The Ohio State football team walks onto the field before the spring game at the ‘Shoe Saturday. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor
The 2024-25 Ohio State Buckeyes climbed to the top of the college football landscape and captured the program’s ninth national championship in a legendary college football playoff run.
Now, the million-dollar question is – can they do it again? The short answer is yes, and the longer answer is absolutely, they can.
This team does not plan on having a national championship hangover. While the program lost 15 of its 22 starters, including a staggering 14 who were selected in the NFL draft, which tied a school record, the 2025-26 Buckeyes have a completely new identity. So much so that just two months after claiming the trophy, it was reported that team members asked the school to remove national championship memorabilia around the Buckeyes’ football facility. Winning breeds comfort. Comfort kills hunger.
While the Buckeyes lost key pieces, such as quarterback Will Howard and the entire defensive line, there is plenty of talent returning, including generational superstars, proven veterans, and new players ready to prove why they chose Ohio State.
Offensively, there will be a new man taking the helm from Howard, and it looks to be either sophomore Alabama transfer Julian Sayin or junior Lincoln Kienzholz. While it is expected Sayin will ultimately get the nod to become the starter week one, head coach Ryan Day said the two were “neck and neck” going into April’s spring game. While both players were highly touted recruits and have incredible potential, they both have zero career collegiate starts, which creates a shadow of uncertainty.
However, life for a new quarterback becomes a whole lot easier when you have the No. 1-rated receiving corps, according to PFF. Larger-than-life mega-star Jeremiah Smith is primed to follow up his historic freshman season with another masterful campaign. Smith is the No. 1-ranked college football player coming into this season, according to PFF, and is expected to make a run at a Heisman trophy. Opposite him, junior Carnell Tate (733 yards, 4 TDs as a sophomore) is ready for a full-time role, while slot man Brandon Inniss adds separation and playmaking. Backing them up are Mylan Graham and freshman Phillip Bell — scouted and ready. Another player to keep an eye on is Purdue transfer Max Klare, who is expected to carry the bulk of the workload at tight end.
While the Buckeyes lost two 1,000-yard rushers in Trey’von Henderson and Quinshon Judkins to the NFL, Day and company wasted no time reloading. Sophomore James Peoples is expected to take over lead duties after the spring break, while West Virginia transfer CJ Donaldson and redshirt freshman Bo Jackson provide depth. If the offensive line— anchored by returning guard Luke Montgomery and tackle Austin Siereveld—can gel early this fall, whichever quarterback emerges will have room to work.
Defensively, the spotlight shines on top safety Caleb Downs, who returns to patrol the back end, and linebacker Sonny Styles, a clutch sideline-to-sideline leader. Cornerbacks Jermaine Mathews Jr. and Davison Igbinosun return sharp, and the defensive front has been bolstered with portal additions like UNC’s Beau Atkinson, keeping edge pressure strong. One name that Buckeye fans should keep an eye on is sophomore linebacker Arvell Reese, who showed flashes of greatness in his first year, racking up 43 total tackles and proving he can be a big-time run-stopper for Ohio State.
While the roster is brimming with talent, the Buckeyes will have to navigate through stiff competition to once again have a shot at another playoff run.
Ohio State opens at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30 versus Texas in a rematch of last season’s Cotton Bowl classic — a statement game to start the year. After that, the Buckeyes will have three out-of-conference home games followed by their first Big Ten matchup in Seattle against Washington.
If Ohio State handles business early—especially against Texas and out west at Washington—they’ll carry that momentum into a ruthless October stretch that includes road trips to a hyped-up Illinois squad and an always-hostile Wisconsin crowd. November doesn’t offer much breathing room either, with major showdowns against Penn State and UCLA waiting in Columbus before the Buckeyes travel to Ann Arbor to try to snap a four-game losing streak against their archrivals, Michigan, in the 121st installment of The Game.
The bottom line is this — going back-to-back isn’t supposed to be easy. Only a handful of teams in history have pulled it off, and the path this year is as unforgiving as ever. But this isn’t a group built to flinch. The names may be new, the faces younger, but the standard hasn’t moved. Ryan Day knows exactly what it takes to win it all — now the challenge is doing it again, with a different cast and the same expectations.
Every contender in the country has Ohio State circled. The target is on their back, and they’re not running from it. They’re owning it. Because this team isn’t looking to repeat itself — they’re looking to reassert themselves. And they don’t plan on giving up the crown any time soon.
