Ohio State12-2CFP #24With Chris Henry Jr. (WR, #10 nationally) arriving, Ohio State's fifth straight top-5 class faces a rival Michigan with a top-12 haul — a program that still must prove it.
Ohio State treats every autumn as a national-title mandate — and every November against Michigan as the real season, no matter what the trophy case says.
Fans here believe the take that the titles are hollow as long as Michigan owns The Game — a narrative the 2024 championship was supposed to silence and somehow didn't. In Columbus, the asterisk is the…
Approaching
30 days
until kickoff · vs Ball State · Sat Sep 5 · 16:30 UTC
Ohio State is the Midwest's standing answer — the program that does not ask permission to be in the conversation.
The team returns only 31% of its roster, but a #4 ranked recruiting class and 17 incoming transfers provide significant upside.
The Horseshoe is quiet. The program is not.
the open questiondoes the recruiting haul translate on the field?
Tavien St. Clair (QB, #7 nationally) headlines Ohio State's fifth straight top-5 class — a response to 11 NFL exits and just 4% QB production returning, while Michigan signed only the No. 6 class.
Ryan Day enters his sixth season with a 12-2 record, but fan belief has dipped to 56/100, signaling growing skepticism about sustaining elite performance.
Ryan Day's sixth season opens with a 12-2 record, but fan belief dips to 56/100, signaling tension between recent success and growing skepticism.
Ohio State enters 2026 — the gap between its No. 2 SP+ ranking and 12-2 record is the story Ryan Day has to answer in Big Ten this year.
Ryan Day's sixth season opens with a 12-2 record and a #3 AP finish, yet fan skepticism lingers as coordinator changes reshape units and the market projects a challenging path ahead.
Ohio State: the betting market's belief swinging.
With Chris Henry Jr. (WR, #10 nationally) arriving, Ohio State's fifth straight top-5 class faces a rival Michigan with a top-12 haul — a program that still must prove it.
Brandon Inniss is a legitimate money-down target -- his 3rd-down conversion rate ranks among the position's best, and his per-target value holds up in that spot too.
James Peoples sees a real spike in usage once the game is out of reach, and his efficiency in competitive snaps sits below the position baseline -- the numbers lean on the opponent giving up.
Jeremiah Smith is a real deep-ball threat -- a high share of his targets come on throws past the sticks, and he catches those deep shots at a plus rate.
Jeremiah Smith is a legitimate money-down target -- his 3rd-down conversion rate ranks among the position's best, and his per-target value holds up in that spot too.
Bo Jackson gets LESS work in the fourth quarter with a lead than his overall workload would predict -- not the trusted closer raw carries might suggest.
Bo Jackson does NOT see a usage spike in garbage time -- his workload holds steady regardless of score.
Brandon Inniss is used almost exclusively underneath -- a low share of his targets are downfield shots.
Carnell Tate is a real deep-ball threat -- a high share of his targets come on throws past the sticks.
CJ Donaldson: a garbage time merchant signal screened this season.
CJ Donaldson converts 3rd/4th-and-short at an elite rate.
Isaiah West: a closer signal screened this season.
James Peoples: a closer signal screened this season.
Max Klare is used almost exclusively underneath -- a low share of his targets are downfield shots.
Five-star RB commits to Tennessee over Ohio State
Day's class sits at #4 nationally and still couldn't hold a five-star backfield piece — 11 draft exits left real carries to distribute, and Tennessee just walked into that conversation and won it.
Florida State hires Ohio State OC
Losing an OC after 11 players drafted and a QB room mid-debate is a rough sequence — Day needs a smooth transition or the Sayin conversation gets louder fast.
Gallagher hired as DC
Day burned the whole DC search down and rebuilt it — after losing 11 to the draft, the Buckeyes needed a coordinator who owns a room, not one who manages it.
Five-star recruit commits to Ohio State
Eleven players drafted and the WR room still carrying question marks — Day locks in a five-star to patch the most visible gap before fall camp even becomes a conversation.
Five-star WR Chris Henry Jr. commits 2026
Twelve gone, four in, and Quincy Porter's departure still a raw wound — Henry Jr. is the headliner Day needed to restock a WR room that's been bleeding all offseason.
Jayden Fielding seeks eligibility return
Fielding handled kicking duties through a national title run — with 11 players already gone to the draft, Day can't afford to break in a new specialist too.
Top 3 commits
Fan confidence lower than any point since 2025
3rd percentile among FBS programs
Market outlook
Sportsbook consensus · best odds across multiple books · 2026-08-06
Ohio State · Next-Season Outcome Band
Final-season-aware projection: floor / base / ceiling include conference title and CFP games where the model supports them, so a ceiling can exceed a 12-game regular season.
Ohio State signed a top-4 recruiting class. It is the program's fifth straight top-5 recruiting class. Top 4 means the talent case is made. Whether the staff develops it is the open question. The bulls are loud — the coverage treats this class as a program-level statement.
The optimistic read: the class is real, the program is a destination again.
The 'rankings don't tell the whole story' counter -- development gaps, position holes still open.
Nothing in our corpus yet — this door stays open for when there is.
This event was in 132 of 2737 board posts (5%) over the last 60 days — engaged but not consumed. Fan text shown verbatim, attributed to the community not the individual poster.
Board health this week (1565 posts): 14% positive · 45% neutral · 41% negative. Team-level weekly mood — not specific to this event. The boards ≠ the fanbase: a self-selected vocal slice.
Ohio State: coordinator change reshaping a unit.
The optimistic read: momentum, and the 'this is real' takes.
The analytical counter: rankings, results, and 'the hype is ahead of the tape' takes.
This event was in 295 of 2737 board posts (11%) over the last 60 days — engaged but not consumed. Fan text shown verbatim, attributed to the community not the individual poster.
