There are very few things in life that can stir emotions within you like college football. For four months a year, millions of Americans decide to put their mental well-being in the hands of a collection of 18- to 24-year-old men they do not know personally. All they know is that they've chosen to wear their preferred uniform.
Sometimes this decision brings joy. Other times it brings pain. But what it always brings as kickoff draws near every week is anxiety.
There's always the nervous energy of the unknown heading into a game. You can never be sure how things will go, and where the rollercoaster will take you. However, while we all feel it, some of us feel it more than others do, and each week, The Anxiety Rankings aim to identify the five most anxious places in the country.
Welcome to a Halloween that's scarier for some than others. You'll fail, but try all the same. The last time we saw Ohio State, it was picking up a massive win at an extreme cost.
The Buckeyes took down reigning champion Indiana in Bloomington, but lost starting quarterback Julian Sayin in the process. Now they're back in action after a bye week, having to rely on a first-time starter at QB to navigate them through a schedule that still consists of this game against USC, Oregon, Northwestern, Nebraska and Michigan. "But, Tom, USC, Oregon and Michigan all suck this year, and Nebraska and Northwestern are still Nebraska and Northwestern!
This is Ohio State we're talking about!" All true, but the margin for error becomes a lot smaller when you're down to a backup QB, and while Ohio State has won a national title with its third-string QB in the not-too-distant past, that happened during an era where Ohio State's third-string QB was better than most teams' starters. In 2026, Cardale Jones has probably already transferred. Hell, JT Barrett probably has too.
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