This isn’t your average college football ranking.
My Ultimate 136 is a set of rankings that is fluid, but it’s my job to look ahead and make a claim for all FBS teams based on what I know and why I know it. Here are the three pressing questions I started by asking when putting together this list:
- Who do I think is good?
- Why do I think they’re good?
- What are the chances they will finish above or below my expectations?
Here is a look at where Ohio State lands in my Ultimate 136.
Ohio State ranking: 2
Last year’s ranking: 1
Top player: WR Jeremiah Smith: Set Ohio State freshman records in receptions (76), receiving yards (1,315) and TD catches (15); was tied for second in FBS in TD catches and fourth in receiving yards; his nine catches of 40-plus yards were tied for the most in the FBS.
RJ’s take: The Buckeyes don’t rebuild. They reload. Yes, it’s cliché. But to become a cliché, the phrase must be overused, abused and lazily applied like an entire jar of peanut butter across a single slice of bread. Still, it applies.
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Losing 14 NFL Draft picks isn’t nothing. Nor is an 0-4 record against Michigan since 2021. Not only is this year’s game against Michigan in Ann Arbor, but Jeremiah Smith is guaranteeing a win(s) against the Wolverines.
“I just hate them,” he told The Athletic. “Just something about them. For the next two years, I promise you, I will not lose to them. I can’t lose to them in the next two years.”
Here’s the bottom line: Ohio State has Smith and safety Caleb Downs on its roster, arguably the top two players in the country on either side of the ball. At the helm is Ryan Day, who elevated the best wide receiver coach in the country, Brian Hartline, to full-time offensive coordinator and playcaller, and replaced his former defensive coordinator with an actual rocket scientist and three-time Super Bowl champ in Matt Patricia. Oh, and Day also replaced his 2024 starter at QB with a former five-star and top-ranked QB recruit in the 2024 class in Julian Sayin.
Every unit on this team, outside perhaps the offensive line, is among the best in the country this year. Remember, last year’s offensive line had to fill holes at left tackle, left guard and center by midseason. Still, Ohio State managed to win a national title with four offensive guards on the line of scrimmage. This team has the chance to do what only Georgia has done in the CFP era: win back-to-back national titles. The talent is there.
Ohio State Win Total Odds: Over 10.5 (+104) Under 10.5 (-128)
Have an issue with my rankings? Think your alma mater is too low, or your school’s rival is too high? Get at me on X, @RJ_Young, and I’ll select my favorite tweets and respond to them in a future article.
RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him at @RJ_Young.
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