Board health this week (1565 posts): 14% positive · 45% neutral · 41% negative. Team-level weekly mood — not specific to this event. The boards ≠ the fanbase: a self-selected vocal slice.
Recent Form · last 10 games
Three of five. Trending up, not yet hot.
Opens Sep 5
vs Ball State · at home
✓ fact on line · ~ our read on style
Fan mood index · most recent r/cfb data
Recruiting Footprint · 2026
OH leads the 2026 class with 12 commits. National footprint reaching 13 states.
Where they recruit · 2023-2026
107 signees across 20 states, 2023-2026. OH leads the pull.
Top r/cfb community posts · last 12 months
66 of 66 AP voters have them ranked, final AP ballot (2025) — from #3, David Briggs (Toledo Blade), to #8, Keith Farmer (WLEX-TV).
Individual AP Top 25 ballots, final AP ballot, 2025 — 66 voters tracked.
13 games with TV coverage: 10 national broadcast, 1 ESPN, 2 conference network
Kickoff windows: 6 noon, 3 afternoon, 4 primetime
Recovering 71% of the fumbles they've forced — running hot vs. the ~49% league rate.
5 of 7 forced fumbles recovered; 4 of 7 own fumbles recovered themselves, 2025 only.
Converting 22% of pass disruptions into takeaways — right in line with the ~19% league rate.
8 interceptions of 36 disrupted passes (28 deflected, 8 intercepted), 2025 only.
Losing the penalty battle: 57 penalties committed vs. 50 drawn on opponents, a 147-yard deficit.
539 penalty yards committed vs. 392 drawn on opponents, 2025 season total.
What moved it — fall camp · last 14 days
Fanbase Signals
Position = mood · width = volume · color = the kind of feeling
Inside the fanbase — all 12 corners
The split, staged
How Ohio State fans actually talk real · top-upvoted
The crowd’s loudest take by upvotes — read for mood, not as a side. The cohort read is the measured part.
Loudest in the room this week real · by engagement
All 12 corners of the fanbase
Cohort sentiment is a source-weighted model read — never a quote pinned to a person.
What this fanbase keeps coming back to our read · topic model
Topics are model-labeled from Reddit — a rough signal of what this fanbase is circling right now.
Fan reads
The loss of David Gabriel Georges to Tennessee could significantly impact Ohio State's future lineup.
How will Ohio State recover from losing a top running back prospect to Tennessee?
Father seems 100% committed to his son coming to Ohio State - https://x.com/Showcase_Keith/status/2069204404667023489 Austin seems 100% ready to go with joining the elite WRs at Ohio State.r/CFB
It’s a boost to him getting more notoriety and social media followers. And now any sporting event he goes to people will say there’s the kid committed to Ohio state.r/CFB
The Buckeyes are working to secure key recruits and integrate transfer portal additions to maintain their competitive…
Can Ohio State successfully rebuild its roster after heavy NFL Draft losses?
Trying to toss Ohio State a “higher morality” compliment @27:00 is just comical 😂 OSU has been synonymous with scandals since foreverYouTube · Josh Pate's College Football Show
lol this is HILARIOUS, OHIO STATE hands down best receiviers in college football and most accurate quarterbackYouTube · ESPN College Football
The Buckeyes are actively pursuing top talent for future classes while facing challenges in securing commitments.
Can Ohio State maintain its recruiting momentum despite recent setbacks?
Back to back trips to women's cws. Wow that's the kind of failure most could live with. You think Bama,Georgia, Michigan and Ohio State don't buy their football championships? Ostrich meet sand 😂 That wasn't a bunch of recruit and develop players…YouTube · Big 12 Conference
Ohio State goes 9-3 and misses playoffs due to OLine not holding up against Oregon, Indiana, and TexasYouTube · Josh Pate's College Football Show
~ our readOhio State fans are down on the program, and they're backing it with about as much hard evidence as anyone.
✓ counted We read 1565 posts from Ohio State fans this week.
Fan mood across the 2025 season, both sides — our read
Shaded weeks show whose fanbase read warmer, our measure of what fans actually said, not a poll.
Fan claims · every quote verified verbatim
Ohio State is backing out of said race-slightly. They are tightening their focus to a smaller # of elite prospects every year, with the belief that said focus will increase the success/retention rate of every class, and the portal is always there.
Based on 2 comments from 2 posters across 2 threads · Jul 6, 2026–Jul 13, 2026 · via CFB
Only 16 days till National Champion 🏆 Ryan Day goes into Ann arbor and shows the World why he is the best college football coach. Enjoy what time you have left wolverines. You can give your soul to Jesus but your ass belongs to The OHIO STATE BUCKEYES!!!
Based on 3 comments from 2 posters across 2 threads · Nov 13, 2025–Dec 2, 2025 · via Ohio State Football
Nah, not only does he love going to Ohio State, but he takes his future in the NFL seriously and nowhere gives him a better shot at being prepared for and being drafted extremely high like Ohio State. DGG chose the short-term NIL, Jeremiah is always thinking long-term.
Based on 1 comment from 1 poster across 1 thread · Jul 23, 2026 · via CFB
I am a huge Ohio State fan and have also heard the big hate on Sayin. I don’t get it and I hope that he takes that next step and proves that he is a big time QB!
Based on 1 comment from 1 poster across 1 thread · Jul 16, 2026 · via Josh Pate's College Football Show
OSU has held all 4 opponents to single digit points. Looking like Matt Patricia was a great hire after all.
