The Ohio State Buckeyes began the 2026 season as the No. 1 ranked team in the AP Top 25 and held that spot until a Week 2 loss to Texas dropped them to No. 6. Now, despite a dominant 59-3 win over Kent State in Week 3, Ohio State has fallen again. 

Ohio State was one of three teams to drop a spot this week, along with Miami and Indiana. The catalyst was Ole Miss’s win over LSU, which vaulted the Rebels from No. 8 to No. 4. LSU, meanwhile, only fell three spots from No. 7 to No. 10.

Ole Miss leapfrogs Ohio State after LSU win

The Buckeyes sit at No. 7 in the latest AP Top 25 after dropping one spot. Ohio State dropped five spots after losing to a Texas team that could be argued is better than Ole Miss. LSU losing to a lower-ranked opponent and only sliding three spots feels inconsistent, and it’s the kind of thing that will catch the attention of Buckeye Nation.

Ohio State is now one of two Big Ten teams in the top 10 of the AP poll, along with Indiana. While the AP poll generates conversation and frustration at the same time sometimes, it doesn’t carry the weight that the College Football Playoff poll will when it releases later in the season. That’s the ranking that truly matters for Ohio State’s postseason aspirations.

As long as the Buckeyes take care of business through the regular season schedule, they should be where they want to be at the end of the year. Ohio State still has tough road games against teams like USC and Indiana, and the Buckeyes will host both Oregon and Michigan. The slate is challenging, and rankings are going to fluctuate as teams win and lose across the country.

Full Week 3 AP Top 25

• 1 Texas
• 2 Georgia
• 3 Notre Dame
• 4 Ole Miss
• 5 Indiana
• 6 Miami FL
• 7 Ohio State
• 8 Alabama
• 9 BYU
• 10 LSU
• 11 Texas Tech
• 12 USC
• 13 Penn State
• 14 Tennessee
• 15 Utah
• 16 Louisville
• 17 Iowa
• 18 Michigan
• 19 Mizzou
• 20 Oregon
• 21 Florida
• 22 SMU
• 23 Texas A&M
• 24 Mississippi State
• 25 Houston

Ohio State’s path to the College Football Playoff remains clear

There’s reason to feel good about Ohio State being one of the best teams in the country. As long as the Buckeyes don’t lose more than two games the rest of the way, everything should work out for them in reaching the College Football Playoff. The talent is there, the schedule presents opportunities to prove it, and the early loss to Texas doesn’t define the season.

Still, Buckeye Nation is not going to like the fact that Ohio State has fallen in the AP poll despite winning in Week 3. The frustration is understandable, but the bigger picture remains intact heading into Big Ten play when Ohio State takes on Illinois in Week 4.