Ohio State Enters 2026 Preseason as Heisman Contender Factory With Best Passing Season in Sight

Ohio State football is generating considerable preseason attention heading into 2026, with analysts projecting a historic offensive output, multiple Heisman Trophy candidates, and fall camp sessions already drawing public interest.

On the offensive side, one of the more striking preseason projections holds that the Buckeyes could record their best passing season since 2018 — a year Ohio State has not surpassed 5,000 passing yards since. Preseason camp began this week, giving the program its first extended look at whether the personnel and scheme can support such an outcome.

Two Buckeyes Among Six Heisman Contenders

247Sports analyst Brad Crawford named six players he would bet on to win the Heisman Trophy, and two of those six are Ohio State players. Crawford's list underscores the depth of individual talent on the roster and adds to the sense that Columbus could be home to one of college football's most watchable offenses this fall.

Off the field, head coach Ryan Day has drawn attention for the culture he enforces at practice. Ohio State punter Joe McGuire offered a window into that environment, describing the consequences players face for arriving late.

It's so bad

— Ohio State punter Joe McGuire, on the punishments for being late to practice under Ryan Day [4]

McGuire indicated that the standard around punctuality is so demanding within the program that he would rather crash his car than be late — a comment the source characterized as a genuine reflection of how his unit approaches time management under Day.

Fans looking to witness the program firsthand will have an opportunity to do so this summer. Ohio State announced that tickets are on sale for select fall camp sessions open to the public at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. The availability of those tickets comes as Land-Grant Holy Land noted that preseason camp is beginning and the program is fielding broad questions about what this season may hold.