Streaks, Records Continue with Release of AP Preseason Poll
8/24/2020 12:31:14 PM | Football
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The announcement of the Associated Press Preseason Top 25 poll on Monday extended several impressive streaks for the Ohio State football program. This will be the only AP poll of the season Ohio State, and other Top 25-caliber schools whose conference has postponed playing, will be included in this season.
The Buckeyes, who were voted No. 2 behind Clemson, made their 32nd consecutive appearance in the AP preseason poll, the longest active streak of any team in the country (Oklahoma is second at 21 years). The streak began in 1989 and includes 11 appearances in the top-five of the preseason poll.
Digging even deeper, the Buckeyes’ preseason poll run is the third-longest in AP history. Only Penn State, at 34 years from 1968-2002, and Nebraska, at 33 years from 1970-2002, having longer streaks.
Since the AP’s preseason poll was introduced in 1950, Ohio State has appeared in it 67 of 71 times – the most of any program in the country. The only seasons it began unranked were 1966, 1967, 1979 and 1988.
Ohio State also extended another impressive streak. It’s now made a program-record 132 consecutive appearances in the poll, which is the second-longest active streak and the 10th longest in the 84-year history of the poll. The streak dates back to the start of the 2012 season.
Longest Active Appearances in the AP Poll
1. Alabama – 197 weeks (2008-pres.)
2. Ohio State – 132 weeks (2012-pres.)
3. Clemson – 86 weeks (2014-pres.)
4. Oklahoma – 61 weeks (2016-pres.)
5. Penn State – 58 weeks (2016-pres.)
The longest streak of seasons with an appearance in an AP poll still belongs to Ohio State. The Buckeyes have been in at least one poll throughout the season for 53 consecutive years. Alabama has the second-longest streak at 45 years (1959-2003) while no other program has done it for more than 23 years.
And while the Buckeyes’ long history has included regular appearances in the poll, its recent run has been remarkably consistent among the nation’s elite. In seven of the last eight years, the Buckeyes have begun the season ranked within the top five. Between the 2013-19 seasons, Ohio State has earned rankings of No. 2, 5, 1, 6, 2, 5 and 5, respectively. Ohio State has been ranked in the top five for 14 consecutive polls, which is the nation’s third-longest active streak.
