Perhaps to few people's surprise, Ohio State’s stock is down but aside from repeating, which is hard to do—in the last 25 years, only Georgia in 2022 defended its NC—if you’re a gambler, that’s the safe bet because there’s literally nowhere else for the Buckeyes to go but down; suffice to say, the writer is hedging his bets.
Here’s his analysis of Ohio State’s stock (note to the 15 percenters: this is one man’s opinion):
Verdict: Down
Make no mistake: The Buckeyes are likely a Playoff team in 2025, but for this exercise, they are a victim of their success. Ohio State lost 14 players to the NFL Draft and must replace both coordinators — offensive coordinator Chip Kelly (Las Vegas Raiders) and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles (Penn State). One of the replacements, DC Matt Patricia, was a curious hire.
The Buckeyes are also breaking in a first-time starting quarterback, either Julian Sayin or Lincoln Kienholz. They do, however, return arguably the two best players in the sport in Smith and Downs.
The Buckeyes will still be very good and will feature one of the best rosters in the country, but it’s almost impossible not to expect a step back after losing so many players and coaches.
The writer’s ratings for the other 11 teams:
- Notre Dame: Down
- Penn State: Up
- Texas: Up
- Arizona State: Up
- Boise State: Down
- Georgia: Down
- Oregon: Down
- Clemson: Up
- Indiana: Down
- SMU: Down
- Tennessee: Down
You can read the entire article here but heads up: it’s paywalled.
