BOOM
Ohio State lands former West Virginia running back CJ Donaldson Jr. from the transfer portal.
Ohio State continues moving up.
After going to Iowa City where they beat the Hawkeyes on the road, the Buckeyes moved up from No. 7 to No. 4 in the Associated Press top-25 poll.
This is the team's highest ranking since they went all they way up to No. 2 on Dec. 23, 2019 by starting last season with only one loss in their first 12 games. It's also the first time the program has been ranked in the top-five since 2012.
Ohio State, now catching the attention of the nation for its strong play to open the calendar year, has won seven of its past eight games in the middle of Big Ten play. Over the stretch of time, it has beaten Rutgers, Northwestern, Illinois, Wisconsin, Penn State, Michigan State and Iowa, with the sole blemish coming as a two-point loss to Purdue nearly three weeks ago. This team began the month becoming unranked, and now it has risen all the way into the top-five with less than a month remaining until the regular season comes to a close.
The Buckeyes – now 15-4 overall and 9-4 in the Big Ten – have two opportunities to impress voters this week. First, they take on Maryland on the road Monday night, and then they return home to take on Indiana at home on Saturday afternoon.
This is their fifth week in a row being ranked, and they've risen in each passing poll.
| RANK | TEAM | RECORD | PTS | PREV | CONFERENCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GONZAGA | 18–0 | 1,567 (55) | 1 | West Coast |
| 2 | BAYLOR | 17–0 | 1,520 (8) | 2 | Big 12 |
| 3 | MICHIGAN | 13–1 | 1,438 | 4 | Big Ten |
| 4 | OHIO STATE | 15–4 | 1,365 | 7 | Big Ten |
| 5 | VILLANOVA | 12–2 | 1,281 | 3 | Big East |
| 6 | ILLINOIS | 13–5 | 1,239 | 12 | Big Ten |
| 7 | TEXAS TECH | 14–5 | 1,102 | 13 | Big 12 |
| 8 | HOUSTON | 16–2 | 1,060 | 5 | American Athletic |
| 9 | VIRGINIA | 13–3 | 969 | 14 | Atlantic Coast |
| 10 | MISSOURI | 13–3 | 966 | 18 | Southeastern |
| 11 | ALABAMA | 15–5 | 911 | 10 | Southeastern |
| 12 | OKLAHOMA | 12–5 | 863 | 9 | Big 12 |
| 13 | TEXAS | 11–5 | 841 | 6 | Big 12 |
| 14 | WEST VIRGINIA | 13–5 | 824 | 17 | Big 12 |
| 15 | IOWA | 13–6 | 757 | 8 | Big Ten |
| 16 | TENNESSEE | 13–4 | 690 | 11 | Southeastern |
| 17 | FLORIDA STATE | 10–3 | 514 | 20 | Atlantic Coast |
| 18 | VIRGINIA TECH | 14–4 | 486 | 16 | Atlantic Coast |
| 19 | CREIGHTON | 14–5 | 465 | 15 | Big East |
| 20 | USC | 15–3 | 411 | – | Pacific 12 |
| 21 | WISCONSIN | 14–6 | 358 | 19 | Big Ten |
| 22 | LOYOLA CHICAGO | 17–3 | 200 | – | Missouri Valley |
| 23 | OKLAHOMA STATE | 12–5 | 181 | – | Big 12 |
| 24 | PURDUE | 13–7 | 85 | 24 | Big Ten |
| 25 | RUTGERS | 11–6 | 65 | – | Big Ten |
