More than a handful of starting positions remain up for grabs for Urban Meyer's fifth Ohio State team, but voters in the Associated Press college football poll still believe the Buckeyes are a top-10 team.
Ohio State is slotted sixth in the AP's preseason poll, released Sunday. The Buckeyes trail defending national champion Alabama, national runner-up Clemson, Week 3 opponent Oklahoma, Florida State and LSU. It is the 28th straight season the Buckeyes have been ranked in the preseason AP Poll.
Four Big Ten teams made the cut in the preseason AP poll, led by Ohio State. Others include No. 7 Michigan, No. 12 Michigan State and No. 17 Iowa.
The first regular season AP Poll is scheduled to be released Sept. 6.
Last season, the Buckeyes became the first-ever unanimous preseason No. 1 team in the AP Poll's now 67-year history. Ohio State finished fourth in the final 2015 AP Poll after a 12-1 season, behind Alabama, Clemson and Stanford.
| Rank | Team | Points | 1st | Final 2015 rank | 2015 RECORD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE | 1,469 | 33 | 1 | 14-1 |
| 2 | CLEMSON TIGERS | 1,443 | 16 | 2 | 14-1 |
| 3 | OKLAHOMA SOONERS | 1,352 | 4 | 5 | 11-2 |
| 4 | FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES | 1,325 | 5 | 14 | 10-3 |
| 5 | LSU TIGERS | 1,269 | 1 | 16 | 9-3 |
| 6 | OHIO STATE BUCKEYES | 1,224 | 1 | 4 | 12-1 |
| 7 | MICHIGAN WOLVERINES | 1,147 | 1 | 12 | 10-3 |
| 8 | STANFORD CARDINAL | 1,029 | – | 3 | 12-2 |
| 9 | TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS | 1,021 | – | 22 | 9-4 |
| 10 | NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH | 1,006 | – | 11 | 10-3 |
| 11 | MISSISSIPPI REBELS | 718 | – | 10 | 10-3 |
| 12 | MICHIGAN STATE | 710 | – | 6 | 12-2 |
| 13 | TEXAS CHRISTIAN HORNED FROGS | 707 | – | 7 | 11-2 |
| 14 | WASHINGTON HUSKIES | 651 | – | NR | 7-6 |
| 15 | HOUSTON COUGARS | 644 | – | 8 | 13-1 |
| 16 | UCLA BRUINS | 496 | – | NR | 8-5 |
| 17 | IOWA HAWKEYES | 484 | – | 9 | 12-2 |
| 18 | GEORGIA BULLDOGS | 448 | – | NR | 10-3 |
| 19 | LOUISVILLE CARDINALS | 447 | – | NR | 8-5 |
| 20 | USC TROJANS | 344 | – | NR | 8-6 |
| 21 | OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS | 316 | – | 20 | 10-3 |
| 22 | NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS | 283 | – | 15 | 11-3 |
| 23 | BAYLOR BEARS | 280 | – | 13 | 10-3 |
| 24 | OREGON DUCKS | 218 | – | 19 | 9-4 |
| 25 | FLORIDA GATORS | 180 | – | 25 | 10-4 |
