College football analyst misses the mark bad with his take on the Ohio State Buckeyes heading into the 2025 season
Not how the Buckeyes should be viewed at all.
The Ohio State Buckeyes ended a decade-long national championship drought last season with a special run that came after losing to the Michigan Wolverines in the final game of the regular season.
Ryan Day badly needed that run after the loss to Michigan, and it completely changed how many viewed him. Crazy what a national title can do, right? None of that really matters now, though, as the Buckeyes have new goals to accomplish this season.
Heading into the 2025 season — which begins with a home opener against Arch Manning and Texas — one college football analyst has an interesting outlook on the Buckeyes.
“They’re moving from the hunter to the hunted, and that’s a new set of problems,” CBS’ Aaron Taylor said before another analyst interrupted, arguing that it isn’t exactly new for Ohio State.
“When you have the target on your back, complacency and human nature can set in,” Taylor continued. “It becomes a different set of challenges than they had a year ago. They’ve got two brand-new coordinators to break in, a brand-new quarterback to break in, and their offensive line — which was really their biggest strength after injuries last year — was decimated, so there are a lot of new faces there.”
Aaron Taylor missed the mark on the Buckeyes’ outlook.
When Ohio State ramped up for spring practice, several members of the leadership committee didn’t want to see anything about last year’s title displayed around the facility. The Buckeyes had 14 players drafted from last year’s team, and a few other starters signed as undrafted free agents. Sure, Ohio State returns key pieces like Jeremiah Smith, Caleb Downs, and Sonny Styles, but the idea that this team is complacent seems far-fetched.
Ohio State did have some coaching turnover, but Brian Hartline is someone Day believes is ready and has been building toward this moment within the program for years. Matt Patricia called some of the best defenses in his time with the Patriots, and the Buckeyes plan to keep the same schemes in place to minimize any drop-off. Thinking the coordinators will be a problem might just be overthinking it.
There is pressure on the Buckeyes every season and they get everyone’s best shot. If Ohio State doesn’t come close to competing for a title, it is a letdown season. This season is no different.
Ryan Day has already said there’s no pressure on the Buckeyes — they’ve already won their title, and it can’t be taken from them. Now, it’s about the 2025 team going out and doing what the 2024 team did.
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