizarre paradox of Ohio State football is that the higher the expectations are in August, the worse the season ends. Every single one of the program’s national championship trophies was won in years when they started lower in the rankings. Whenever the Buckeyes are crowned No. 1 in the preseason list, an unwritten law of college football ensures they finish empty-handed.

Breaking that spell will not be easy given the gauntlet ahead in 2026. The Buckeyes face a grueling schedule that includes road trips to Texas, Iowa, and USC, alongside brutal home clashes against Oregon and Michigan. Navigating that lineup without slipping up multiple times is a massive task for any roster, no matter how talented.

In the old days, a single stumble destroyed national title dreams for a preseason frontrunner. The expanded 12-team playoff offers a cushion, meaning Ohio State could drop a game or two and still reach the postseason. Yet, carrying the heavy target of No. 1 through a brutal Big Ten slate leaves very little room for error.

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Looking at their recent record, a national title in the 2024 season, where they racked up a 10-2 regular-season record, analysts predict that Ohio State could end their campaign with a 9-3 regular-season record this year. They believe that Ryan Day could try to make OSU’s case like Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian did last year about the Longhorns’ strength of schedule. But losing three games could end up being a nightmare scenario for Day.

Can Ohio State break the curse?

If any group can rewrite history, it is this current Buckeyes roster. Day brought back elite talent in wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and quarterback Julian Sayin, complemented by a star-studded coaching staff featuring Matt Patricia on defense and Arthur Smith on offense. On paper, Ohio State possesses every ingredient needed to dominate the country.

Ohio State is hardly the only powerhouse to get burned by the August crown. Just last season in 2025, Texas entered the year as the consensus preseason No. 1, only to stumble through a brutal schedule and miss the College Football Playoff entirely.

Go back to 2012, and top-ranked USC collapsed into a nightmare 7-6 finish. In fact, since the turn of the century, only two teams, 2004 USC and 2017 Alabama, have started at No. 1 in the AP poll and actually finished the job as national champions. Starting at the top looks great in August, but it almost always ends in heartbreak by January.

For OSU, navigating six premier powerhouses in a single regular season is a daunting test for any roster, leaving zero room for a stumble along the way. Yet, Ryan Day remains unfazed.

“To me, it’s exciting. Because with the way the new playoff format is set, you know, we can learn a lot about ourselves and get really salty,” the OSU head coach said during a recent interview.

Whether this season brings another heartbreak or breaks the ultimate Buckeye curse will be decided on the field.