Based on 1 comment from 1 poster across 1 thread · Sep 27, 2025 · via CFB
This is the best OSU defense I have ever seen
Based on 1 comment from 1 poster across 1 thread · Oct 5, 2025 · via CFB
QB1 Julian Sayin (All B1G, B1G Frosh of Year, All American, National Frosh of Year, National Champion)
Based on 1 comment across 1 thread · Aug 1, 2026 · via Buckeye Football
“First thing Mendoza gonna after getting back to the locker room is log into LinkedIn. "What winning a top-10 matchup on the road taught me about establishing realistic risk tolerances to maximize leverage for options."”— r/CFB
“I am fairly certain that the reason behind the rule is so that teams couldn't jump from FCS to FBS when they have a good team so they can make a bowl and then jump back down when they don't. That's how it's been explained to me before. Now with the costs of making the FBS jum…”— r/CFB
“This was the greatest game I've ever seen, imagine outgaining your opponent 3 to 1 and still losing”— r/CFB
“Forget getting tarmac'ed, is Billy even gonna be allowed on the team bus to the airport? 5 INTs in a 10-point game is abysmal.”— r/CFB
“On top of this, not sure how west coast teams are expected to play well in these 9 AM Pacific games”— r/CFB
Forum Pulse
via BuckeyePlanet · Eleven Warriors
Five Lenses
What people are saying right now
“Michigan absolutely has a chance to the natty”
Fanbase Health Index · Ohio State · high confidence
No financial relationship with any outlet listed. If we have a reporter wrong or missing, please let us know.
“QB1 Julian Sayin (All B1G, B1G Frosh of Year, All American, National Frosh of Year, National Champion) 247 Rivals Twitter HudL Class: 2024 School: Carlsbad(CA) Carlsbad Position: QB Height: 6-foot-1 Weight: 185lbs”
What the poll is really saying 1. Coaches are rewarding roster projection more than last year’s performance. Texas,
Arch ahead of Sayin downright silly. Sayin beat Arch head to head in his first start EVER. He had no
So you saying Texas beats Ohio State twice
Sayin and saw the writing on the wall in Columbus. In fact, Brohm has brought in 8 projected
sayin': So far they haven't had that difficult a schedule. Somebody ranked the level of
Passing Statistics ComparisonJulian Sayin (Ohio State): Completed 78.4% of his passes for 3,323 yards, 31 touchdowns, and
People are saying that the tougher schedule does not matter and that Texas had no real argument last
Are you saying you never watched a game on TV where the whole crowd started Chanting S-E-C??
Are you *sure* you wanna talk sec playoff games instead?
Come on defense it's your time to step up
Wait you’re allowed to get stops on defense?
FBS rankings · 2025 season · all stats vs 136 FBS programs
| Player | # | G | Cmp/Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | TD | INT | Rate | QBR | Adj ANY/A | Sack% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pocket Passer · +0.50 EPA/play | 10 | 14 | 301 / 391 | 77.0 | 3610 #10 FBS | 9.2 | 32 #4 FBS | 8 | 177.5 | 83.9 | 9.3 | 3.9 | |
Yards by week → Pocket Passer· Money-downBalanced passer who operates within the system, without one standout number carrying the profile. All-Conference honorable mention / 2nd team — the recognition has started. The rare part: he can push it deep — and he puts it wherever he wants, too 97 of 183 QBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / attempt10.2 98th percentile · FBS QBs, min. 80 attempts Completion %79.9% 100th percentile · FBS QBs, min. 80 attempts — the part the label misses Trait fingerprint Plays like View Julian Sayin's full player page | |||||||||||||
| -0.66 EPA/play | 3 | 6 | 11 / 14 | 78.6 | 139 | 9.9 | 1 | 0 | 185.5 | 61.9 | — | — | |
Yards by week → | |||||||||||||
| Player | # | G | Car | Yds | Avg | TD | Long | 3rd Dn Use | Pass Dn Use | Stuff% | 10+% | Tgt Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speed Merchant · +0.18 EPA/play | 25 | 13 | 179 | 1090 #26 FBS | 6.1 | 6 | 64 | 8.6 | 18.3 | 14.4 | 19.5 | 5.4% (20/372) | |
Yards by week → Speed MerchantCuts upfield fast. Designed to find the crease, not run through the line. All-Conference honorable mention / 2nd team — the recognition has started. 48 of 349 RBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / carry6.8 92th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Yards / reception10.5 80th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Trait fingerprint Plays like View Bo Jackson's full player page | |||||||||||||
| Power Back · +0.28 EPA/play | 12 | 13 | 96 | 361 | 3.8 | 10 #46 FBS | 27 | 14.2 | 9 | 12.7 | 9.9 | 4.0% (15/372) | |
Yards by week → Power BackShort-yardage and goal-line specialist. Carries the load, owns the red zone. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. 10 of 349 RBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Rush TD rate10.4% 99th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Yards / carry4.7 bottom 33th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Trait fingerprint Plays like View CJ Donaldson's full player page | |||||||||||||
| Balanced Back · -0.01 EPA/play | 20 | 12 | 61 | 344 | 5.6 | 3 | 49 | 4.4 | 6.7 | 15.8 | 12.3 | — | |
Yards by week → Balanced BackPlays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. 186 of 349 RBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / carry5.6 59th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Yards / reception5.0 bottom 21th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Trait fingerprint Plays like View James Peoples's full player page | |||||||||||||
