The new AP Poll is out and Ohio State has been placed at No. 5, so take note Buckeye fans. It is a two-spot rise from the No. 7 position they held in the wake of that hard-fought one-point defeat at Texas some weeks back. Saturday’s 42-19 dismantling of Illinois did the trick to put them back up there, which is only fitting given what we saw on the field.
Texas is still locked in at No. 1, then Georgia, Notre Dame, and Miami. Ohio State checks in right after them with a 3-1 record. Indiana dropped a spot to No. 6. The AP Top 25 voters moved the Buckeyes up while a few other teams stumbled, and now Ohio State is the highest-ranked Big Ten team again.
What Actually Moved the Needle
It wasn’t just the win – it was how they won. Jeremiah Smith put on a show with 12 catches, 217 yards, and four touchdowns. Julian Sayin was sharp too. That kind of performance against a conference opponent tends to get the attention of voters, even if the defense still gave up a few too many yards.
A lot of us were hoping for a bigger jump, but two spots is progress. The Buckeyes are rolling again after that early season hiccup, and the ranking reflects it.
Every single catch from Jeremiah Smith’s four-touchdown day – pure highlights.
Iowa Next, and the Road Gets Real
This ranking comes right before a big one. The Buckeyes head to Kinnick Stadium on Saturday to face a 4-0 Iowa team that’s now ranked No. 14. College GameDay will be there, the place will be rocking, and it’s the kind of road environment that can make or break a season early.
Win that one and the rankings will probably look even better next week. Drop it, and things get a lot louder around Columbus. Either way, the next few weeks are going to tell us a lot about this team. For the full breakdown of the Iowa matchup, check out our Iowa preview here on BrutusReport.
Rankings come and go, but it sure feels good seeing the Buckeyes back in the top five. Let’s see what they do with it. Go Bucks.
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