The 2026 Ohio high school football season is almost here, and that alone gives this preseason a real edge. When Aug. 20 arrives, nearly 100 central Ohio teams will begin the same brutal 10-week climb, with playoff paths, class changes and old grudges all waiting in the dark.
This is not just a countdown to Week 1. It is the start of a stretch that could reshape Division I, Division II and Division III in central Ohio, with the OCC, City League and state-title races all already showing their teeth. If you want the clearest sign that the season has arrived, look at the bold predictions around the region — they are not hedging their bets.
Watterson and Orange set the standard
The most obvious headline team is Watterson, and moving into Division II only raises the stakes. The two-time defending champion enters with real title expectations, and that is exactly what a program like this should live with. There is no hiding in preseason talk when the ceiling is another championship.
Olentangy Orange is also right back in the center of the conversation after winning a championship in 2024. That matters because this is not a team that needs to be sold as a contender; it already owns the receipts. In this kind of preview, that is what separates a serious power from a team that merely had a good run.
Olentangy belongs in the discussion too, even if the recent postseason story has not been flattering. The regular-season success has been there, but the playoff exits have been painful: a first-round bye followed by losses to Orange in 2024 and Liberty a year before the 2026 season. That is the uncomfortable truth. Winning plenty before the postseason starts is fine, but eventually the bigger games demand answers.
Week 1 and Week 5 already matter
The schedule gives this preseason real shape. Week 1 brings Walnut Ridge to East at Harley Field, a matchup that immediately drops into the City League conversation. By Week 11, both Walnut Ridge and East were predicted to win and become City League playoff representatives, which is exactly the kind of forecast that turns a regular season into a survival test.
Elsewhere, Week 5 has Olentangy facing Liberty, which feels like one of those games that can tell you plenty about a program without deciding everything. It is the sort of matchup that reveals whether a team is simply surviving the schedule or actually building toward something tougher.
There is also plenty of intrigue around the names attached to the bold predictions. Kaden Gebhardt and CJ Sanna are part of the storyline, as are Jet Cornelius, Mike Alexander, Grady Hawk and Ty Gebhardt. That is a strong list, but this is the point of preseason football: names are only useful if they are ready when the pressure starts.
The real test starts now
Dave Purpura’s first five bold predictions make one thing clear: this is a season with a lot of possible paths, but not many soft landings. Central Ohio teams are being measured against championship standards, playoff standards and the kind of week-to-week pressure that exposes weakness quickly.
That is why Aug. 20 matters. The 2026 Ohio high school football season is not just opening; it is starting a long argument about who is built for October and who is only looking good in August. And in a region with almost 100 teams chasing the same prize, that argument begins immediately.
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