The Ohio State Buckeyes are definitely the best team in the country after replacing an NFL draft pick with a redshirt freshman under center. As CBS Sports' Chris Hummer notes, it's probably because that freshman signal-caller is an upgrade over the College Football Playoff national champion.
Hummer believes that Julian Sayin is better now than Will Howard was last year, and that's part of the reason he foresees an OSU victory over the Indiana Hoosiers in the Big Ten Championship Game this Saturday from Indianapolis.
"The Hoosiers weren't particularly competitive when these teams played a season ago in a 23-point blowout win by the Buckeyes. It should be a bit different this time at a neutral field and with a better version of Indiana. That said … I think Ohio State might be better, too. The defense is on paper, and I'd take Julian Sayin over Will Howard. I do have some small questions about Ohio State's offensive line. But I've thought they were the best team in the country all season, I'm not backing off now," Hummer wrote.
Sayin is getting his first real taste of competition in 2025, while Howard was a polished product who was leading competitive Kansas State Wildcats teams when he took over and ultimately got the job done.
Howard did enough for the weapons on the field, like receivers Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith. It helped that he had a deep RB room featuring two second-round draft pick running backs, Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson.
Big Ten Championship Game means more to Indiana than Ohio State
Ohio State lost two games during the regular season last year, but not only made the CFP, but won it all. With Brian Hartline leaving the program to become the USF Bulls' head coach, there is room for distractions this weekend when OSU plays in the B1G title game with the news so fresh. But there's already naturally a lack of focus since winning the Big Ten isn't the be-all, end-all.
The Buckeyes already won it all without a first-round bye. If Indiana needs a conference championship to solidify their best season in history, Ohio State would rather win when the games matter anyway.