Ohio State is No. 1 in the initial 2026 SP+ rankings.
An advanced metric created by ESPN’s Bill Connelly, SP+ is a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency. In the preseason, Connelly uses four factors to rank teams, each weighted by its predictive power: returning production, recent history, recent recruiting and “coaching change effects.”
Despite the departure of future top-10 picks Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles, Caleb Downs and Carnell Tate from the 2025 roster, Ohio State still ranks No. 1 entering 2026, possessing the No. 2 offense, No. 1 defense and No. 67 special teams. Here’s a look at the complete top 10:
SP+ TOP 10
Rank
Team
SP+
Off. SP+
Def. SP+
ST SP+
1
Ohio State
31.8
40.6 (2)
8.8 (1)
0.1 (67)
2
Oregon
28.3
40.7 (1)
12.6 (3)
0.3 (50)
3
Notre Dame
25.8
40.2 (3)
14.6 (9)
0.3 (47)
4
Georgia
25.5
38.2 (5)
13.3 (5)
0.6 (3)
5
Indiana
24.5
37.4 (9)
13.5 (6)
0.5 (22)
6
Texas
23.7
37.6 (7)
14.3 (8)
0.4 (31)
7
Texas Tech
23.1
37.6 (8)
14.7 (11)
0.2 (54)
8
Miami
21.0
34.4 (12)
13.7 (7)
0.3 (42)
9
Texas A&M
20.3
37.3 (10)
16.7 (14)
-0.3 (99)
10
LSU
20.2
32.5 (21)
12.5 (2)
0.2 (53)
Ohio State’s offense is anchored by three stars with significant production: Heisman finalist quarterback Julian Sayin, All-Big Ten running back Bo Jackson and unanimous All-American wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. The Buckeyes also return veteran pass-catcher Brandon Inniss and one of the most experienced offensive lines in college football, with Austin Siereveld, Luke Montgomery, Carson Hinzman and Phillip Daniels.
The Buckeyes’ defense lost almost all of its production from last season. Reese, Styles and Downs are off to the NFL, as are Kayden McDonald, Caden Curry, Davison Igbinosun and Lorenzo Styles Jr. Still, Matt Patricia’s defense ranks No. 1 in SP+ — and by a wide margin. Ohio State’s 8.8 defensive rating is 3.7 points better than No. 2 LSU’s 12.5, indicating Connelly’s metrics believe in transfer additions like defensive tackles James Smith and John Walker, linebacker Christian Alliegro and defensive backs Earl Little Jr. and Terry Moore, among others.
Ohio State’s special teams still rank near the middle of the pack in college football. However, Ryan Day has overhauled that department heading into 2026, hiring new special teams coordinator Robby Discher and bringing in kicker Connor Hawkins.
The Buckeyes lead all 18 Big Ten teams in SP+, though a few programs aren’t far behind. Oregon is right behind Ohio State at No. 2, while Indiana checks in at No. 5. The league’s next-best teams are USC (No. 13), Michigan (No. 14), Penn State (No. 17), Washington (No. 21) and Iowa (No. 22).
Big Ten Teams in the SP+
Team
Rank
SP+
Off. SP+
Def. SP+
ST SP+
Ohio State
1
31.8
40.6 (2)
8.8 (1)
0.1 (67)
Oregon
2
28.3
40.7 (1)
12.6 (3)
0.3 (50)
Indiana
5
24.5
37.4 (9)
13.5 (6)
0.5 (22)
USC
13
16.8
37.7 (6)
20.5 (29)
-0.3 (100)
Michigan
14
16.1
32.8 (20)
16.2 (13)
-0.5 (113)
Penn State
17
15.7
33.6 (14)
18.6 (23)
0.6 (6)
Washington
21
14.5
32.4 (22)
17.6 (19)
-0.3 (96)
Iowa
22
13.6
30.3 (38)
17.3 (17)
0.6 (10)
Illinois
33
9.3
31.5 (28)
22.7 (44)
0.4 (30)
Nebraska
37
7.7
29.2 (49)
21.5 (39)
0.1 (69)
Minnesota
45
5.2
25.3 (71)
19.5 (24)
-0.5 (125)
UCLA
46
5.1
29.0 (52)
23.9 (54)
0.0 (71)
Northwestern
49
4.6
24.5 (78)
20.4 (28)
0.5 (29)
Maryland
55
3.8
26.1 (65)
22.7 (43)
0.3 (39)
Wisconsin
61
1.8
20.6 (106)
18.5 (22)
-0.3 (97)
Rutgers
62
1.8
30.4 (37)
28.7 (90)
0.1 (68)
Michigan State
67
0.4
26.7 (61)
25.9 (69)
-0.4 (105)
Purdue
82
-2.9
23.8 (86)
27.4 (79)
0.6 (4)
Ohio State’s regular-season opponents in SP+
Sept. 5 – Ball State: No. 134
Sept. 12 – at Texas: No. 6
Sept. 19 – Kent State: No. 128
Sept. 26 – Illinois: No. 33
Oct. 3 – at Iowa: No. 22
Oct. 10 – Maryland: No. 55
Oct. 17 – at Indiana: No. 5
Oct. 24 – Off
Oct. 31 – at USC: No. 13
Nov. 7 – Oregon: No. 2
Nov. 14 – Northwestern: No. 49
Nov. 21 – at Nebraska: No. 37
Nov. 28 – Michigan: No. 14