Ohio State’s football budget is apparently operating in a different galaxy.
According to Bruce Feldman of The Athletic, the Buckeyes are spending somewhere in the $49-54 million range on their roster, a figure that places them among the biggest spenders in the country and possibly at the very top. Feldman said that estimate comes from 70 different sources, but even then, pinning down the exact number remains impossible.
That uncertainty extends to the biggest name on the roster. One former Power 4 athletic director told Feldman, “It’s tough to say what exactly is Ohio State paying (star receiver) Jeremiah Smith because he’s getting massive national deals right now,” said a former Power 4 athletic director.
“But who knows what exactly they are on the hook for?" Feldman wrote.
For Ohio State fans, the price tag lines up with what they already see around recruiting. The Buckeyes have missed on multiple five-star prospects because of NIL battles, including David Gabriel Georges and Monshun Sales this year. Ryan Day has said repeatedly over the years that he would rather direct money toward proven talent, choosing roster retention over talent acquisition.
That approach helps explain why Ohio State can pour so much into football and still support its non-revenue sports. The school is typically one of the first or second-most profitable athletic departments in the nation, and that revenue gives it room to operate at a massive scale.
But a roster that expensive also brings a bigger spotlight, and the scrutiny only gets louder when results don’t match the investment. Ohio State’s blown 20-point lead against Texas is already feeding that frustration. If a team is spending around $50 million, fans are going to ask why it couldn’t close out a game like that in the fourth quarter.
Even with the heavy spending, the NIL picture still needs work. The Buckeyes have to get better at balancing what they put into the roster, especially if that money isn’t translating into cleaner finishes and fewer damaging losses like Saturday’s.
Day and his staff now have to sort out how to use those resources more efficiently. That could mean better allocation, better coaching, or ideally both. Spending less and getting more out of the roster is the target.
The good news for Ohio State is that the path to the College Football Playoff is still there if it wins out. Given the difficulty of the schedule, the Buckeyes might even survive one more loss and still get in. But Day still has to solve the issue that keeps showing up when games are on the line: finishing them.
In Other News...
Ohio State Loss Keeps Getting More Awkward After Sarkisian Controversy
Texas comeback win over then-No. 1 Ohio State was already going to be remembered for the result, but the postgame noise has kept following it. Quarterback Arch Manning later apologized after laughing at an AI-generated video that showed coach Steve Sarkisian slapping ESPN reporter Holly Rowe, a moment that only added to the odd aftertaste surrounding a game the Buckeyes had let slip away.
Sarkisian also addressed the issue in a media meeting, saying he had skipped a postgame interview with Rowe because of a delay and because he chose to celebrate with his team instead. He said he respects Rowe and ESPN and expressed regret over how he handled it, another layer to a loss Ohio State fans were already trying to process as the off-field awkwardness kept building. [Read more 🡒]
Micah Parsons Just Revived A Massive Ohio State What-If
Micah Parsons has reopened one of those Ohio State recruiting what-ifs that never really disappears, especially when a player becomes one of the NFLs most disruptive defenders. The former Penn State star said he was close enough to Ohio State that he could picture what his career might have looked like in Columbus, where a front already stacked with elite pass rushers could have given him a different kind of launch point.
What makes the conversation linger is the way Parsons framed the fit with that Buckeyes defensive line. Ohio State has turned edge talent into a defining part of its identity, and Parsons imagining himself alongside names like Nick Bosa and Chase Young only adds to the intrigue of how much scarier that group might have been. The full story behind his decision is the kind of recruiting twist that still echoes years later, and it is easy to see why Buckeyes fans cannot help replaying it. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Secondary Has A Problem Big Ten Teams Will Notice
Ohio States secondary left Saturday with more questions than it wanted after a game against Texas in which coverage broke down on two pass plays that should have put the Buckeyes in real trouble. The only reason both snaps didnt turn into touchdowns was because Texas receivers failed to finish the job, a reminder that the back end is still searching for cleaner communication and tighter execution before Big Ten play begins.
Safety Earl Little Jr. acknowledged the need for improvement and stressed that every defender has to own his assignment if the unit is going to hold up against conference offenses. The coaching staff has kept practice demanding for exactly that reason, pushing the Buckeyes to sharpen the details now rather than hope they sort themselves out later. [Read more 🡒]