Ohio State may have begun to slowly open its football facility Monday, but we’re still a ways away from any official preseason college football polls being released — especially until there’s a roadmap for a return to play. However, that hasn’t stopped countless outlets from posting their way-too-early rankings across the board for the 2020 season.
The latest of those is an updated Sporting News preseason top 25. There are a few iterations of these as we journey through the offseason, and the latest has Ohio State just behind Clemson at No. 2.
That’s right about where almost every other preseason projection has Ohio State. The Tigers and Buckeyes seem to be the two programs everyone believes are a cut above the rest of the country, and Bill Bender agrees. Behind OSU and Clemson are Alabama (3), Georgia (4), LSU (5), Oregon (6), Oklahoma (7), Notre Dame (8), Penn State (9), and Florida (10).
Here’s what he says about Ohio State football in 2020:
Next … Bill Bender on Ohio State this fall
No. 2 – Ohio State
What Bender says about Ohio State
“The Buckeyes lost star players J.K. Dobbins, Chase Young and Jeff Okudah to the NFL, but Heisman Trophy finalist Justin Fields returns to a still-loaded roster. Master Teague was injured, but that hole was filled with Oklahoma transfer Trey Sermon. The receiving corps will be the deepest in the country. Expect Garrett Wilson to be a breakout star while five-star receiver Julian Fleming joins the fun. Wyatt Davis and Josh Myers return to a nasty offensive line. Shaun Wade’s decision to return to school helps a defense that will rebuild the line around Tyreke Smith and Zach Harrison. Road trips to Oregon and Penn State are the biggest potholes to another Playoff run. Second-year coach Ryan Day can work with that.”
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