#4 Ohio State
4-0 in Big Ten play, T-1st in the Big Ten
2026 season recap (through week 8)
Ohio State (Big Ten) is ranked 4th in The Davis Rankings after week 8 of 2026, with a record of 6-1 and a score of 85.0 out of 100. That is up 3 from week 7. That puts it in the Winning tier (ranks 1-25). Its strongest factor is recent results (100.0 out of 100). Its weakest is opponent record today (70.8 out of 100).
The signature win so far came in week 7, 19-15 over #7 Indiana on the road. The defeat that hurts the score most is the week 2 loss, 24-23 to #16 Texas on the road.
Ohio State has won its last 5 games in a row. On the road it is 2-1. The average margin is +25.9 points per game, with a biggest win of 56 points. 2 of 7 games were decided by a touchdown or less.
Ohio State is 2nd in the AP poll (2 spots higher than the Davis Rankings); 2nd in the Coaches poll (2 spots higher than the Davis Rankings).
Next up is #45 USC in week 9, on the road. The toughest game left on the schedule by current rank is week 11 against T-11 Northwestern. 1 of the 5 games left are against teams currently in the top 25.
Schedule
| Week | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ball State (home) | W 56-3 |
| 2 | Texas (away) | L 23-24 |
| 3 | Kent State (home) | W 59-3 |
| 4 | Illinois (home, conference game) | W 42-19 |
| 5 | Iowa (away, conference game) | W 31-14 |
| 6 | Maryland (home, conference game) | W 45-16 |
| 7 | Indiana (away, conference game) | W 19-15 |
Upcoming games
| Week | Opponent | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | USC (away, conference game) | (NBC) |
| 10 | Oregon (home, conference game) | (CBS) |
| 11 | Northwestern (home, conference game) | Sat Nov 14, time TBD |
| 12 | Nebraska (away, conference game) | Sat Nov 21, time TBD |
| 13 | Michigan (home, conference game) | (FOX) |
Ranking history 2026
Now #4, Winning (week 8). Best #4 (week 8). Lowest #87 (week 2). Higher on the chart is a better rank. The shaded bands are rank tiers, with each tier's sticker at its left. A poll is a top 25, so its line breaks in the weeks the team is not in it. The poll lines are drawn a little apart so equal ranks do not hide each other: point at a week for the exact ranks.
Week 8 TDR #4 (85.0, 6-1) Winning AP #2 Coaches #2
Week 1 TDR #12 (91.5, 1-0) AP #1 Coaches #1
Week 2 TDR #87 (45.2, 1-1) AP #6 Coaches #6
Week 3 TDR #42 (70.9, 2-1) Feeling Good AP #7 Coaches #7
Week 4 TDR #28 (76.6, 3-1) Feeling Good AP #5 Coaches #6
Week 5 TDR #17 (80.8, 4-1) Winning AP #5 Coaches #6
Week 6 TDR #12 (82.6, 5-1) Winning AP #4 Coaches #5
Week 7 TDR #7 (84.9, 6-1) Winning AP #3 Coaches #2
Week 8 TDR #4 (85.0, 6-1) Winning AP #2 Coaches #2
Week by week
| Week | TDR | Score | Record | Tier | AP | Coaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | #12 | 91.5 | 1-0 | - | #1 | #1 |
| 2 | #87 | 45.2 | 1-1 | - | #6 | #6 |
| 3 | #42 | 70.9 | 2-1 | Feeling Good | #7 | #7 |
| 4 | #28 | 76.6 | 3-1 | Feeling Good | #5 | #6 |
| 5 | #17 | 80.8 | 4-1 | Winning | #5 | #6 |
| 6 | #12 | 82.6 | 5-1 | Winning | #4 | #5 |
| 7 | #7 | 84.9 | 6-1 | Winning | #3 | #2 |
| 8 | #4 | 85.0 | 6-1 | Winning | #2 | #2 |
Score breakdown
Each factor is scored 0–100, then weighted into the composite score. Full methodology & weights
| Factor | Score (0-100) |
|---|---|
| win/loss record | 85.7 |
| recent results | 100.0 |
| road-win bonus | 81.0 |
| opponent record at game time | 72.0 |
| opponent record today | 70.8 |
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