Word Search: Find the last 10 schools to be ranked preseason No. 1 team
By Adam Spencer
Published:
The Ohio State Buckeyes snagged the top spot in the 2026 preseason AP Poll on Monday, beating out No. 2 Oregon, No. 3 Georgia, No. 4 Notre Dame and No. 5 Texas.
The Buckeyes are no stranger to being ranked No. 1 to start the year, having done so 9 times (second to only Oklahoma, who has been preseason No. 1 10 times). But Ohio State hasn’t received this honor since back in 2015, so it has been a while.
It’s also not necessarily an honor teams strive for, as 20 of the last 21 teams to start the year ranked No. 1 have failed to win the national title (the lone exception being 2017 Alabama).
However, for today’s Word Search, all you have to do is locate the last 10 unique schools to have received the preseason No. 1 ranking. It’s a small group, as you have to go all the way back to 2002 to find 10 different schools. Many of the schools on this list have been the preseason No. 1 team numerous times in that span.
Check out more Word Search puzzles and also be sure to take a look at our new Saturday Down South Games Hub. As always, share your time with your friends and on social media.
Enjoy!
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Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
