First, at this way too early juncture, there are some assumptions that need to be made about the Buckeyes and how they will look this Fall. To start with, Ryan Day is still the head coach and hasn’t gone to the NFL. Also, the belief is that Julian Sayin or Tavien St. Clair will be making their first career start in the opener against Texas.
Finally, Quinshon Judkins is declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft, and the Buckeyes aren’t losing any starters to the transfer portal or adding any as of the date of this publication. Here’s how Ohio State’s title defense and quest for a repeat will look in the Fall of 2025.
Game #1 August 30th, 2025. Ohio State vs. Texas at Ohio Stadium.
It’ll begin with a team the Buckeyes just played, but it will be in our backyard instead of theirs. Ohio State and Texas have only met four times but all four were doozies. They did a home-and-home in 2005 and 2006, with the visiting team winning both times, and then met in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl, which was a one-score victory for Texas. Then of course there was the Cotton Bowl win for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State will have a disadvantage at quarterback in this game. Yes, it’ll be a battle between five-star quarterbacks, but Arch Manning will have had significantly more experience at the college level than Julian Sayin or Tavien St. Clair. Their best hope will be that either Buckeye quarterback can lean on Jeremiah Smith and the running game the way Will Howard did in the Rose Bowl and against Tennessee.
The Texas offense and the Ohio State defense will both be missing a lot of starters, especially at the offensive and defensive lines. This is a 50/50 game at best for both teams. A deciding factor could be the environment in which the game is played. If it’s a noon kickoff (which is likely) I give the edge to Texas. If it’s a night game like Tennessee was, my nod goes to the Buckeyes. But I think Texas will repeat what they did 20 years ago in 2005.
0-1.
Game #2 September 6th, 2025. Ohio State vs. Grambling State at Ohio Stadium.
I’m normally not in favor of Ohio State playing an FCS school, but I believe they’re doing it as a hat tip to Eddie Robinson, the Grambling, HBCU, and college football legend. At least they’re playing them in September instead of late November like the SEC and Clemson do. It should be a pretty sure win for the Buckeyes.
1-1
Game #3 September 13th, 2025. Ohio State vs. Ohio at Ohio Stadium.
Playing the defending MAC Champions early in a season is good for the Buckeyes. Playing a Group of Five team that can maybe end the season as a conference champion is a good way to test yourself and maybe have a solid win over a competitive team at the end of the year. It no doubt helped Ohio State last year to beat a Marshall team that went 10-3 early in the year. It should be a good game for Ohio State to grow in and pick up a victory.
2-1
Game #4 September 27th, 2025. Ohio State at Washington at Husky Stadium.
The Huskies are the first in a five-game stretch for Ohio State that can’t be overlooked. The first four teams in this aren’t eye-popping when you look at how they did in 2024, but they’re teams that are talented, will be well-coached, and have the Buckeyes as the biggest game of the year on their schedule. Washington and Jedd Fisch aren’t to be taken lightly and will be much improved in year two in the Big Ten. That said, the Buckeyes will overpower them for the win.
3-1
Game #5 October 4th, 2025. Ohio State vs. Minnesota at Ohio Stadium.
P.J. Fleck’s Minnesota is an old-school Big Ten-style team. They want to run the ball well, play mistake-free in the passing game, and play with a disciplined, mean defense. Expect Minnesota to challenge Ohio State. This won’t be a 37-3 blowout like the Buckeyes did in 2023. Minnesota is much too improved for that. I expect it to be close going into the fourth quarter, but for the Buckeyes to pull away and win by double digits at home.
4-1
Game #6 October 11th, 2025. Ohio State at Illinois at Memorial Stadium.
Brett Bielema will be trying to party like it’s 2010 for this matchup. Illinois will be playing some of the best football they’ve played this century and will be ready to pounce on any mistake the Buckeyes might make to give Bielema his second win over Ohio State.
The weather is always a factor when playing in Champaign. It’s grounded some conservative Ohio State offenses over the years, so expect a big game running the ball. Ohio State will still come away with a one-possession win against a team that will probably win double-digit games for the second straight season in 2025, and they’ll do it by leaning on Jim Knowles’ defense.
5-1
Game #7 October 18th, 2025. Ohio State at Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium.
After a 5-7 record in 2024, the honeymoon is over in Madison. Luke Fickell will have a dangerous swagger coming into this game. His seat is hot, and he’ll likely be coaching for his job in 2025. They kept the 2023 game in Madison close for a while, and I expect they will for even longer in 2025.
It will depend on how the quarterback plays for the Buckeyes. If Sayin or St. Clair is developing as a starter as they’ll be expected to at the halfway mark, the Buckeyes win with confidence. If they struggle, it may come down to the defense to win back-to-back tough road games.
6-1
Game #8 November 1st, 2025. Ohio State vs Penn State at Ohio Stadium.
Ryan Day has James Franklin’s number more than even the Wolverines have Day’s number. Franklin is 0-6 against Ryan Day. He’s long overdue against Ohio State. He’s got a loaded team returning in 2025, much like Ohio State did in 2024.
Drew Allar, Nicholas Singleton, and Kaytron Allen make up the best Penn State backfield since Trace McSorley, Miles Sanders, and Saquon Barkley. While I think Penn State is due against the Buckeyes, I’ll believe it when I see it. Ohio State keeps its winning streak over Penn State and extends it to nine games.
7-1
Game #9 November 8th, 2025. Ohio State at Purdue at Ross-Ade Stadium.
Some weird voodoo is known to happen to the Buckeyes when they visit West Lafayette, Indiana. New coach Barry Odom, fresh from a good run at UNLV, might be a good enough coach to pull one of those upsets someday. I don’t know if he can do it right away in year one.
Jeff Brohm did it in year two, and Danny Hope did it in year one, but I don’t think Ryan Day falls prey to that this late in a season. It may be another game where they have to rely on their defense more than their new starters on offense but that will be enough to get the win.
8-1
Game #10 November 15th, 2025. Ohio State vs. UCLA at Ohio Stadium.
This is Ohio State's third game against a West Coast Big Ten team. Chip Kelly will welcome some players he recruited and who played for him at UCLA to Ohio Stadium. UCLA will be a lot better in year two of DeShaun Foster’s tenure but not good enough to beat the Buckeyes on the road and in November. It’s always tough for teams who play their home games in warm weather to play in the Midwest and in the cold.
9-1
Game #11 November 22nd, 2025. Ohio State vs. Rutgers at Ohio Stadium.
Greg Schiano has Rutgers on an upward trend and had them play the Buckeyes tough in their last matchup in 2023. While this is a potential trap game for Ryan Day and Ohio State, it’s also Senior Day. The Buckeyes will be determined to send their seniors out with a win. They’ll be determined to leave the Horseshoe with a win in what will be their last guaranteed game in Ohio Stadium.
10-1
Game #12 November 29th, 2025. At That Team Up North.
I’m hopeful that winning the 2024 National Championship will be enough for Ryan Day and the Buckeyes to have turned the corner in all big games, including The Game. After November 30th, 2024, it’s the only thing that could have happened to get me to believe that Day can get over the hump that is that team up north. If they could win four straight and a national championship after that one, they can win on the road in Ann Arbor in November of 2025. This time, they get it done.
11-1
The Buckeyes should be 11-1 and headed to Indy to play for the Big Ten Championship and finally have gotten the Wolverine curse off their backs going into December of 2025. The Buckeyes should be favored to win the Big Ten and get a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff.
It will be different from 2024, but the experience of that championship run should put them in a great spot in their quest to repeat.