Here are five bold predictions for Ohio State as it begins the upcoming season this week.
Ohio State is not the preseason favorite to repeat as national champion, but expectations are high nonetheless.
Polls have the Buckeyes at No. 2 and No. 3, the result of having some of the most talented players in major college football on their roster.
The presence of superstar wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and safety Caleb Downs, along with a handful of notable additions through the transfer portal, buoy their chances despite seeing a school record 14 players taken in the NFL draft in April.
Here are five bold predictions for the Buckeyes in 2025:
Julian Sayin follows in C.J. Stroud’s footsteps
No other second-year quarterback has thrown for more yards at Ohio State than Stroud, who finished 2021 with 4,435 passing yards, but Sayin should be as prolific this year, benefiting from more games due to the expansion of the College Football Playoff and a surplus of talent at receiver. If the Buckeyes play multiple postseason games, Sayin won’t need to average much more than 300 yards to reach Stroud’s mark for a redshirt freshman.
Jeremiah Smith won’t lead the Buckeyes in receiving yards
Though he is the biggest star in college football and could be a top-five pick in the NFL draft if he was eligible to enter the league, Smith won’t be the Buckeyes’ leading receiver as a sophomore. The ceaseless double coverage will make Carnell Tate a slightly more frequent target for Sayin as he becomes the 11th receiver in school history to finish with more than 1,000 receiving yards in a season.
Sonny Styles leads the Big Ten in tackles
It’s been more than a decade since one of the Buckeyes led the Big Ten in tackles, as former linebacker Ryan Shazier did in 2013, and Styles’ return for his senior season puts him in a position to replicate the feat. By replacing the entire starting defensive line, Ohio State will lean on Styles to clean up on defense. Expect Styles to finish with around 140 tackles he brings down his share of running backs.
A kickoff return drought ends
When Caleb Downs took a punt 79 yards into the end zone against Indiana, it marked the Buckeyes’ first punt return touchdown in a decade, and another drought on special teams will end this year. Ohio State last returned a kickoff for a touchdown in 2010. New kickoff rules add to the challenge, incentivizing returners to signal for a fair catch, but the Buckeyes have the playmakers to end this dry spell.
Another Pacific Northwest stumble awaits
The Big Ten’s expansion to the West Coast will continue to be unkind to Ohio State during the regular season. After losing at Oregon last October, don’t be surprised if the Buckeyes again falter as their late September trip to Seattle marks the first road game in 2025. Washington will be improved in Jedd Fisch’s second year at the helm and Husky Stadium isn’t a terribly welcoming setting for a team with its share of first-time starters, including at quarterback.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at [email protected] and follow along on Bluesky, Instagram and X for more.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football bold predictions 2025: 5 things Buckeyes pull off
Category: General Sports
