Ryan Day faced a tough offseason filled with challenges. After leading Ohio State to a championship, the celebration quickly turned into a reality check as several key players and coaches left. That forced Day to dive deep into the transfer portal, urgently trying to rebuild his roster. He made some strong moves, especially by landing two top-tier five-star cornerbacks—Davin Sanchez and Na’eem Offord—for the 2025 class. However, the big question remains: will that be enough to hold off a rising Texas defense in a crucial early-season game in August?
Ohio State has taken some serious hits since their title run. Most notably, their championship-winning defensive coordinator, Jim Knowles, left for Penn State. On top of that, eight key senior defensive starters are gone, including Jack Sawyer, JT Tuimoloau, Ty Hamilton, and Cody Simon. To make things more complicated, the defense is shifting from its usual four-down linemen system to a completely new setup under a different coordinator.
Because of all this turnover, Ohio State no longer holds the title of having the best defense in the nation. On the flip side, Texas enters the picture with one of the most promising defensive units in the country, especially when it comes to stopping the run. Even though Cam Skattebo had a big game in the Peach Bowl, many believe Texas’s defense looked tired from staying on the field too long rather than being outplayed. Overall, the Longhorns are shaping up to be a major challenge for Ohio State’s new-look offense.
One national sports analyst said Texas is not just ready to compete — he believes they might win the national championship. He pointed out that while Ohio State may have the better receivers, Texas returns CJ Baxter, a powerful five-star running back. According to him, the game being played on the road makes it a close matchup, but Texas might have the edge.
There’s no denying that Ohio State remains a strong program, capable of winning 10 or more games. But their real goal isn’t just to be competitive — they want to win titles. And after losing so many high-impact players like Caleb Downs, Emeka Egbuka, Josh Simmons, and Quinshon Judkins, it’s clear that the rebuilding job won’t be easy. Despite Day’s aggressive recruiting, there are still many holes to fill. On top of that, the quarterback situation is far from settled.
Julian Sayin, once considered the favorite to lead Ohio State’s offense, struggled during spring practice, particularly in the March 28–29 scrimmage. This event marked the first time Ohio State held a public scrimmage during spring training, and unfortunately, Sayin didn’t look ready. Reports suggest he lacked sharpness and didn’t live up to the high expectations. One ESPN analyst noted that many thought Sayin would easily win the starting job, but based on his recent performances, that’s now in doubt.
Meanwhile, Lincoln Kienholz looked more composed and controlled in the same scrimmage, making him a serious contender for the starting role. Even if Sayin manages to secure the spot, simply being average won’t cut it. Analysts believe Sayin must do more than just perform well—he has to lead the entire offense and uplift the players around him, much like Will Howard did before.
With all these questions hanging over the Buckeyes, the matchup against Texas looms large. Will Ryan Day figure things out in time and keep Ohio State in championship contention, or is their time at the top starting to slip away?