Ohio State Football 2025: Depth Chart Surprises, Must-Watch Games & Bold Predictions

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Buckeye Nation won’t have to wait long for a heavyweight bout. Ohio State football opens the 2025 season on Aug. 30 at Ohio Stadium against No. 1-ranked Texas, a matchup that could set an early tone for the expanded College Football Playoff race. The Buckeyes land at No. 3 in the preseason AP Top 25, extending their record run to 37 consecutive appearances in the poll’s initial release. CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli goes a step further, placing Ohio State atop his preseason power ratings and labeling Ryan Day’s squad the nation’s most complete roster entering Week 1. Key storylines to watch: • New-look offense, same expectations Quarterback competition fueled the offseason, but whoever earns the start will enjoy a deep skill group headlined by sophomore wideouts Jeremiah Smith and Brandon Inniss, plus veteran tight end Jelani Thurman. First-year coordinator Bill O’Brien has stressed tempo and vertical shots in camp, banking on a rebuilt offensive line anchored by All-Big Ten tackle Luke Montgomery. • Star-studded defense Safety Caleb Downs, already a consensus preseason All-American, anchors a secondary poised for more takeaways after ranking 7th nationally in pass efficiency defense last year. Linebacker Sonny Styles, a Bednarik Award candidate, teams with sophomore C.J. Hicks to form perhaps the fastest second level in college football. Up front, Jack Sawyer returns after an 11-sack campaign, while sophomore Eddrick Houston flashes Chase Young-type traits in practice. • Schedule built for résumé-building Beyond the Texas clash, Ohio State hosts No. 2 Penn State on Oct. 18 and travels to Ann Arbor on Nov. 29 for the latest chapter of The Game. Non-conference tilts with Grambling State (Sept. 6) and in-state foe Ohio (Sept. 13) offer tune-ups before a Week 4 bye. The Buckeyes close with four of their final six games on the road, underscoring the importance of banking early wins in Columbus. • Playoff implications from day one With the 12-team CFP debuting, seeding matters. A win over Texas likely vaults Ohio State into the top two, a coveted position that delivers a first-round bye. A loss doesn’t eliminate title hopes, but it shrinks the margin for error in a Big Ten now featuring Oregon and Washington. • Heisman hype in scarlet and gray If the offense clicks, Jeremiah Smith could become the first Buckeye wide receiver since Troy Smith to capture the trophy. Odds in Las Vegas already list the sophomore at +1400, tied for third among non-quarterbacks. Caleb Downs (+2500) sits in rare defensive company, but the last defender to finish top-five in voting was Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson in 2021. What Ryan Day is saying “The first game is a monster,” Day told reporters this week. “We need the ’Shoe rocking, and we need to play our best football right away.” The seventh-year head coach emphasized red-zone efficiency and explosive-play prevention as camp focal points, noting that Texas averaged 37.9 points per game last season. Bottom line Ohio State’s path to a ninth national championship starts with perhaps its biggest opener since the 2017 win over Oklahoma. Combine elite recruiting, veteran leadership on defense, and a schedule that offers multiple top-15 showdowns, and the Buckeyes have every ingredient to return to the sport’s summit. Beat Texas, protect home turf against Penn State, and punch a ticket straight to the CFP quarterfinals. Lose early, and the margin for error disappears before September ends. Either way, the 2025 Ohio State football season promises to be must-watch from the first snap in a roaring Horseshoe.