Congratulations, you only have to get through six more sunrises before your beloved Ohio State Buckeyes kick off the 2025 football season with a high noon banger against No. 1 ranked Texas in the Shoe.
That's certainly a suboptimal way to begin a season, even if fresh off a national title, considering the Buckeyes must replace the production provided by 14 NFL Draft picks from last year's squad.
But hey, Ohio State doesn't rebuild, it reloads, and there's a stable of dudes either already proven or tired of waiting their turn.
The unknowns especially at key positions like quarterback and running back made it even tougher than usual for me to compile my annual bold predictions but since I typically get 'em wrong anyway, let me just remind you I try to go big instead of coming at you with projections like "Jeremiah Smith will score 10 touchdowns."
So let's get started. Here are my five bold predictions for the 2025 Ohio State football season.
JEREMIAH SMITH WINS THE HEISMAN TROPHY
Maybe you wanna poo-poo me for thinking this is bold since Smith has the fourth-best odds at most sportsbooks but the phenom is still just a sophomore, the Heisman Trophy has generally proven to be a quarterback of the year award, his own quarterback is a first-year starter with 12 collegiate passing attempts under his belt, and the national scene has a ton of extremely experienced quarterbacks with decent odds to win it, plus we can't forget about Arch Manning. That's a lot of dudes with a chance to claim the stiff arm.
Oh and the fact Ohio State has a ton of weapons, meaning it doesn't need to force feed Smith could also work against his chances.
Regardless, I like Smith to take the next step in his on field production (as both a receiver and a rusher) after a year of seasoning and an offseason of getting bigger, faster and stronger. I'm also bullish on Julian Sayin exceeding what most folks would see as his first-year ceiling. Finally, I'm not sold on guys like Cade Klubnik, Garrett Nussmeier, Drew Allar, LaNorris Sellers, Carson Beck etc. being able to sustain greatness for a full season. If they could, most would already be in the NFL so gimme Smith to capture Ohio State's seventh Heisman Trophy.
BRANDON INNISS RANKS SECOND ON THE TEAM IN BOTH RECEPTIONS AND TOUCHDOWN CATCHES
If you don't think picking Smith to win the Heisman is bold, hopefully this one qualifies as such. Inniss was Ohio State's sixth-leading pass catcher last year with 14 receptions and he found the end zone exactly once in 195 snaps.
Even with the low participation rate and production last year, Inniss has the pedigree - he was the nation's No. 35 overall prospect in the 2023 class - to take a huge leap this fall.
Being Ohio State's starting slot receiver is also a prime spot to rack up receptions. As a first-year starter at a position with some depth, a contrarian view could be he might share too much time but knowing he was named a captain, I expect he'll play ~650 snaps depending on how long the Buckeyes' season will last.
While it could be an even longer shot to rank second in receiving touchdowns knowing Carnell Tate and Max Klare will be targeted plenty, I just have a hunch Inniss is going to do a lot of damage underneath and I expect him to shine in yards after the catch.
It's hard to put numbers out there not knowing how many games Ohio State will ultimately play, but I like Inniss to be in the neighborhood of 65 catches with around eight or nine touchdowns.
OHIO STATE REMAINS A TOP-10 SCORING DEFENSE DESPITE PLAYER AND COORDINATOR ATTRITION
Coming off a season in which the defense was central to the national title run and ended up finishing No. 1 in the country allowing just 12.9 points per game, there's reason to believe the unit won't enjoy such success this fall.
The Buckeyes lost their defensive coordinator to Penn State and while that whole scenario smelled funny and he's certainly said some curious things since he left, an honest fan can't deny Jim Knowles' defense got the job done.
And if you want to give the players all the credit instead of Knowles, that's cool too but the reality is Ohio State has to replace eight of 11 starters from last year's suffocating defense.
Breaking in eight new starters might take some time and it does appear the Buckeyes might lack some depth along the interior. I'm also not sure there's an elite pass rusher on the squad but I'm still bullish on the Buckeyes remaining a top-10 scoring defense this fall.
History tells us that means Ohio State can only give up about 17 points per game and still rank in the top-10. If you think that's a layup, consider the Buckeyes haven't even cracked even the top-15 in scoring defense five times in the last nine years with finishes of 15th in 2017, 24th in 2022, 38th in 2021, 43rd in 2020 and 50th in 2018.
It's up to new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia - a hire that caused many to scratch their heads - and his position coaches to get the new starters ready and expedite the learning curve in adopting his nuances to Ohio State's existing defensive structure.
JAMES PEOPLES LEADS OHIO STATE IN RUSHING AND AVERAGES AT LEAST 6.5 YARDS PER CARRY
The No. 8 running back in the 2024 recruiting class, Peoples averaged just 4.0 yards across 49 carries in mop up duty a year ago but I'm expecting big things from the versatile four-star out of San Antonio, Texas.
Projected to split carries with veteran transfer CJ Donaldson, it's definitely no gimme for Peoples to lead the squad in rushing but I'm betting on his upside. He doesn't have the breakaway speed that might be needed to lead the team in rushing and average 6.5 yards a pop but his cutting ability, burst and vision will hopefully come to the forefront.
I could also see Brian Hartline leaning on Donaldson to work between the tackles more often while showcasing Peoples frequently on the outside which could help him chew up yards in space.
I admit, I'm taking a bit of a flyer on this one but I believe in this kid and I believe in Ohio State's offensive line.
If Peoples does lead the team in rushing and averages at least 6.5 yards per carry he'll become just the fourth first-year starter in the last 20 years to turn the trick.
OHIO STATE BEATS MICHIGAN IN ANN ARBOR, REACHES CFP CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Call it the law of averages if you want but even with this year's version of The Game on the road, I think this November will finally be the time Ryan Day plays to win instead of not to lose and his players follow suit. I'll also go to my grave thinking Will Howard played concussed in last year's game (or was at least notably impacted) by the head shot he took in the second quarter of what became a 13-10 loss as he completed just 19-of-33 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions.
It may not be pretty but I've got the Buckeyes playing aggressive and walking out the Big House with a big dub.
I'm not as confident Ohio State will win the Big Ten - a slip up or two along the way is realistic - but I have this group playing it's best ball in November and beyond as the Buckeyes earn a CFP bid and make a run before falling in the national title game. History says going back-to-back is damn near impossible and considering the amount of new starters plus two new coordinators, beating Michigan and making it back to the CFP title game would highlight a season that exceeds realistic expectations.
