The Ohio State Buckeyes head into the College Football Playoff with a roster that looks more like an NFL draft board than a college depth chart. Top to bottom, this team is stacked - and when you line them up against the rest of the 12-team field, it’s hard to ignore just how much star power resides in Columbus.
Let’s talk talent. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza may have walked away with the 2025 Heisman Trophy, but Ohio State is the team that dominates the top of the player rankings.
Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith checks in at No. 2 overall - and for good reason. He’s been electric all season long, the kind of playmaker who doesn’t just shift momentum, he seizes it.
Smith has that rare blend of speed, hands, and field awareness that makes defensive coordinators lose sleep.
On the other side of the ball, safety Caleb Downs comes in at No. 4.
He’s been a rock in the secondary - instinctive, physical, and always around the football. He’s not just one of the best safeties in the playoff field; he’s one of the best players in the country, period.
Quarterback Julian Sayin, ranked fifth, has been excellent in his own right. Calm under pressure, decisive with the football, and efficient in the pocket - Sayin’s growth this season has been one of the key reasons Ohio State is in this position. He’s not just managing the offense; he’s elevating it.
Then there’s Arvell Reese, slotted at No. 8.
Whether he’s lining up at linebacker or coming off the edge, Reese has been a disruptive force. He’s the kind of player who can wreck a game plan with his versatility and motor.
And rounding out the Buckeye-heavy top 12 is defensive end Caden Curry, ranked No. 12 overall. Curry has been a tone-setter up front and a shining example of the impact defensive coordinator Matt Patricia has had on this unit.
Put it all together, and you’ve got a team with elite talent at every level. That’s the good news.
The flip side? With great talent comes even greater expectations - and pressure.
For head coach Ryan Day, the stakes couldn’t be higher. This is a team built to win it all.
Anything less, and the questions will start flying - not just about the roster, but about the decisions being made on the sideline. Last year’s national title win didn’t fully silence the critics.
It wasn’t until Day finally got over the hump and beat Michigan in November that he earned the full backing of Buckeye Nation. But that goodwill is conditional - and fleeting.
A big part of the current scrutiny centers around the play-calling situation. Offensive coordinator Brian Hartline is in the spotlight, and if the offense sputters in the postseason, especially with this much firepower, that decision could come back to haunt Day.
It’s not just about having elite players - it’s about putting them in position to succeed. And when you’re an offensive-minded head coach, that responsibility falls squarely on your shoulders.
The warning signs were there in the Big Ten Championship Game, a 13-10 loss to Indiana that planted seeds of doubt. It wasn’t just a loss - it was a reminder that talent alone doesn’t win titles. Execution, preparation, and leadership matter just as much, if not more.
That’s why the Buckeyes are under the microscope. They have the roster to win it all, and anything short of that will be seen as a failure - not just by fans, but by the program itself.
In Columbus, second place isn’t a consolation prize. It’s a trigger for change.
Ohio State has everything it needs to hoist the trophy again. But with expectations sky-high and questions swirling around the offensive brain trust, the margin for error is razor thin. The Buckeyes aren’t just playing for a title - they’re playing to validate the entire structure of their program.