| Speed Merchant · +0.00 EPA/play | 32 | 10 | 59 | 310 | 5.3 | 2 | 38 | 4.5 | 7.0 | 22.4 | 19.0 | — | |
Yards by week → Speed MerchantCuts upfield fast. Designed to find the crease, not run through the line. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. 48 of 349 RBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / carry6.2 79th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Receiving share3.3% bottom 10th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Plays like View Isaiah West's full player page | |||||||||||||
| Player | # | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Long | 3rd Dn Use | Pass Dn Use | Tgt Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jump-Ball Target · +0.85 EPA/play | 4 | 13 | 87 | 1243 #4 FBS | 14.3 | 12 #5 FBS | 87 | 15.8 | 15.4 | 27.4% (102/372) | |
Yards by week → Jump-Ball Target· Boom-or-bustWins contested catches at the goal line. Size and catch radius are the weapons. his yards come in chunks — feast or famine Unanimous All-American — 1st team on all five NCAA-recognized selectors. 29 of 558 WRs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TD rate13.8% 80th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions Reception volume87 100th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions Trait fingerprint Plays like View Jeremiah Smith's full player page | |||||||||||
| Deep Threat · +1.10 EPA/play | 17 | 11 | 51 | 875 #46 FBS | 17.2 | 9 #17 FBS | 57 | 11.6 | 11.9 | 16.9% (63/372) | |
Yards by week → Deep Threat· Money-downStretches the field vertically. Every snap is a potential big play. lives on the sticks and moves the chains All-Conference honorable mention / 2nd team — the recognition has started. 100 of 558 WRs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / reception17.8 89th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions EPA / play (adj)1.1 99th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions Trait fingerprint Plays like View Carnell Tate's full player page | |||||||||||
| Complete TE · +0.46 EPA/play | 86 | 13 | 43 | 448 | 10.4 | 2 | 39 | 6.3 | 8.1 | 14.2% (53/372) | |
Yards by week → Complete TENo single go-to route — the receiving numbers show up inline and split out alike. All-Conference honorable mention / 2nd team — the recognition has started. 177 of 223 TEs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / reception10.5 bottom 44th percentile · FBS TEs, min. 8 receptions Reception volume43 96th percentile · FBS TEs, min. 8 receptions Trait fingerprint Plays like View Max Klare's full player page | |||||||||||
| Possession Receiver · +0.46 EPA/play | 1 | 14 | 36 | 271 | 7.5 | 3 | 29 | 11.2 | 9.1 | 11.3% (42/372) | |
Yards by week → Possession ReceiverReliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive. 332 of 558 WRs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / reception9.4 bottom 14th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions EPA / play (adj)0.5 bottom 43th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions Trait fingerprint Plays like View Brandon Inniss's full player page | |||||||||||
| Complete TE · +0.84 EPA/play | 89 | 8 | 15 | 168 | 11.2 | 2 | 47 | 3.4 | 0.9 | 4.8% (18/372) | |
Yards by week → Complete TENo single go-to route — the receiving numbers show up inline and split out alike. 177 of 223 TEs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / reception10.6 bottom 47th percentile · FBS TEs, min. 8 receptions EPA / play (adj)0.8 81th percentile · FBS TEs, min. 8 receptions Trait fingerprint Plays like View Will Kacmarek's full player page | |||||||||||
| +0.32 EPA/play | 5 | 4 | 6 | 93 | 15.5 | 0 | 23 | 2.4 | 5.7 | — | |
Yards by week → | |||||||||||
| +0.68 EPA/play | 15 | 6 | 7 | 84 | 12 | 1 | 26 | 2.2 | 1.5 | — | |
Yards by week → | |||||||||||
| +0.92 EPA/play | 13 | 3 | 6 | 79 | 13.2 | 1 | 21 | 6.3 | 9.5 | — | |
Yards by week → | |||||||||||
| -0.13 EPA/play | 85 | 4 | 5 | 16 | 3.2 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 4.7 | — | |
Yards by week → | |||||||||||
| Player | # | G | Tot | Solo | TFL | Sack | Hur |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finisher | 92 | 14 | 66 | 40 | 16.5 #11 FBS | 11 #9 FBS | 8 |
FinisherTurns pressure into sacks — when he gets there, he finishes. All-Conference honorable mention / 2nd team — the recognition has started. 16 of 200 EDGEs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Pressure-to-sack conversion0.6 76th percentile · FBS EDGE, min. 10 tackles Plays like our readSustained Ascent: his CFB Index score shows two real climbs in a row — 18th to 37th to 99th percentile among FBS EDGEs | |||||||
| Nose Anchor | 98 | 14 | 65 | 31 | 9 | 3 | 2 |
Nose AnchorThe heaviest frame on the interior. Sack production is intentionally not the point of this profile. Unanimous All-American — 1st team on all five NCAA-recognized selectors. 152 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Weight326 lb 94th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like our readBreakout: his CFB Index score now sits at the 98th percentile among FBS IDLs, up from the 35th | |||||||
| Finisher | 97 | 13 | 28 | 16 | 11 #74 FBS | 6.5 #55 FBS | 2 |
FinisherTurns pressure into sacks — when he gets there, he finishes. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. 16 of 200 EDGEs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Pressure-to-sack conversion0.8 94th percentile · FBS EDGE, min. 10 tackles Plays like our readBreakout: his CFB Index score now sits at the 91st percentile among FBS EDGEs, up from the 13th | |||||||
