Ohio State Cracks Top 5 In Coaches Preseason Poll

The Ohio State Buckeyes are looking to get back to the College Football Playoff while welcoming in a new starting quarterback.

The Ohio State Buckeyes pick up right where they left off.

Like its College Football Playoff ranking a season ago, Ohio State ranks No. 4 in the USA Today preseason coaches poll, trailing two-time defending national champion Georgia, Michigan and Alabama, respectively. The Buckeyes received one first-place vote, something the Wolverines can't say.

Ohio State will enter 2023 with a new quarterback running the show. Whether it's Kyle McCord or Devin Brown trotting out with the first team when the Buckeyes play Indiana has yet to be seen, but head coach Ryan Day hopes to have the quarterback battle figured out after fall camp.

Day has not ruled out the possibility of playing both quarterbacks in the regular season.

At the skill positions, running backs coach Tony Alford said he has "top to bottom" the deepest room he's had since his arrival to Columbus in 2015, and the Buckeyes once again have arguably the best receiving corps in the country headlined by receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka.

The offensive line has a big red question mark hanging over it, as the only Sharpie-in slots belong to left and right guards Donovan Jackson and Matt Jones, respectively. With tackles Paris Johnson Jr. and Dawand Jones and center Luke Wypler departing for the NFL, Ohio State will hope to plug in new pieces to keep their new starting quarterback off the turf.

On defense, the Buckeyes' front six — as defensive coordinator Jim Knowles runs a 4-2-5 scheme — boasts depth between defensive ends J.T. Tuimoloau, Jack Sawyer and Kenyatta Jackson, interior defensive linemen Ty Hamilton, Tyleik Williams, Mike Hall and Hero Kanu and linebackers Tommy Eichenberg, Steele Chambers, Cody Simon and C.J. Hicks.

Ohio State's secondary was a big topic of discussion heading into the offseason after the final two games of last year against Michigan and Georgia. Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy had touchdown passes of 45, 69 and 75 yards, respectively, while former Bulldogs signal-caller Stetson Bennett's 76-yard touchdown pass to Arian Smith propelled their fourth-quarter comeback.

Knowles said his intention is for cornerbacks Denzel Burke and Jordan Hancock to start, while safeties Ja'Had Carter, Lathan Ransom and Sonny Styles have been taking the majority of first-team reps. Knowles said Carter will play the adjuster (free safety), Ransom the bandit (strong safety) and Styles the nickel.

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