Buckeyes Open 2025 Season Ranked No. 3 in AP Poll
8/11/2025 1:56:00 PM | Football
Ohio State included in initial poll for a record 37th consecutive season
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State will begin the season ranked No. 3 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, continuing a streak of top-five rankings in the organization's initial poll of the season. Since 2013 – covering 13 preseason polls – the Buckeyes have been ranked in the top 10 each year and been in the top five 11 times. This marks the fifth time in the last nine years that Ohio State has started the season ranked in the top three.
That's not the only impressive streak that continued Monday, however. The Buckeyes extended their nation-leading streak of AP preseason poll appearances to 37 consecutive years, which is 11 years longer than any other program in the country and is also the longest in Associated Press history.
Longest Active Streaks – AP Preseason Poll Appearances
1. Ohio State – 37 years (1989-present)
2. Oklahoma – 26 years (2000-present)
3. Georgia – 24 years (2002-present)
4. Alabama – 18 years (2008-present)
5. Clemson – 14 years (2012-present)
Ohio State has appeared in the AP preseason poll 72 of the 76 polls since it was introduced in 1950 – the most of any program in the country. The only years Ohio State was not included were 1966, 1967, 1979 and 1988.
Total Appearances in AP Preseason Poll
1. Ohio State – 72
2. Oklahoma – 67
3. USC – 63
4. Notre Dame – 62
5. Alabama – 59
The Buckeyes have now been ranked in at least one AP poll for the 58th consecutive season, which is by far the longest active streak in the country and the longest in AP poll history. No other team currently has a stretch longer than 29 consecutive years.
AP Poll Season Appearance Streak
1. Ohio State – 58 seasons (1968-present)
2. Georgia – 29 seasons (1997-present)
3. Oregon – 28 seasons (1998-present)
4. Oklahoma – 27 seasons (1999-present)
5. LSU – 26 seasons (2000-present)
In more recent history, Ohio State has begun the season ranked within the top five nine of the last 11 years (the two exceptions were 2016 and 2023 when it came in at No. 6). Between the 2013-25 seasons, Ohio State has earned rankings of No. 2, 5, 1, 6, 2, 5, 5, 2, 4, 2, 6, 2 and 3, respectively. Dating back to 2012, the program has been ranked for 212 consecutive polls in which it's been eligible. That ranks as the fourth-longest streak in poll history.
No school has appeared in more polls – or a larger percentage of them – than Ohio State.
Total Appearances in AP Polls
1. Ohio State – 1000 (79.9 percent of all polls)
2. Michigan – 928 (74.2 percent)
3. Oklahoma – 906 (72.4 percent)
4. Alabama and Notre Dame – 891 (71.2 percent)
6. USC – 819 (65.5 percent)
Big Games Ahead
Ohio State's schedule includes four games against top-15 ranked opponents, including the much-anticipated season opener against No. 1 Texas on Aug. 30. Additionally, the Buckeyes will take on No. 2 Penn State, No. 12 Illinois and No. 14 Michigan.
In his weekly press conference today, head coach Ryan Day said the following about opener against the top-ranked Longhorns: "The first game is a monster, right out of the gate. I'll just say this: we're excited about playing in that game. I know Buckeye Nation is fired up. It's going to be an unbelievable atmosphere. We need the 'Shoe rocking, just like it was for the Indiana game [last season], just like it was for the Penn State game a couple of years ago."
Styles & Downs Honored Again
Two of those who will lead the Ohio State defense in 2025 have been named to another "outstanding defensive player" watch list as senior LB Sonny Styles and junior SAF Caleb Downs were each named today to the Bednarik Award watch list.
Downs has now been honored 12 times this preseason, including as the No. 2 college football player in the country by Pro Football Focus and a consensus first-team preseason All-American.
Styles, the No. 10 rated "freak" athlete on Bruce Feldman's Freaks List and a second-team preseason All-American by everyone, picked up his 10th honor this preseason.