| Nose Anchor | 95 | 11 | 26 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Nose AnchorThe heaviest frame on the interior. Sack production is intentionally not the point of this profile. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. 152 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Weight309 lb 82th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like our readBreakout: his CFB Index score went from the 14th percentile among FBS IDLs to the 48th | |||||||
| Power Rusher | 96 | 10 | 21 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
Power RusherBull-rushes through contact, winning with size and length at the point of attack. 10 of 200 EDGEs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate19.0% bottom 48th percentile · FBS EDGE, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Eddrick Houston's full player page | |||||||
| Two-Gap Base | 53 | 11 | 20 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Two-Gap BaseStout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number. 388 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt View Will Smith Jr.'s full player pageTFL rate0.0% bottom 6th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles | |||||||
| Two-Gap Base | 15 | 8 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Two-Gap BaseStout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number. 388 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate15.4% 53th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Zion Grady's full player page | |||||||
| 3-Tech Penetrator | 14 | 9 | 11 | 4 | 2.5 | 1 | 2 |
3-Tech PenetratorDisruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield. 269 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate22.7% 80th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like our readFading: his CFB Index score now sits at the 19th percentile among FBS IDLs, up from the 91st | |||||||
| 94 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Player | # | G | Tot | Solo | Ast | TFL | Sack | PD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced Linebacker | 6 | 14 | 83 | 46 | 37 | 6.5 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
Balanced LinebackerSolid in every phase without a signature dimension. All-American — named 1st team by at least one NCAA-recognized selector. 362 of 660 LBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Tackle volume83 87th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Sack rate1.2% bottom 32th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Trait fingerprint Plays like View Sonny Styles's full player page | |||||||||
| Thumper | 8 | 14 | 69 | 34 | 35 | 10 | 6.5 #55 FBS | 2 | 0 |
ThumperDownhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge. Consensus All-American — 1st team on at least three of the five NCAA selectors. 97 of 660 LBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate14.5% 77th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Sack rate9.4% 90th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Trait fingerprint Plays like our readBreakout: his CFB Index score climbed from the 30th percentile to the 94th among FBS LBs | |||||||||
| Balanced Linebacker | 26 | 13 | 44 | 24 | 20 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Balanced LinebackerSolid in every phase without a signature dimension. The most common profile in its group this season — 362 of 660 classified this way. Played in 13 of 21 games this season · sophomore · 4-star, 2024 class View Payton Pierce's full player page | |||||||||
| 20 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 11 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 17 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 23 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Player | # | G | Tot | PD | INT | TFL | Sack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Box Safety | 2 | 14 | 68 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
Box SafetyLives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker. Unanimous All-American — 1st team on all five NCAA-recognized selectors. 166 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Tackle volume68 89th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like View Caleb Downs's full player page | |||||||
| Hybrid Nickel | 18 | 14 | 53 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Hybrid NickelMoves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB. All-Conference honorable mention / 2nd team — the recognition has started. The most common profile in its group this season — 419 of 801 classified this way. Played in 14 of 21 games this season · sophomore · 4-star, 2024 class our readAscending: his CFB Index score climbed from the 2nd percentile to the 33rd among FBS Ss | |||||||
| Press Corner | 1 | 12 | 52 | 6 | 2 | 0.5 | 0 |
Press CornerLong and physical; jams receivers off their route at the line. All-Conference honorable mention / 2nd team — the recognition has started. 43 of 270 CBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Height6'2" 87th percentile · FBS corners, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Davison Igbinosun's full player page | |||||||
| Cover Corner | 3 | 11 | 30 | 2 | 0 | 1.5 | 0 |
Cover CornerSteady in coverage; doesn't get beat deep and rarely gives up the big play. The most common profile in its group this season — 141 of 270 classified this way. Played in 11 of 21 games this season · senior View Lorenzo Styles Jr.'s full player page | |||||||
