Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day was able to inspire enough confidence in his offseason hiring of offensive coordinator Arthur Smith to earn OSU USA Today's No. 1 ranking in its too-early Top 25.
As USA Today's Erick Smith and Paul Myerberg noted, Matt Patricia's defense is losing eight starters, but the new lead play-caller's offense is trusted enough to buoy that uncertainty when deploying proven entities like Julian Sayin, Jeremiah Smith, and Bo Jackson.
"Ohio State is the favorite to win its second national title in three years and the Big Ten’s fourth in a row. The offense should be virtually unstoppable thanks to the combination of Sayin, Smith, running back Bo Jackson, and more. New coordinator Arthur Smith should bring new and dynamic ideas to the table that broaden the Buckeyes’ ability to attack defenses. On the defensive side, Ohio State brings back just three starters. But that’s nothing new: Last year’s defense also brought back three starters and ranked first nationally in yards and points per game. The key will be maintaining a furious pass rush without standouts such as Arvell Reese and Caden Curry," Smith and Myerberg wrote.
Ohio State OL puts Buckeyes ahead of Indiana, Notre Dame, and Texas
Ohio State is the futures betting favorite right now, with the Indiana Hoosiers, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and Texas Longhorns, in that order, behind them. USA Today had No. 5 Indiana right behind the No. 4 Georgia Bulldogs, and had Texas at No. 3, and Notre Dame at No. 2.
What puts the Buckeyes over the top right now is a veteran offensive line that's played together and only lost Tegra Tshabola this offseason. The Longhorns' protection, or potential lack thereof, may hold back their all-world skill-position weapons, while the Fighting Irish are relying on internal improvement from guys moving up on the depth chart. Both have elite defenses, but there are questions about the completeness of their offensive attacks.
There don't seem to be those concerns when it comes to Ohio State. Hence, confidence in this program getting back to a championship level with another former NFL head coach in the fold as a coordinator.
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