When the Ohio State football team won the national championship in 2024, they had a lot of veteran players. In fact, most of the key contributors were upperclassmen. Players like Will Howard, Emeka Egbuka, and Jack Saywer were instrumental in helping them win it all.
It has become a theme in the last few years that older teams have better success at winning national championships. Last season, Indiana used the Transfer Portal to grab a bunch of older players. They ended up winning the national championship, as well.
This year, the Buckeyes have some seniors who will need to step up if they are going to have a shot at winning it all. They are on both sides of the ball and are guys that the younger players will look up to. One of them is a candidate to wear the Block O jersey this year, too.
Kenyatta Jackson and Brandon Inniss are two seniors who will define Ohio State's season
Kenyatta Jackson is one of the players who will help define the year for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He will be the most experienced defensive lineman returning this season and the lone starter. If he can show the ability to rush the passer and sack the quarterback consistently, Ohio State will be in great shape.
On the offensive side of the ball, there will be two key guys who will help define the year. Luke Montgomery on the offensive line is one of them. His unit has the most improvement to do after how the Buckeyes finished last season. Having him be someone they can count on at left guard is crucial.
Brandon Inniss is the other player. With Carnell Tate now in the NFL, Ohio State is looking for a second receiver to step up. Inniss has a chance to finally step up into that role. They need him to at least be the third-best receiver on the roster. He is the favorite to wear the Block O jersey this season.
Ohio State is too talented for disappointments this year
This Ohio State football roster is too talented to disappoint this year. They should be right in the thick of the national championship race yet again. It would be shocking if they lost three or more games this year, even with a very tough schedule. That would be considered a major disappointment.
Not only do the Buckeyes have several talented seniors, but they have some very talented younger players. Jeremiah Smith isn't a senior, but this will be the last season he plays for Ohio State. He is the best player that the Buckeyes have on the team heading into the season.
Defensively, Ohio State has a lot of new pieces. Several players are from the portal, but they all have a lot of experience. That experience is what they are leaning on to keep an elite statistical performance going from last year. The defense was one of the best defenses Ohio State has ever had, and Ryan Day wants to keep that going.
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