A loaded offense. A star quarterback. The No. 1 spot in the AP preseason poll. Everything appears to be falling into place for Ohio State’s title pursuit, with Julian Sayin leading the charge. Yet, amid the growing hype, Urban Meyer has issued a timely warning to Ryan Day and his Buckeyes.
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“I’m going to go with Ohio State, but I’ll tell you that Notre Dame team, Mark, I know you picked them. Everything’s pointing. Here’s what I love about Notre Dame right now: that administration. They got a great coaching staff, a great head coach. They have great football players and, by the way, have the best college football facility in America,” said Urban Meyer during a conversation on ‘The Triple Option.’
The former Ohio State championship-winning coach added that while he is predicting Ohio State to win the national championship, Notre Dame might give Ryan Day and Co. a challenge, as they have been aggressively making changes to their program.
“So if they stay healthy, I pick the Buckeyes. If someone gets dinged, I’m going to go to Notre Dame,” said Meyer.
Meyer’s words do make sense, as injuries played spoiler for Ohio State in 2025. After posting a perfect 12-0 record in the regular season, the Buckeyes stumbled against Indiana and Miami following a series of injuries. Towards the end of their regular season, both Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith were banged up. Even the offensive line had depth issues due to injuries.
More than injuries, what didn’t help Ryan Day’s team is their easy run in the regular season. They didn’t look prepared against Indiana and Miami. It was as if the team had forgotten how to respond to a punch.
The fallout was evident on the field, as Ohio State, which had allowed just six sacks through its first 12 games, then gave up five sacks in the loss to Indiana and five more against Miami.
That said, the former Ohio State head coach did acknowledge Ryan Day’s team’s schedule for the upcoming season. “This is the toughest schedule they’ve had in a bit,” Meyer said.
Ohio State faces a brutal road ahead this year, beginning with No.5 Texas in Week 2. The Buckeyes then travel to face Iowa, Indiana, and USC in October. They will then host Oregon in a massive clash on Nov. 7 and finish their regular season against their arch-rival, Michigan.
Ohio State’s strength lies in its loaded offense, with Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin expected to lead the charge this year. On top of that, four of five offensive line starters are returning: Austin Siereveld, Luke Montgomery, Carson Hinzman, and Phillip Daniels, all of whom played a key role in Ohio State’s success last season.
However, while the offense is screaming superiority, the defense is in a difficult spot. The Buckeyes face the challenge of replacing 11 players who were selected in the NFL Draft, putting the unit in something of a rebuild mode early on. It’s hard to see any team replacing Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles. Add Caleb Downs to that list, and it appears to be an impossible task.
However, defensive coordinator Matt Patricia has a few players in mind. Ohio State may also end up leaning on depth on defense this upcoming season. Another uncertainty concerns the new offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith, who has replaced Brian Hartline.
The Ohio State offense will have a new look. The only downside is that it may take a few weeks for everything to come together, and in between, the Buckeyes will have to travel to Austin to take on the Longhorns. Steve Sarkisian’s team is waiting for redemption for their Week 1 loss to Ohio State in the 2025 season.