The Ohio State Buckeyes aren't far behind the defending national champion Indiana Hoosiers as the 2025 College Football season fades away and early forecasts come in on what the 2026 campaign will look like.
CBS Sports' Will Backus believes that, from a talent standpoint, OSU isn't behind IU at all. If anything, Backus was more hyped about what the Hoosiers' defense will look like, and a bit apprehensive about TCU Horned Frogs quarterback transfer Josh Hoover taking over for Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza under center.
Backus's skepticism with the Buckeyes was fairly obvious: newly hired offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and his ability to shore up the guard spot and figure out a pecking order behind Jeremiah Smith at receiver.
"Curt Cignetti's Hoosiers don't rebuild; they reload. Indiana completed college football's greatest Cinderella story in 2025 by capping a perfect 16-0 season with a win againstMiamiin the College Football Playoff National Championship. There's no doubt they'll be a national title contender again next season, even with some significant losses on both sides of the ball."
"New transfer quarterbackJosh Hooverhas big shoes to fill in replacing Heisman Trophy winner and likely No. 1 overallNFL DraftpickFernando Mendoza, but Hoover brings the same level of versatility and plenty of experience from his time atTCU. Retaining defensive stars like linebackerRolijah Hardyand defensive linemanTyrique Tucker, as well as defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, will ensure that Indiana's defense remains dominant," Backus wrote.
"Ohio State isn't far behind, obviously. The Buckeyes have, on paper, the most talented roster in college football. That's nothing new. Breakout star quarterback Julian Sayin is back to lead the offense. He'll have a third-year monster in Jeremiah Smith to throw the ball to, though there are questions outside of Smith. New offensive coordinator Arthur Smith -- another former NFL head coach who decided to join the Buckeyes -- has some puzzles to solve at wide receiver and along the offensive line."
"The pieces are there, but putting them together is crucial. The Buckeyes restocked their defense with one of the nation's best transfer hauls. Edge rusher Qua Russaw (Alabama), defensive lineman James Smith (Alabama), linebacker Christian Alliegro (Wisconsin), defensive back Earl Little Jr. (Florida State), and safety Terry Moore (Duke) should all start immediately."
Ohio State will know for sure what Buckeyes can do after 2026 regular season
Looking back, the concerns about Ohio State's easy 2025 slate were completely justified. "Battles" against the UCLA Bruins, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Penn State Nittany Lions, Purdue Boilermakers, and Minnesota Golden Gophers were anything but. Those programs were all ill-prepared to get the Buckeyes ready for Indiana and the Miami Hurricanes' physicality and gameplan savviness.
Brian Hartline's departure didn't help, but Ryan Day didn't have the offense prepared for the postseason. It was night and day between the regular season and the Big Ten Championship Game/Cotton Bowl Classic.
In 2026, there will be no doubt about what Ohio State will be heading into the postseason. Matchups against the Texas Longhorns, Hoosiers, USC Trojans, Oregon Ducks, and TTUN will tell the world if this team is a contender or a pretender.
We'll see how Day navigates it, and if he'll have his entire coaching staff in the same roles by season's end.