Ohio State is ranked in the top 10 in a preseason poll for the eighth straight year.
Ohio State is back in familiar territory, ranked No. 2 in the preseason coaches poll released today.
This is the eighth year in a row the Buckeyes are ranked in the top 10 in at least one major preseason poll, and the fourth time in the last eight they are ranked in the top five.
Ohio State earned the four first-place votes that didn't go to No. 1 Alabama, which had 55 first-place votes.
The Big Ten has four teams ranked in the top 14, with Iowa at No. 10, Wisconsin at No. 12 and Penn State at No. 14.
In 2003, the Buckeyes were No. 2 in both the coaches poll and AP poll; in 2004, they were No. 9 in both polls; in 2005, they were No. 9 in the coaches and No. 6 in the AP; in 2006, they were No. 1 in the both polls; in 2007, they were No. 10 in the coaches and No. 11 in the AP; in 2008, they were No. 3 in the coaches and No. 2 in the AP; and last year they were No. 6 in both polls.
The Buckeyes celebrated their Rose Bowl win over Oregon and parlayed that victory into a No. 2 ranking in the coaches preseason poll.The coaches poll makes up 33 percent of the BCS rankings, and the poll typically doesn't shuffle teams much until they lose. So a high early ranking goes a long way in the national title race.
The Buckeyes have four teams on their schedule that are ranked in the top 14, with a week two matchup with No. 13 Miami joining the conference games against the Hawkeyes, Badgers and Nittany Lions.
The AP poll will be released on Aug. 21.
Here are the full rankings:
1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Florida
4. Texas
5. Boise State
6. Virginia Tech
7. TCU
8. Oklahoma
9. Nebraska
10. Iowa
11. Oregon
12. Wisconsin
13. Miami
14. Penn State
15. Pitt
16. LSU
17. Georgia Tech
18. North Carolina
19. Arkansas
20. Florida State
21. Georgia
22. Oregon State
23. Auburn
24. Utah
24. West Virginia