| Cover Corner | 7 | 12 | 26 | 2 | 2 | 1.5 | 1 |
Cover CornerSteady in coverage; doesn't get beat deep and rarely gives up the big play. The most common profile in its group this season — 141 of 270 classified this way. Played in 12 of 21 games this season · junior · 4-star, 2023 class our readBreakout: his CFB Index score now sits at the 84th percentile among FBS CBs, up from the 28th | |||||||
| Press Corner | 4 | 8 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Press CornerLong and physical; jams receivers off their route at the line. 43 of 270 CBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Height6'2" 87th percentile · FBS corners, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Devin Sanchez's full player page | |||||||
| 10 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 12 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 28 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Player | # | G | FG M/A | FG% | XP M/A | Pts | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steady | 38 | 14 | 16/20 | 80 | 56/56 | 104 | 49 |
| Player | # | G | No | Yds | Avg | Long | In20 | TB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinner | 42 | 12 | 29 | 1229 | 42.4 | 55 | 12 | 2 |
Net average is unavailable — CFBD's punting feed carries gross yards only, with no return-yardage or touchback deduction.
| Player | # | G | No | Yds | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Possession Receiver · +0.46 EPA/play | 1 | 14 | 5 | 66 | 13.2 | 0 | 37 |
| Player | # | G | No | Yds | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Possession Receiver · +0.46 EPA/play | 1 | 14 | 18 | 181 | 10.1 | 0 | 32 |
2025 stat leaders
finalRoster
2025+19 more
| Wk | Date | Us | Opp | Line | Opponent | Result | Record | Conf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 30 | #1 | #7 | -2 | TexasTop 10 win | W 14–7 121 | 1-0 | 0-0 |
| 2 | Sep 6 | #1 | #166 | -51.5 | Grambling | W 70–0 121 | 2-0 | 0-0 |
| 3 | Sep 13 | #2 | #65 | -28.5 | Ohio | W 37–9 117 | 3-0 | 0-0 |
| 5 | Sep 27 | #1 | #43 | -9 | @Washington | W 24–6 115 | 4-0 | 1-0 |
| 6 | Oct 4 | #1 | #35 | -23.5 | Minnesota | W 42–3 108 | 5-0 | 2-0 |
| 7 | Oct 11 | #1 | #47 | -15 | @IllinoisTop 25 win | W 34–16 133 | 6-0 | 3-0 |
| 8 | Oct 18 | #1 | #81 | -24.5 | @Wisconsin | W 34–0 116 | 7-0 | 4-0 |
| 10 | Nov 1 | #1 | #11 | -18 | Penn State | W 38–14 115 | 8-0 | 5-0 |
| 11 | Nov 8 | #1 | #120 | -29 | @Purdue | W 34–10 120 | 9-0 | 6-0 |
| 12 | Nov 16 | #1 | #74 | -33 | UCLA | W 48–10 115 | 10-0 | 7-0 |
| 13 | Nov 22 | #1 | #84 | -28.5 | Rutgers | W 42–9 115 | 11-0 | 8-0 |
| 14 | Nov 29 | #1 | #21 | -9.5 | @MichiganTop 25 win | W 27–9 115 | 12-0 | 9-0 |
| Conference Championship | ||||||||
| 15 | Dec 7 | #1 | #5 | -3.5 | Indiana (N) | L 10–13 113 | 12-1 | 9-1 |
| College Football Playoff | ||||||||
| 18 | Jan 1 | #1 | #7 | -8 | Miami (N) | L 14–24 | 12-2 | 9-1 |
| Date | Opp | Result | Yds | TO | TOP | EPA/play | Success% | Explosive% | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | Miami | L 14–24 | — | — | — | +0.060 | 43.3% | 123.7% | |
| Dec 7 | Indiana | L 10–13 | 322 | 1 | 30:13 | +0.118 | 41.1% | 131.5% | Defense's roughest night |
| Nov 29 | @Michigan | W 27–9 | 419 | 1 | 40:01 | +0.255 | 49.3% | 113.9% | |
| Nov 22 | Rutgers | W 42–9 | 430 | 1 | 32:49 | +0.312 | 47.6% | 129.7% | Blowout win |
| Nov 16 | UCLA | W 48–10 | 440 | 0 | 34:46 | +0.436 | 53.7% | 121.9% | Blowout win |
| Nov 8 | @Purdue | W 34–10 | 473 | 1 | 40:53 | +0.302 | 59.5% | 106.1% | |
| Nov 1 | Penn State | W 38–14 | 480 | 1 | 30:07 | +0.510 | 55.4% | 134.2% | Most explosive |
| Oct 18 | @Wisconsin | W 34–0 | 491 | 0 | 33:57 | +0.449 | 63.8% | 96.8% | Blowout win |
| Oct 11 | @Illinois | W 34–16 | 275 | 0 | 33:11 | +0.239 | 42.2% | 113.6% | |
| Oct 4 | Minnesota | W 42–3 | 476 | 0 | 31:52 | +0.561 | 61.8% | 123.6% | Blowout win |
| Sep 27 | @Washington | W 24–6 | 357 | 1 | 31:55 | +0.269 | 54.1% | 92.4% | |
| Sep 13 | Ohio | W 37–9 | 573 | 2 | 32:43 | +0.377 | 58.1% | 121.1% | Blowout win |
| Sep 6 | Grambling | W 70–0 | 651 | 1 | 30:55 | +0.622 | 75.4% | 111.2% | Season-high EPA/play |
| Aug 30 | Texas | W 14–7 | 203 | 0 | 32:05 | +0.036 | 33.3% | 92.7% | Season-low EPA/play |
| Season average (14 games) | 430 | 0.7 | +0.325 | 52.8% | 115.2% | ||||
Ohio State fields an elite methodical, ball-control offense behind an elite, bend-don't-break defense.
Opponent-adjusted percentiles vs all FBS. Bar = where this team ranks — right is better.
Team identity · competitive snaps only
93rd percentile quality, 4th percentile boom-dependency. Garbage time excluded from both axes — the same correction that changes the Q4 story below.
| Team | Quality percentile | Boom-share percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Air Force | 86th | 11th |
| Akron | 12th | 89th |
| Alabama | 58th | 17th |
| App State | 35th | 47th |
| Arizona | 64th | 37th |
| Arizona State | 41st | 62nd |
| Arkansas | 90th | 12th |
| Arkansas State | 17th | 66th |
| Army | 57th | 43rd |
| Auburn | 47th | 53rd |
| BYU | 78th | 19th |
| Baylor | 69th | 25th |
| Boise State | 66th | 20th |
| Boston College | 37th | 54th |
| Bowling Green | 2nd | 98th |
| Buffalo | 11th | 88th |
| California | 28th | 48th |
| Central Michigan | 52nd | 64th |
| Cincinnati | 89th | 16th |
| Clemson | 51st | 48th |
| Coastal Carolina | 17th | 83rd |
