Coming off of a National Championship season in 2024, the Ohio State Buckeyes fanbase is expecting business as usual. While the team has to replace a ton of veteran production, especially at the quarterback position, the expectation the fanbase has is that the elite talent Ryan Day and his staff have recruited over the years will step right in line like Nick Saban's teams always did.
No matter how talented your program is or how great the coaching staff is, it's nearly impossible to repeat as National Champions in this sport. In the College Football Playoff era, Georgia is the only team to win repeat titles. In the BCS era, USC and Alabama have claims to being repeat Champion. In total, only 4 programs can claim the title of Back-to-Back National Champions since the 1980's.
While Ohio State may have the talent to go on a serious run, many are waiting to see what this new look roster looks like when they take the field. Among the doubters of Ohio State is ESPN's Paul Finebaum, who believes that the Buckeyes will fall short of their goals. On ESPN's Friday episode of "Get Up," Finebaum appeared, where he addressed Jeremiah Smith's guarantee of victory over Michigan.
"I’m glad to see someone on the Ohio State lineup maybe do something more than just mouthing words, because Jeremiah sounds serious. Ryan Day has promised that for every loss to not lose again and he continues to lose again. But they are the defending National Champions, so even clowns like me on the fourth of July are not going to call for a firing of a coach because he loses one game. However, that is a game he has to deal with at some point. But that National Championship game will pay a lot of bills and probably, yes, another loss to Michigan."Paul Finebaum
Finebaum may come off many different ways but, the sentiment that Ryan Day continues to promise victory over the Michigan Wolverines without ever following through is true. When Jeremiah Smith made his declaration, it sounded just like the players who came before him who have promised a different result including his Senior teammates last season.
If Paul Finebaum just comes off as someone who doesn't like Ohio State, it may be true as he said it himself, predicting that the Buckeyes will lose the season opener to Texas and struggle to even make the College Football Playoff.
"I don’t like Ohio State, I think Ohio State is going to lose in the opener against Texas and they are going to struggle to make the Playoffs, let alone win it all."Paul Finebaum
When looking at the Buckeyes' schedule for the 2025 season, it's going to be a tough task to repeat as National Champions and even make the College Football Playoff. Opening the season against Texas' defense with a first-time starter at quarterback is one of the toughest tasks a team could have. The Buckeyes will get to host Penn State but, it's a veteran group with an improved offense that is constantly playing Ohio State tough. Opponents like Illinois, Washington, and Wisconsin could surprise this team especially if they sleep walk on the road.
Even if the Ohio State Buckeyes lose every game this season or if they win every game in the regular season, at this point the fanbase may only care about one game. The Buckeyes, specifically Ryan Day need to find a way to beat Michigan whether it's by one point or in a blowout otherwise the discussion around Day will only get louder and the streak will only get longer.