Last season, Ohio State looked destined for another national championship. The Buckeyes stormed through the regular season at 12–0, only to have a disappointing end with a defeat to Miami in the Cotton Bowl. Now, as they enter 2026 with a new motivation to win, Kirk Herbstreit isn’t convinced.

“I’m going Ohio State against Indiana. I got this written down,” said Herbstreit at the Nonstop Podcast with Joey Gallowa. “By the way, mine started with 12, and it broke all the way down to Ohio State against Indiana in the semis. Okay. And I got Notre Dame against Georgia in the other semi. Okay. I got Indiana beating Ohio State to go to the final, and I got Notre Dame beating Georgia to go to the final.”

Just a month ago, during a conversation on The Pat McAfee Show, Kirk Herbstreit was asked if he believed Ohio State could win the national championship. At the time, Kirk Herbstreit refused to make that prediction.

“No, I don’t do that,” he’d said.

Eventually, what was his pick? It’s Notre Dame. But why isn’t the former Ohio State quarterback viewing the Buckeyes as a championship-caliber team on the podcast? Well, the answer could lie in Ohio State’s defense.

While Ohio State’s offense is loaded with Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith, and its rushing attack is expected to improve with running back Bo Jackson settled into the starting role, what could hold the Buckeyes back is their defense.

The Buckeyes will also have to replace several defensive standouts, with safety Caleb Downs, linebackers Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese, and defensive linemen Caden Curry and Kayden McDonald all departing.

While there’s no doubt that the offense will perform better, Patricia’s new unit will be tested against some of the toughest quarterbacks in the country, including Arch Manning (Texas), Dante Moore (Oregon), Josh Hoover (Indiana), Jayden Maiava (USC), and Bryce Underwood (Michigan).

“The expectation isn’t just to win the game,” said Ryan Day in an interview with On3’s Chris Low. “The expectation is to win the game and win the rest of them. I’ve always tried to make sure that everybody in the building, from the day I took this job to now, has accepted that expectation. That’s what we all signed up for.”

While the head coach has faith in his offensive line, the defense certainly raises a question the Buckeyes won’t like.

Ohio State’s schedule is going to test them this year, and if the Buckeyes want to survive their toughest tests and win the national championship, quarterback Julian Sayin will have to change his game a bit, especially against the likes of Indiana and Miami.