| Colorado | 18th | 84th |
| Colorado State | 16th | 83rd |
| Delaware | 38th | 58th |
| Duke | 80th | 14th |
| East Carolina | 63rd | 36th |
| Eastern Michigan | 49th | 42nd |
| Florida | 30th | 67th |
| Florida Atlantic | 62nd | 59th |
| Florida International | 42nd | 50th |
| Florida State | 83rd | 32nd |
| Fresno State | 26th | 73rd |
| Georgia | 81st | 3rd |
| Georgia Southern | 73rd | 21st |
| Georgia State | 36th | 70th |
| Georgia Tech | 84th | 5th |
| Hawai'i | 64th | 41st |
| Houston | 27th | 65th |
| Illinois | 75th | 26th |
| Indiana | 95th | 1st |
| Iowa | 44th | 40th |
| Iowa State | 68th | 22nd |
| Jacksonville State | 54th | 38th |
| James Madison | 65th | 44th |
| Kansas | 85th | 28th |
| Kansas State | 71st | 49th |
| Kennesaw State | 56th | 30th |
| Kent State | 21st | 86th |
| Kentucky | 15th | 85th |
| LSU | 14th | 81st |
| Liberty | 43rd | 56th |
| Louisiana | 19th | 73rd |
| Louisiana Tech | 39th | 61st |
| Louisville | 48th | 64th |
| Marshall | 55th | 39th |
| Maryland | 30th | 74th |
| Memphis | 80th | 24th |
| Miami | 76th | 5th |
| Miami (OH) | 34th | 67th |
| Michigan | 67th | 33rd |
| Michigan State | 27th | 75th |
| Middle Tennessee | 39th | 52nd |
| Minnesota | 29th | 77th |
| Mississippi State | 22nd | 77th |
| Missouri | 61st | 30th |
| Missouri State | 55th | 46th |
| NC State | 86th | 23rd |
| Navy | 94th | 17th |
| Nebraska | 48th | 57th |
| Nevada | 3rd | 97th |
| New Mexico | 58th | 60th |
| New Mexico State | 9th | 87th |
| North Carolina | 13th | 89th |
| North Texas | 98th | 7th |
| Northern Illinois | 8th | 92nd |
| Northwestern | 52nd | 36th |
| Notre Dame | 99th | 20th |
| Ohio | 67th | 18th |
| Ohio State | 93rd | 4th |
| Oklahoma | 20th | 80th |
| Oklahoma State | 5th | 95th |
| Old Dominion | 83rd | 45th |
| Ole Miss | 89th | 2nd |
| Oregon | 91st | 10th |
| Oregon State | 2nd | 98th |
| Penn State | 73rd | 33rd |
| Pittsburgh | 60th | 39th |
| Purdue | 25th | 78th |
| Rice | 6th | 94th |
| Rutgers | 70th | 27th |
| SMU | 74th | 42nd |
| Sam Houston | 4th | 96th |
| San Diego State | 24th | 76th |
| San José State | 45th | 69th |
| South Alabama | 36th | 58th |
| South Carolina | 23rd | 86th |
| South Florida | 87th | 23rd |
| Southern Miss | 40th | 55th |
| Stanford | 10th | 90th |
| Syracuse | 5th | 95th |
| TCU | 72nd | 35th |
| Temple | 70th | 34th |
| Tennessee | 96th | 11th |
| Texas | 45th | 55th |
| Texas A&M | 82nd | 14th |
| Texas State | 92nd | 8th |
| Texas Tech | 77th | 31st |
| Toledo | 50th | 61st |
| Troy | 14th | 80th |
| Tulane | 79th | 15th |
| Tulsa | 20th | 70th |
| UAB | 61st | 45th |
| UCF | 33rd | 82nd |
| UCLA | 23rd | 79th |
| UConn | 95th | 13th |
| UL Monroe | 11th | 92nd |
| UNLV | 88th | 9th |
| USC | 98th | 2nd |
| UTEP | 1st | 99th |
| UTSA | 77th | 51st |
| Utah | 97th | 6th |
| Utah State | 46th | 63rd |
| Vanderbilt | 100th | 0th |
| Virginia | 59th | 27th |
| Virginia Tech | 32nd | 71st |
| Wake Forest | 42nd | 72nd |
| Washington | 92nd | 8th |
| Washington State | 33rd | 52nd |
| West Virginia | 7th | 93rd |
| Western Kentucky | 53rd | 29th |
| Western Michigan | 31st | 68th |
| Wisconsin | 0th | 100th |
| Wyoming | 8th | 91st |
Fourth-quarter reliability, corrected
Raw Q4 EPA/play ranks 93rd percentile in FBS. Strip out snaps taken with a blowout margin and it drops to the 91st — the correction is the finding, not a footnote.
Standard downs vs. passing downs
99th percentile success on standard downs, 99th on passing downs — little dropoff between the two — a schedule-independent identity.
| Team | Standard-downs percentile | Passing-downs percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Air Force | 82nd | 69th |
| Akron | 20th | 36th |
| Alabama | 47th | 76th |
| App State | 41st | 80th |
| Arizona | 54th | 54th |
| Arizona State | 40th | 37th |
| Arkansas | 90th | 97th |
| Arkansas State | 51st | 40th |
| Army | 37th | 44th |
| Auburn | 73rd | 24th |
| Austin Peay | 56th | 13th |
| BYU | 91st | 46th |
| Ball State | 5th | 3rd |
| Baylor | 70th | 77th |
| Boise State | 42nd | 63rd |
| Boston College | 56th | 54th |
| Bowling Green | 10th | 17th |
| Bryant | 7th | 2nd |
| Buffalo | 29th | 20th |
| California | 25th | 66th |
| Central Michigan | 57th | 11th |
| Charlotte | 7th | 7th |
| Cincinnati | 89th | 65th |
| Clemson | 49th | 34th |
| Coastal Carolina | 16th | 22nd |
| Colorado | 8th | 48th |
| Colorado State | 29th | 35th |
| Delaware | 66th | 31st |
| Duke | 82nd | 63rd |
| East Carolina | 63rd | 91st |
| Eastern Michigan | 46th | 67th |
| Florida | 52nd | 45th |
| Florida Atlantic | 44th | 61st |
| Florida International | 50th | 26th |
| Florida State | 65th | 90th |
| Fresno State | 22nd | 71st |
| Georgia | 95th | 69th |
| Georgia Southern | 64th | 84th |
| Georgia State | 22nd | 75th |
| Georgia Tech | 92nd | 89th |
| Hawai'i | 33rd | 87th |
| Houston | 61st | 29th |
| Idaho | 30th | 78th |
| Idaho State | 93rd | 14th |
| Illinois | 79th | 95th |
| Indiana | 97th | 98th |
| Iowa | 74th | 19th |
| Iowa State | 80th | 58th |
| Jacksonville State | 59th | 56th |
| James Madison | 77th | 52nd |
| Kansas | 99th | 82nd |
| Kansas State | 37th | 59th |
| Kennesaw State | 44th | 67th |
| Kent State | 15th | 5th |
| Kentucky | 62nd | 29th |
| LSU | 18th | 52nd |
| Lafayette | 0th | 12th |
| Liberty | 65th | 53rd |
| Lindenwood | 4th | 1st |
| Long Island University | 24th | 78th |
| Louisiana | 24th | 23rd |
| Louisiana Tech | 41st | 24th |
| Louisville | 84th | 32nd |
| Maine | 3rd | 18th |
