Ohio State climbs to No. 5 in US LBM Coaches Poll after Maryland win

Ohio State’s latest leap in the US LBM Coaches Poll is modest, but it is the kind of movement that tends to matter as the college football season tightens. After a commanding home win against Maryland, the Buckeyes rose from No. 6 to No. 5 in the newest poll released Oct. 12.

The climb is a one-spot upgrade from where Ohio State had been ranked during the previous two weeks. In other words, the Buckeyes were already positioned near the top of the national conversation, but the result against Maryland was enough to nudge them higher rather than keep them in the same spot.

The US LBM Coaches Poll is a weekly snapshot of the season through the eyes of college football head coaches. Like the sport’s other major ranking systems, it reflects not only what teams have done, but also how coaches weigh quality of opponent and overall body of work as the schedule progresses.

For Ohio State, the timing of that small rise came after a game played at home against Maryland. The Yahoo Sports report characterized the performance as “dominating,” emphasizing that the way the Buckeyes won was part of the ranking effect, not just the fact that they won. Poll movement of this size is often less about a single game reshuffling the entire top tier and more about reinforcing a team’s status among the elite.

Maryland, meanwhile, served as the most recent measuring stick for Ohio State. Because coaches polls tend to be sensitive to momentum and overall dominance, a lopsided or controlling win at home can translate into incremental rank improvements, particularly when teams around the Buckeyes occupy the same crowded region of the top five.

What to watch next is whether Ohio State can turn the No. 5 ranking into separation. At this point in the season, each additional week of results can influence not only where a team lands, but also how coaches justify the next reshuffle if multiple contenders keep winning. If the Buckeyes follow up with another strong performance, the ranking could stabilize, while a slip could quickly erase the benefit of climbing one spot.

Equally important will be how the teams ranked around Ohio State respond in their own games. The coaches poll rarely moves in a vacuum. Even with an impressive win, a team’s rank can be capped if nearby programs also deliver comparable outcomes, and it can accelerate if contenders above or beside it lose or fail to impress.