
Ohio State football has continually been at or near the top of ESPN’s SP+ rankings over the last few years.
The predictive formula Bill Connelly uses includes returning production, recruiting, recent history and other data that — according to ESPN — are built as a “tempo and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency. It is a predictive measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football. … These are simply early offseason power rankings based on the information that we have been able to gather to date.”
With a ton of skill position players returning on the offensive side of the ball and the recent success on the field and in recruiting, you would naturally expect Ohio State to be pretty high on the projections for the 2023 season despite the loss of quarterback C.J. Stroud to the NFL draft. You would not be wrong.
In fact, the ESPN SP+ rankings projections (subscription required) have Ohio State among the top teams in the country once again, but how high exactly? We go through the top 25 for you based on whatever formula goes into making the college football sausage that ESPN is churning out at this early juncture.
Where is Ohio State compared to teams like Alabama, Michigan, USC, Clemson, Georgia and others? Let’s find out.
25
Wisconsin Badgers

Breaking Down the Numbers
Projected SP+: 14.3
Offensive SP+: 30.6 (No. 46)
Defensive SP+: 16.4 (No. 11)
24
Kentucky Wildcats

Breaking Down the Numbers
Projected SP+: 14.5
Offensive SP+: 28.5 (No. 59)
Defensive SP+: 14.0 (No. 6)
23
Mississippi State

Breaking Down the Numbers
Projected SP+: 14.8
Offensive SP+: 37.0 (No. 23)
Defensive SP+: 22.3 (No. 35)
22
Kansas State Wildcats

Breaking Down the Numbers
Projected SP+: 14.8
Offensive SP+: 36.1 (No. 29)
Defensive SP+: 21.4 (No. 28)
21
UCLA Bruins

Breaking Down the Numbers
Projected SP+: 15.0
Offensive SP+: 40.2 (No. 11)
Defensive SP+: 25.2 (No. 55)
20
Florida Gators

Breaking Down the Numbers
Projected SP+: 15.1
Offensive SP+: 37.3 (No. 22)
Defensive SP+: 22.2 (No. 34)
19
TCU Horned Frogs

Breaking Down the Numbers
Projected SP+: 15.4
Offensive SP+: 36.5 (No. 27)
Defensive SP+: 21.1 (No. 27)
18
Ole Miss Rebels

Breaking Down the Numbers
Projected SP+: 16.7
Offensive SP+: 38.5 (No. 18)
Defensive SP+: 21.8 (No. 33)
17
Texas A&M Aggies

Breaking Down the Numbers
Projected SP+: 14.3
Offensive SP+: 30.6 (No. 46)
Defensive SP+: 16.4 (No. 11)
16
Washington Huskies

Breaking Down the Numbers
Projected SP+: 18.7
Offensive SP+: 41.9 (No. 7)
Defensive SP+: 32.2 (No. 40)
15
Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Breaking Down the Numbers
Projected SP+: 18.9
Offensive SP+: 36.6 (No. 25)
Defensive SP+: 17.7 (No. 15)
14
Oklahoma Sooners

Breaking Down the Numbers
Projected SP+: 18.9
Offensive SP+: 41.2 (No. 9)
Defensive SP+: 22.3 (No. 36)
13
Utah Utes

Breaking Down the Numbers
Projected SP+: 19.0
Offensive SP+: 39.5 (No. 12)
Defensive SP+: 20.5 (No. 25)
12
Clemson Tigers

Breaking Down the Numbers
Projected SP+: 20.0
Offensive SP+: 36.4 (No. 28)
Defensive SP+: 16.5 (No. 12)
11
Florida State Seminoles

Breaking Down the Numbers
Projected SP+: 20.9
Offensive SP+: 36.6 (No. 26)
Defensive SP+: 15.7 (No. 8)
10
USC Trojans

Breaking Down the Numbers
Projected SP+: 21.3
Offensive SP+: 45.3 (No. 3)
Defensive SP+: 24.1 (No. 46)
9
Texas Longhorns

Breaking Down the Numbers
Projected SP+: 21.4
Offensive SP+: 39.2 (No. 14)
Defensive SP+: 17.8 (No. 16)
8
Oregon Ducks

Breaking Down the Numbers
Projected SP+: 21.6
Offensive SP+: 44.2 (No. 4)
Defensive SP+: 22.7 (No. 38)
7
LSU Tigers

Breaking Down the Numbers
Projected SP+: 23.5
Offensive SP+: 41.1 (No. 10)
Defensive SP+: 17.5 (No. 14)
6
Tennessee Volunteers

Breaking Down the Numbers
Projected SP+: 24.1
Offensive SP+: 46.0 (No. 2)
Defensive SP+: 21.8 (No. 32)
5
Penn State Nittany Lions

Breaking Down the Numbers
Projected SP+: 24.4
Offensive SP+: 37.9 (No. 21)
Defensive SP+: 13.5 (No. 5)
4
Alabama Crimson Tide

Breaking Down the Numbers
Projected SP+: 27.5
Offensive SP+: 43.4 (No. 5)
Defensive SP+: 15.9 (No. 9)
3
Michigan Wolverines

Breaking Down the Numbers
Projected SP+: 28.8
Offensive SP+: 41.8 (No. 8)
Defensive SP+: 13.0 (No. 4)
2
Ohio State Buckeyes

Breaking Down the Numbers
Projected SP+: 30.0
Offensive SP+: 46.3 (No. 1)
Defensive SP+: 16.3 (No. 10)
1
Georgia Bulldogs

Breaking Down the Numbers
Projected SP+: 31.7
Offensive SP+: 42.4 (No. 6)
Defensive SP+: 10.7 (No. 2)
Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on Twitter.