The Buckeyes debut at No. 2.
Ohio State will start the season as the No. 2 team in the nation as the Buckeyes check in at second in the debut coaches poll, behind only Clemson.
The Buckeyes received the second-most first-place votes, earning 17 compared to Clemson's 38, with Alabama and LSU receiving four and six first-place votes, respectively.
Behind Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia and LSU round out the top five. Penn State – the highest-rated opponent on the Buckeyes' schedule, debuts at No. 7.
The Big Ten has a total of six teams ranked in the initial Coaches Poll. Ohio State and Penn State lead the way as the only top-10 teams, followed by No. 12 Wisconsin, No. 15 Michigan, No. 18 Minnesota and No. 23 Iowa.
Ohio State is slated to begin its season Sept. 3 with a road matchup against Illinois.
| RANK | TEAM | RECORD | PTS | 1st VOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CLEMSON | 0–0 | 1589 | 38 |
| 2 | OHIO STATE | 0–0 | 1555 | 17 |
| 3 | ALABAMA | 0–0 | 1495 | 4 |
| 4 | GEORGIA | 0–0 | 1345 | – |
| 5 | LSU | 0–0 | 1330 | 6 |
| 6 | OKLAHOMA | 0–0 | 1315 | – |
| 7 | PENN STATE | 0–0 | 1199 | – |
| 8 | FLORIDA | 0–0 | 1176 | – |
| 9 | OREGON | 0–0 | 1164 | – |
| 10 | NOTRE DAME | 0–0 | 1012 | – |
| 11 | AUBURN | 0–0 | 898 | – |
| 12 | WISCONSIN | 0–0 | 887 | – |
| 13 | TEXAS A&M | 0–0 | 807 | – |
| 14 | TEXAS | 0–0 | 703 | – |
| 15 | MICHIGAN | 0–0 | 687 | – |
| 16 | OKLAHOMA STATE | 0–0 | 524 | – |
| 17 | USC | 0–0 | 521 | – |
| 18 | MINNESOTA | 0–0 | 494 | – |
| 19 | NORTH CAROLINA | 0–0 | 415 | – |
| 20 | UTAH | 0–0 | 241 | – |
| 21 | CENTRAL FLORIDA | 0–0 | 232 | – |
| 22 | CINCINNATI | 0–0 | 229 | – |
| 23 | IOWA | 0–0 | 204 | – |
| 24 | VIRGINIA TECH | 0–0 | 143 | – |
| 25 | IOWA STATE | 0–0 | 135 | – |
