OSU’s Preseason Puzzles: Who Will Step Up?
As college football returns, Ohio State faces a trio of pressing dilemmas before Week 1. First, the Buckeyes must replace Carnell Tate, whose departure to the NFL leaves a void opposite star receiver Jeremiah Smith. Senior Brandon Inniss and freshman Chris Henry Jr. are in the mix to become the new No. 2 target. Next, Ohio State’s defense, gutted by multiple first-round picks—Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese, Caleb Downs and others—needs reinforcements. Transfers from UFC (John Walker), Alabama (James Smith), Florida State (Earl Little Jr.) and Duke (Terry Moore) join the depth chart, but collective cohesion remains the wild card. Finally, quarterback Julian Sayin must rebound from late-season struggles against stiff competition; the Buckeyes’ brutal schedule—Texas, Oregon, USC, Indiana, Michigan—won’t hand him any soft spots. Can this revamped roster answer these questions in time for kickoff?
Move over fortune tellers, Ohio State’s offseason has been more like a carnival of chaos. They traded Aerodynamics 101 (Carnell Tate) for a scavenger hunt at receiver, recruited backyard brawlers from the octagon, and assembled a defense more patched-together than a thrift-store quilt. Corduroy-clad fans clutch crystal footballs, hoping Sayin’s sophomore slump turns into a superhero origin story. Will Brandon Inniss morph into the next megastar, or will freshman phenom Henry Jr. emerge like a rookie card you actually want? And defense? They’ve got more new faces than a high school reunion—good luck building chemistry before those opening whistle confetti cannons go off. Strap in, Buckeye Nation: this preseason soap opera is only getting started.
Buckeyes on the Brink: Are They Big Ten Ready?
Ohio State hasn’t hoisted a Big Ten crown since 2020, yet the roster still ranks among college football’s elite. This season’s gauntlet includes nonconference tests—Texas, USC, Oregon—and crucial league showdowns with Indiana and Michigan. Oregon looms as a national title contender, Indiana defends its conference pedigree, and Michigan remains a thorn in Columbus. Schedules skew unevenly across the Big Ten, meaning one loss could sideline the Buckeyes from the conference championship game despite being arguably the conference’s second-best team. With two of three major goals already ticked off—last season’s win over Michigan and a national title in the COVID-shortened year—claiming that elusive Big Ten trophy has become a self-imposed monsoon-level mission.
Here’s a shocker: winning the Big Ten is starting to feel like trying to beat a video game on hard mode with one hand tied behind your back. Ohio State’s blueprint appears to be “assemble top-flight talent, then let the sins of scheduling doom you.” They’ve loaded the roster like it’s a Super Bowl buffet, only to discover the conference governed by a Hunger Games feast schedule. Should they pray for mercy from conference schedulers or bribe the Big Ten referee with extra scoops of Buckeye ice cream? Meanwhile, players are polishing those rings for Michigan revenge and national glory, all while the Big Ten trophy rusts ominously in the equipment room. Buckeye faithful, grab your hard hats—this season’s road to Champaign is paved with brutal.
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