Ohio State opens the season ranked No. 2 in the AP poll

Today, the Associated Press released their official preseason College Football Top-25 poll, and it sees the Ohio State Buckeyes coming in at No. 2, behind only the Alabama Crimson Tide. ‘Bama collected 1,513 points compared to OSU’s 1,414. Rounding out the Top-5 are Florida State, USC and Clemson. Alabama earned the vast majority of first-place votes, standing atop 52 of the 61 ballots. Ohio State earned three first-place nods, FSU four, and USC two.

The Penn State Nittany Lions come in at No. 6, with the Buckeyes’ Week 2 opponent, the Oklahoma Sooners sitting at seventh. Wisconsin slides into the Top-10 at No. 9, followed by Michigan at 11. No other Big Ten teams made the initial AP poll.

No. 1 Alabama and No. 3 Florida State will open their respective seasons in Atlanta on Sept. 2. That game will air on ABC at 8/7c. Earlier that day, No. 11 Michigan takes on No. 17 Florida from Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, TX at 3:30/2:30c, also on ABC.

No. 2 Ohio State opens their season on the road against Indiana on Thursday, Aug. 31 at 8/7c. In addition to hosting “College GameDay,” the game will be broadcast on ESPN with their Megacast treatment.