Ohio State vs. Notre Dame one of the biggest games of 2022: AP football ranking takeaways

Colin Gay, The Columbus Dispatch
·4 min read
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Heading into the 2022 season, Ohio State football is back near the top.

The Buckeyes are the No. 2 team in the country according to the preseason AP Top 25 poll, earning six first-place votes. Ohio State sits behind No. 1 Alabama, which earned 54 first-place votes and ahead of No. 3 Georgia, which earned three first-place votes.

Ohio State was also listed as the No. 2 team in the football preseason USA TODAY AFCA Coaches Poll, picking up five first-place votes. Alabama received 54 first-place votes, while Georgia got six.

Here's five things to know about Ohio State's placement in the AP Top 25 poll heading into the 2022 season.

Ohio State football's AP Top 25 poll streak continues

Ohio State has appeared in the AP Top 25 preseason poll 34 consecutive times, which is the longest active streak of any program in the country. Oklahoma is second with 23 consecutive years.

Ohio State's streak is tied with Penn State for the longest poll run in AP history.

The Buckeyes' streak started in 1989 and includes 13 top-five appearances in the preseason poll.

Since the AP preseason poll was first implemented in 1950, Ohio State has been listed in 69 of the 73 total polls. The Buckeyes were not included in 1966, 1967, 1979 and 1988.

Ohio State also continues its run of being ranked in at least one AP poll for the 55th consecutive season: the longest active streak in the country. No other team has a stretch longer than 26 years.

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OSU vs. Notre Dame: Buckeyes open 2022 season against No. 5 team

Ohio Stadium will see a top-five matchup to start the 2022 season.

No. 2 Ohio State will take on No. 5 Notre Dame Sept. 3 at 7:30 p.m. to begin the 2022 campaign.

The Buckeyes' matchup with the Fighting Irish will be the 10th time Ohio State has opened the season against a ranked opponent. It will be the third time in history where Ohio State takes on a top-10 team in its opener, having faced No. 5 Alabama in 1986 and No. 5 Penn State in 1978.

Ohio State vs. Notre Dame is just one of three Week 1 games between ranked opponents

Ohio Stadium has the chance to be the center of the college football world in Week 1.

No. 2 Ohio State's matchup with No. 5 Notre Dame is just one of three ranked matchups in Week 1.

Along with the Buckeyes' season opener, No. 3 Georgia will open its season against No. 11 Oregon in the 2022 Chick-fil-a Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta at 3:30 Sept. 3, while No. 19 Arkansas hosts No. 23 Cincinnati.

Ohio State, Michigan football are two of four teams from the Big Ten in the 2022 AP preseason poll

Ohio State is not the only representative from the Big Ten in this year's preseason Top 25.

The Buckeyes are joined by No. 8 Michigan, No. 15 Michigan State and No. 18 Wisconsin in the preseason poll, while Iowa, Penn State, Purdue and Nebraska each earned votes.

The Big Ten's four representatives are behind the SEC's six teams in the Top 25 — Alabama, Georgia, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Kentucky and Ole Miss — and the ACC's five teams: Clemson, North Carolina State, Miami (FL), Pittsburgh and Wake Forest.

Ohio State will host three teams ranked in the AP preseason poll in 2022

Along with its opener against No. 5 Notre Dame, Ohio State is set to host matchups with No. 18 Wisconsin Sept. 24 and No. 8 Michigan Nov. 26, while the Buckeyes are scheduled to take on No. 15 Michigan State on the road Oct. 8.

Here's a look at Ohio State's 2022 schedule:

  • Week 1: Ohio State vs. No. 5 Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 3, in Columbus, Ohio

  • Week 2: Ohio State vs. Arkansas State, Sept. 10, in Columbus, Ohio

  • Week 3: Ohio State vs. Toledo, Sept. 17, in Columbus, Ohio

  • Week 4: Ohio State vs. No. 18 Wisconsin, Sept. 24, Columbus, Ohio

  • Week 5: Ohio State vs. Rutgers, Oct. 1, Columbus Ohio

  • Week 6: Ohio State vs. No. 15 Michigan State, Oct. 8, East Lansing, Mich.

  • Week 7: Ohio State vs. Iowa, Oct. 22, Columbus, Ohio

  • Week 8: Ohio State vs. Penn State, Oct. 29, State College, Pa.

  • Week 9: Ohio State vs. Northwestern, Nov. 5, Evanston, Ill.

  • Week 10: Ohio State vs Indiana, Nov. 12, Columbus, Ohio

  • Week 11: Ohio State vs. Maryland, Nov. 19, College Park, MD.

  • Week 12: Ohio State vs. No. 8 Michigan, at noon Nov. 26, Columbus, Ohio

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Five things about Ohio State football's preseason AP Poll ranking