Brian Kelly didn’t win a national title at Notre Dame or LSU, but he’s still making championship calls like someone who’s seen enough to know what it looks like.
Now working as a CBS Sports analyst after being fired mid-season by LSU a year ago, Kelly used his first appearance on the network’s studio show this week to put his money on Ohio State as the team to beat in college football.
"I'm putting my stock on Ohio State," Kelly said. "The veteran quarterback coming back, Julian Sayin, I love their defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.
I just think that they're a seasoned team -- they've been there, done that, and they play really well later in the season. We saw how they ran the table in winning their national championship a couple years [ago]."
That pick lines up with plenty of other preseason chatter. Ohio State opened at No. 1 in the AP poll, grabbing 40 of the 69 first-place votes. Oregon checked in at No. 2 with 14 first-place votes, followed by Georgia, Notre Dame, Texas, Indiana and Miami.
The Buckeyes are coming off a 14-2 national championship season in 2024, then went 12-0 in the regular season last year before falling to Indiana in the Big Ten title game and Miami in the CFP quarterfinals.
Kelly pointed straight to Julian Sayin as the centerpiece. The Heisman Trophy finalist led all FBS quarterbacks in completion percentage last season as a redshirt-freshman, finishing at 77% while throwing for 3,610 yards, 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Even with Carnell Tate gone as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and tight ends Max Klare and Will Kacmarek also off to the pros, Sayin still has plenty around him.
Jeremiah Smith is the headliner after catching 163 passes for 2,558 yards and 27 touchdowns over his first two seasons, and he’s widely viewed as the top receiver in the sport. Five-star freshman Chris Henry Jr. enters as the No. 2 wide receiver prospect in the class, according to 247Sports. Brandon Inniss is coming off a 36-271-3 season and should see a bigger role, while senior Devin McCuin arrives from UTSA after putting up a 65-726-8 line last year.
The Buckeyes also bring back running back Bo Jackson, who ran for 1,090 yards and six touchdowns at 6.1 yards per carry, and sophomore Isaiah West, who added 59 carries for 310 yards and two scores as a true freshman.
Up front, Ohio State returns four starters: left guard Luke Montgomery, center Carson Hinzman, Austin Siereveld moving from left tackle to right guard, and right tackle Phillip Daniels. Junior Ian Moore, who played 230 snaps last season, is expected to slide in at left tackle.
The most notable change on offense is Arthur Smith taking over as coordinator after Brian Hartline became head coach at USF. It’s a move that mirrors Ryan Day’s decision last year to bring in Matt Patricia as defensive coordinator.
That switch paid off in a big way. Ohio State led the FBS in scoring defense at 9.3 points per game and in total defense at 219.1 yards per game, a full 35.2 yards better than the next-best team.
The question now is whether the defense can reload after losing seven players from that unit to the draft. That list includes first-rounders Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles and Caleb Downs, plus Kayden McDonald, Davison Igbinosun, Lorenzo Styles Jr. and Caden Curry.
Ohio State opens Saturday against Ball State and then gets its first real test in Week 2 at No. 5 Texas.
The Buckeyes’ schedule also includes six preseason-ranked opponents: No. 2 Oregon, at No.
6 Indiana, at No. 14 USC, home against No.
16 Michigan and at No. 22 Iowa.
Kelly and Day have no coaching history together, so there’s no personal angle behind the pick. It’s just a former coach looking at the roster, the schedule and the résumé, and landing on Ohio State.
In Other News...
Julian Sayin Faces One Big Test In Ohio State Year 2
Julian Sayin is heading into his second season as Ohio States starter with the kind of expectations that come with wearing the job in Columbus. After a strong freshman year, he has spent the offseason drawing praise from Ryan Day and teammates for the progress he has made in mobility, leadership and physical development, all of it pointing to a quarterback who looks more comfortable taking command of the offense.
Now the attention shifts from offseason optimism to September reality, with the opener against Ball State serving as the first chance to show how much of that growth carries onto the field. Sayin already proved he can handle the spotlight once, but Year 2 often brings a different level of scrutiny, and for Ohio State the early signs from its quarterback will matter as much as the final score. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Has A Freshman Receiver Battle Fans Need To Watch
Jerquaden Guilfords road to Ohio State has already made him one of the more intriguing names in the Buckeyes 2026 class. The five-star wideout originally committed to Penn State before backing off that pledge, and Ohio State had to hold its ground through coaching changes and a tough recruiting stretch to keep him in the fold. Since arriving, Guilford has reportedly turned heads in preseason camp, which only adds to the buzz around a receiver group that continues to stockpile talent.
Chris Henry Jr. and Brock Boyd are part of that same conversation, giving Ohio State a freshman battle worth following closely once the season gets rolling. The Buckeyes have no shortage of options at wideout, but the challenge now is separating promise from production and figuring out which young receivers are ready to carve out a real role. Guilfords camp showing suggests he is at least in the mix, and the competition among that trio could end up shaping the early depth chart in a meaningful way. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Opens With Unexpected Pressure On One Buckeyes Quarterback
Ohio States season opener against Ball State has a little more intrigue than a routine September tune-up usually carries, because the backup quarterback picture is already taking shape. Ryan Day has said the Buckeyes expect both Tavien St. Clair and Luke Fahey to see the field if the game goes the way it is supposed to, giving the staff an early look at two young passers behind the starter and a chance to keep building depth before the schedule gets tougher.
For St. Clair, the spotlight comes with a bit of pressure. Once viewed as a major quarterback prospect, he enters the opener trying to steady his standing while Fahey has gained momentum in fall camp and pushed himself into the conversation for the future. How Ohio State handles those reps against Ball State should say plenty about where the backup job stands right now, even if the bigger answer for this season is still waiting down the road. [Read more 🡒]