Buckeyes still No. 1 in the rankings after bye week
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Big Ten play is right around the corner for Ohio State and it will start its conference slate as the best team in the nation.
The Buckeyes (3-0) have been ranked No. 1 in both the Associated Press and USA Today coaches polls after a bye week. Ohio State will take on undefeated Washington in Seattle on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. to start conference play.
The big change up top is a new No. 2 team as AP voters pushed Miami above Penn State. The Nittany Lions play a massive contest against No. 6 Oregon at 7:30 p.m. Saturday on NBC4.
Week 4 had three all-ranked contests that put multiple teams into the thick of the playoff hunt. Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Indiana all moved up places in the rankings after ranked wins over Utah, Auburn, and Illinois, respectively.
The Sooners supplanted the Illini as a new top-ten team with their 24-17 win over the Tigers while Illinois was crushed 63-10 by the Hoosiers. A total of 30 teams remain undefeated in the Football Bowl Subdivision heading into Week 5, including seven from the Big Ten.
2025 Associated Press rankings (Sept. 21, 2025)
| 1 | Ohio State |
| 2 | Miami |
| 3 | Penn State |
| 4 | LSU |
| 5 | Georgia |
| 6 | Oregon |
| 7 | Oklahoma |
| 8 | Florida State |
| 9 | Texas A&M |
| 10 | Texas |
| 11 | Indiana |
| 12 | Texas Tech |
| 13 | Ole Miss |
| 14 | Iowa State |
| 15 | Tennessee |
| 16 | Georgia Tech |
| 17 | Alabama |
| 18 | Vanderbilt |
| 19 | Michigan |
| 20 | Missouri |
| 21 | USC |
| 22 | Notre Dame |
| 23 | Illinois |
| 24 | TCU |
| 25 | BYU |
Using the current rankings, the No. 1 Buckeyes would be projected to play either No. 8 Florida State or No. 9 Texas A&M in a quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl.
CFP projection using AP Rankings
The Buckeyes' next game against a ranked opponent will be on Oct. 11 against No. 23 Illinois. Week 5 is highlighted by four all-ranked contests, highlighted by the primetime duo of Oregon-Penn State and No. 5 Georgia hosting No. 17 Alabama.