Former college football standout David Pollack has left Ohio State off his list of teams he is confident will reach the College Football Playoff this season, pointing to what he called the worst schedule in the program’s history.
The comments came during an appearance on the Bear Bets podcast hosted by Chris Fallica, Geoff Schwartz and Sammy Panayotovich. A clip shared Thursday by the show’s account quickly drew attention among fans and analysts ahead of the 2026 season.
In the segment, Pollack named six teams he feels certain will make the expanded 12-team field.
“I feel confident these 6 teams are in: Notre Dame, Miami, Oregon, Indiana, Texas Tech and UGA. I left Ohio State off the list because this is the worst schedule in the history of their school,” he said.
Pollack, a former All-American defensive end at Georgia and longtime analyst, expanded on his reasoning by noting the Buckeyes must replace several high draft picks on defense. Those losses include players selected early in the 2026 NFL Draft, creating what he described as an inevitable step back on that side of the ball.
Ohio State’s 2026 slate features road games at Texas, Indiana, Iowa, USC and Nebraska, along with home matchups against Oregon and Michigan. Multiple independent rankings have placed the Buckeyes’ strength of schedule among the nation’s most difficult.
ESPN’s Football Power Index ranked Ohio State’s schedule eighth-toughest overall and among the hardest in the Big Ten. Other analyses, including those from Sports Illustrated and The Athletic, have highlighted five true road games against recent playoff participants and a late-season stretch that includes the defending national champion and other contenders.
The Buckeyes enter the year as a preseason favorite in many circles after strong recent performances, including a national title two seasons ago. Yet Pollack’s assessment underscores the challenges of navigating a gauntlet that includes several teams projected near the top of the rankings.
Indiana, the reigning national champion, sits among Pollack’s locks despite a comparatively lighter slate. Oregon, Notre Dame, Miami, Texas Tech and Georgia round out his core group of projected playoff teams.
The Bear Bets post featuring Pollack’s remarks generated more than 31,000 views within days, along with dozens of replies and quotes from fans debating the Buckeyes’ prospects. Some pointed to Ohio State’s history of reloading talent, while others agreed the schedule presents unusual risk.
Pollack has previously discussed the difficulty of Ohio State’s upcoming games, including a post of his own earlier this month calling it the toughest in program history. His latest comments add to the preseason conversation about which programs face the steepest paths to the postseason.
College football’s shift to a 12-team playoff has increased the margin for error for top teams, yet strength of schedule remains a key factor in rankings and selection committee discussions. Pollack’s exclusion of Ohio State from his initial locks reflects that reality for a program long accustomed to deep runs.
As fall camps continue and the season approaches in early September, the debate over the Buckeyes’ outlook is likely to intensify. Ohio State opens against Ball State on Sept. 5 before traveling to Texas the following week.
Whether the schedule proves as punishing as Pollack predicts will be tested over the coming months. For now, his assessment has placed the Buckeyes outside the group of teams he views as safest bets for the playoff field.
