When Ryan Day finally lifted the national championship trophy last season, it felt like the culmination of everything he had worked toward. After near misses, the stars finally aligned as elite talent, seasoned coordinators, and a deep roster delivered him the one thing that had eluded Ohio State since the Urban Meyer era. But Day wasn’t done as he shared his grand vision to win back-to-back titles. That dream, though, is already under serious threat.

With the roster gutted by NFL exits and portal departures, Ohio State enters 2025 with fewer answers and more questions. The optimism from last year has given way to real skepticism. The Buckeyes still have star power, but do they have enough to carry them through a brutal Big Ten slate? As uncertainty builds, even a prominent national voice has started casting doubt on whether Day’s grand vision can survive another December.

“They have minus 325 odds to reach the College Football Playoffs. But I have said, out of Alabama, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas, and Georgia, two of those teams are missing the College Football Playoffs. I think Ohio State could be one of those,” said analyst Samuel Recker during his latest YouTube podcast.

He added, “The over/under win total is 10.5, and it’s juiced to the under. So, 9-3 with a schedule that’s 17th when you only look at the Big 10 games would be way higher than that, easily in the top half with the Texas game. With that juice, I don’t think it’s unrealistic at all. I think if everything goes terribly, maybe 8-4, but that’s not realistic. I also don’t think 12-0 is super realistic either.” Despite their 14-2 national championship run last season, the Buckeyes’ 10.5 win total isn’t without explanation.

The Buckeyes open tough against Texas on August 24 in Week 1, followed by road trips to Washington (September 28), Wisconsin (October 19), and Michigan (November 30), while Penn State visits Columbus on November 9. As ESPN’s Bill Connelly notes, “There’s no easing into this one.” That strictly calls for depth, and that’s where Recker’s second concern hits harder.

Recker added, “I think you have to be an experienced veteran team, who’s deep in 90 to 95% of your position groups. And Ohio State lost so much. That team was so good at the end of last year. They lost two coordinators, lost all that production.”

Recker isn’t just stressing the losses; he’s warning about the absence of depth across the board, the kind that championship-contending teams usually carry deep into December. After lifting the title, Ohio State waved goodbye to several players to the NFL draft and the transfer portal. That includes quality linemen like JT Tuimoloau and Tyleik Williams. Still, the Buckeyes returned names like Jeremiah Smith, who had 1,315 receiving yards as a freshman, and linebacker Sonny Styles, who racked up 100 tackles last season. Every bit of their talent will be needed as a relentless Big Ten schedule awaits.

“I love a lot of their players… but who do they have behind them?” Recker questioned. “I like Kenyatta Jackson Jr and Beau Atkinson at the edge, but who do they have behind them? I like Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles at linebacker, and I think they have someone behind in Payton Pierce. But do they have a fourth guy?” It’s not just about quality; it’s about what happens if one of them goes down. Has Ryan Day covered all the bases?

Ryan Day is aware of where the challenge lies

To his credit, the HC hit the portal hard, as Alabama safety Caleb Downs and UNC’s Beau Atkinson are plug-and-play additions, while Minnesota transfer Phillip Daniels helps on the O-line. Among freshmen, five-star recruits like Devin Sanchez (CB), Bo Jackson (RB), and Julian Sayin (QB) add future firepower, but how ready they are for now remains unclear. That leads us to what matters the most: Who does Ryan Day trust to carry the weight in 2025?

Right from the offseason, Ryan Day had admitted to concern regarding his roster, wondering if his 105-man roster could last the spread of 16-17 games, in line with his ambitions to reach the final. His honesty is telling, as he’s not sugarcoating the challenges and has been looking for solutions. “We’ve got versatile players like Sonny Styles… and CJ Hicks, who’s now at defensive end. That’s how we’ll manage… Our goal is to compete for a national championship again. And games like Texas, Oregon, and Notre Dame are part of that path.”

That sounded like a coach who believes but also knows that you don’t get remembered for coasting. Some experts still back him, including Buckeyes’ former HC Urban Meyer, who supported the program’s championship DNA. Still, there’s a collective pause of too many unknowns, too many missing safety nets.  In the end, Ryan Day might be about to learn that winning a title is tough, but defending it is tougher. Adding in a relentless schedule and a thin roster, Day may find himself defending not just a crown but his grand vision.