Last season, the Ohio State Buckeyes failed to win the conference crown yet again. It has now been six seasons since the Buckeyes won the Big Ten, last doing it over Northwestern in 2020. While they have won a national title, they haven't won the conference in quite some time.
This year, those in the Big Ten media believe that Ohio State should be the favorite to win it. However, that doesn't mean that they are going to be the ones who end up hoisting the trophy in Indianapolis in December. In fact, the team they should be worried about the most isn't the one everyone thinks will be the main competition.
Indiana is the biggest threat to Ohio State winning the Big Ten
The Hoosiers are the defending national champions, and they are the team that beat the Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship a year ago. They lost a lot of talent from last year, and the media thinks they will finish fourth in the league, despite being national champs.
That is ludicrous. Curt Cignetti has proven that he is perhaps the best coach in college football with what he has done in the last two seasons. Counting him out seems to be the wrong idea. Of course, they still have some talented players from the Transfer Portal, as they always do.
Oregon might have more raw talent, but IU is coached so dang well. Cignetti isn't the underdog anymore, but the first part of their schedule sets up very well for them. There is no reason that they shouldn't start the season 6-0 before the Buckeyes come to town.
That game will likely be Ohio State's toughest game in the regular season. IU has Josh Hoover as the new starting quarterback, and he comes from TCU. While he was with the Horned Frogs, he threw for 3,472 yards and 29 touchdowns. He's someone who can't be taken lightly.
Ohio State should win the Big Ten if the play to their potential
While Indiana is extremely well-coached, Ohio State should win the Big Ten if it plays to its full potential. The offense might be the best in the country if the offensive line is able to improve from last year. Four returning starters give the coaching staff some hope that they can.
For my money, Ohio State will also likely be the most explosive offense in the country. Last year, they were just 26th in the country in terms of yards per game. This year, they are going to rank in the top ten, even if they still play at a slower pace than they did in 2024 when they won it all.
It would be shocking if the Buckeyes didn't score at least 30 points per game next year with all of the firepower that Julian Sayin has around him in terms of receivers. Jeremiah Smith is just the tip of the spear when it comes to the firepower that the team possesses. Even Indiana might not be able to slow them down.
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