The Ohio State football team is coming off the best four-game run in the history of the program, running through Tennessee, Oregon, Texas, and Notre Dame en route to the national title. The Buckeyes were clearly the best team in college football during that time period.
Even though the team lost 15 starters from last season, they are still expected to be one of the favorites to win it again this season. The Ohio State Buckeyes still have the best player in college football on their roster, as well as the best defensive player in the country.
Despite the state of the roster, some pundits don't believe that the Buckeyes are going to have the same kind of talent to win it all. One SEC homer has them losing to a team that lost four games last year in the College Football Playoff this year.
Josh Pate has the Ohio State football team losing to Alabama in the CFP
Josh Pate, who recently signed with ESPN, has the Buckeyes losing to Alabama in the College Football Playoff. The Crimson Tide lost four games last season, including to TTUN in a bowl game. You can check out his full CFP bracket below.
Josh Pate @JoshPateCFB has picked Alabama to win the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship.
— Sidelines - Bama (@SSN_Alabama) August 22, 2025
The Tide defeat Ohio State, Texas, and finally Oregon in the national championship game in Pate’s playoff prediction bracket. pic.twitter.com/9PELRzGwYB
Pate also has Nebraska somehow making the 12-team CFP, despite the fact that they haven't had a winning record in the Big Ten since the 2016 season. They are not in a position to compete for a national championship. It's clear this bracket is a throwaway.
Pate has always made it a point to glorify the SEC, even when they haven't been doing well. Ohio State is clearly more talented than the Crimson Tide, even with all of the starters they have to replace. Alabama will have to break in a new starting quarterback, as well.
The Buckeyes very well might lose in the semi-finals of the CFP this season, but it certainly won't be to Bama. Texas, Georgia, and Clemson are all teams that have a shot to beat Ohio State on any given day. Bama doesn't have the offensive talent to keep up with Ohio State on the scoreboard.
Week 1, Ohio State has a chance to take down the best team in the SEC right off the bat. That will show everyone just how talented this team still is, even with two new coordinators and a new starting quarterback. It will shut everyone up, even the SEC apologists.