Should Ohio State football be ranked No. 1 in preseason poll? Depends who you ask
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The SEC is mired in a national championship drought, but the conference still claims to have unmatched depth. That argument might gain steam after the release of the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll. Nine SEC teams are ranked in the Top 25, more than any other conference. That includes six teams in the top 11.
So, were Big Ten coaches in the wrong last week when they took a victory lap at the SEC's expense during Big Ten Media Days? As one Big Ten coach put it, the SEC would like to pretend it's still 2005.
On this edition of "SEC Football Unfiltered," a podcast from the USA TODAY Network, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams discuss the Big Ten's chest-thumping and explain why they're OK with it.
They also react to the coaches poll, where Ohio State ranks No. 1, and offer a few SEC teams that could be overrated and underrated.
Toppmeyer says one Big Ten team in particular got snubbed in the rankings, and Adams reveals who he'd have ranked No. 1. (Hint: It's an SEC team.)
Did coaches poll voters get No. 1 right?
Toppmeyer: Check back in late January, and I'll tell you if they got it correct. But, in seriousness, Ohio State is a fine choice. I could make a case for Oregon or Indiana or Notre Dame. Or, for Texas or Georgia, or perhaps even Miami. But Ohio State feels like the safest option. The Buckeyes are loaded with offensive weapons, they return starting quarterback Julian Sayin, and they're a model of consistency. Maybe, that consistency is what voters trusted most after Texas nabbed the No. 1 preseason ranking last summer and then missed the playoff entirely.
Adams: I'd put Texas No. 1, followed by some order of the top three Big Ten teams. Yes, Texas fizzled in 2025 and didn't live up to the hype, but the Longhorns finished the season playing much better than at the start. That includes Arch Manning's growth. They upgraded the talent around Manning, too. Their roster is second to none. Texas at No. 5 comes off as an overcorrection to last season.
Does the SEC's nine ranked teams prove it's the best conference?
Toppmeyer: No, it proves the SEC's preseason reputation remains sturdy despite the conference not faring well in the playoff the past few seasons. The SEC has nine ranked teams to the Big Ten's eight. The SEC has six of the top 11, while the Big Ten has three of the top six. You can build your argument to support your desired answer, but I suspect the Big Ten wouldn't trade its three straight national championship trophies. Hardware is a nifty trump card in these arguments.
Adams: Is this a real question? Trophies matter more than preseason polls. And the Big Ten owns three straight years' worth of trophies.
Who got snubbed in the college football rankings?
Toppmeyer: A few teams, but start with Indiana. The Hoosiers remain stacked on defense and along the offensive line, and yet they're just the second defending national champion in the past 15 years to be ranked outside the preseason top five. If their jersey had the name of a blue blood on it, the Hoosiers would be ranked higher.
Adams: No argument about Indiana. They're top-five worthy. I'm more bullish on No. 13 LSU than voters. I would have the Tigers in the top 10. As for unranked teams, Auburn offers sleeper potential to finish the season ranked for the first time since 2019.
Where to listen to SEC Football Unfiltered
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's senior national college football columnist. John Adams is the senior sports columnist for the Knoxville News Sentinel. Subscribe to the SEC Football Unfiltered podcast, and check out the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Should Ohio State football be ranked No. 1 in preseason poll? Depends who you ask
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