| Marshall | 71st | 62nd |
| Maryland | 11th | 86th |
| Massachusetts | 5th | 9th |
| Memphis | 75th | 68th |
| Merrimack | 1st | 83rd |
| Miami | 80th | 64th |
| Miami (OH) | 33rd | 39th |
| Michigan | 73rd | 74th |
| Michigan State | 48th | 39th |
| Middle Tennessee | 69th | 47th |
| Minnesota | 35th | 33rd |
| Mississippi State | 52nd | 35th |
| Missouri | 76th | 50th |
| Missouri State | 32nd | 50th |
| Murray State | 1st | 6th |
| NC State | 58th | 71st |
| Navy | 95th | 72nd |
| Nebraska | 78th | 51st |
| Nevada | 17th | 16th |
| New Mexico | 38th | 60th |
| New Mexico State | 16th | 33rd |
| North Carolina | 14th | 30th |
| North Texas | 100th | 97th |
| Northern Illinois | 9th | 5th |
| Northwestern | 48th | 88th |
| Notre Dame | 88th | 99th |
| Ohio | 69th | 76th |
| Ohio State | 99th | 99th |
| Oklahoma | 39th | 41st |
| Oklahoma State | 14th | 7th |
| Old Dominion | 72nd | 79th |
| Ole Miss | 83rd | 95th |
| Oregon | 93rd | 55th |
| Oregon State | 54th | 25th |
| Penn State | 76th | 73rd |
| Pittsburgh | 35th | 56th |
| Purdue | 46th | 88th |
| Rice | 20th | 0th |
| Rutgers | 71st | 84th |
| SMU | 50th | 57th |
| Sam Houston | 26th | 4th |
| San Diego State | 84th | 1st |
| San José State | 68th | 70th |
| South Alabama | 53rd | 28th |
| South Carolina | 31st | 8th |
| South Carolina State | 10th | 3rd |
| South Florida | 86th | 46th |
| Southern Miss | 27th | 38th |
| Stanford | 12th | 12th |
| Syracuse | 19th | 10th |
| TCU | 63rd | 82nd |
| Temple | 85th | 22nd |
| Tennessee | 97th | 81st |
| Texas | 27th | 61st |
| Texas A&M | 88th | 59th |
| Texas State | 60th | 93rd |
| Texas Tech | 45th | 65th |
| Toledo | 67th | 42nd |
| Troy | 18th | 27th |
| Tulane | 81st | 86th |
| Tulsa | 43rd | 43rd |
| UAB | 34th | 94th |
| UCF | 39th | 20th |
| UCLA | 28th | 48th |
| UConn | 96th | 37th |
| UL Monroe | 13th | 14th |
| UNLV | 78th | 85th |
| USC | 94th | 90th |
| UT Martin | 2nd | 41st |
| UTEP | 3rd | 10th |
| UTSA | 67th | 92nd |
| Utah | 87th | 96th |
| Utah State | 31st | 49th |
| Vanderbilt | 90th | 100th |
| Virginia | 36th | 73rd |
| Virginia Tech | 59th | 21st |
| Wake Forest | 21st | 31st |
| Washington | 98th | 93rd |
| Washington State | 61st | 44th |
| West Virginia | 12th | 18th |
| Western Kentucky | 55th | 80th |
| Western Michigan | 86th | 16th |
| Wisconsin | 6th | 27th |
| Wyoming | 23rd | 15th |
Halftime identity
1st-half offense ranks 94th percentile in FBS; 2nd-half, 92nd — competitive snaps only, garbage time excluded from both halves.
Schedule mirage
Raw EPA/play through week 21 is 0.32; 96th percentile once opponent strength is stripped out, it's 0.10. The widest gap came in week 4: 0.35 raw vs. 0.06 adjusted.
Ohio State reads strongest in success rate (top 1%) and explosive plays allowed (top 1%); the crux lives in explosive plays, where Ohio State sits at the 6th percentile.
offense · strengths lead
defense · higher bar = harder to play against
hidden math · special situations
Most Similar Programs · Ohio State
Static-attribute similarity across tier, archetype, conference, and voice. Not a prediction — a calibration.
Home-Field Advantage · Ohio State · 2018-present
94% home win rate vs 88% on the road. margin runs +11.7 better at home. Ohio Stadium seats 102,780, averaging 101% full (104,321 attendance, 29 games reported).
Positional competition · RB room
Bo Jackson and CJ Donaldson split the carries (178/253 vs 75/253) -- but CJ Donaldson leads on every measured axis. This isn't a split role, it's a hierarchy with a change-of-pace back behind it.
Inside-the-5 share, week by week (weeks both players actually played the role)
Positional competition · WR/TE room
Jeremiah Smith (WR) and Max Klare (TE) split the targets (96/148 vs 52/148) -- but the job isn't split the same way.
What changed
Play-calling barely moved on the change — every rate held within a few points.
Play-calling barely moved on the change — every rate held within a few points.
Defensive identity · pass zones
On short passes, Ohio State’s defense allows a completion rate below the FBS mean (65.5% vs 65.9% league-wide, shrunk toward the mean for its 135-play sample) — mid-pack, 63 of 133 qualifying defenses.
We won’t show a deep-ball leaderboard here: at the defense level, most teams face well under 30 rich-feed deep targets all season — too thin to tell a real tendency from noise, so we won’t guess.
61°F average kickoff temp; 6% of games had measurable precipitation; 9 mph average wind.
Based on 82 home games with weather data.
2 titles, 6 CFP appearances across 12 seasons — the era the program defined.
Ohio State's 2014–2025 record is 139-18 with 6 CFP appearances and 2 national titles. The era closed the program's question of whether this program could still reach the room where the sport ends — by being in that room.
Week-by-week rivalry heat isn't tracked yet for this matchup — check back as the 2026-27 season approaches and real fan-intel signal accumulates.
Who's more worked up right now
Cross-fanbase rivalry sentiment for this matchup hasn't been measured yet this week — both sides show as neutral until real signal comes in.
THE LAST 5 · year-by-year
All-Time Record
since 1897 · 127 seasons · .730 win rate
Ryan Day won the 2024 national championship and lost to Michigan in the regular season on the way there. In Columbus, that sentence contains the whole argument: what does a title cost when The Game was still Michigan's?
Ohio State treats every autumn as a national-title mandate. That is not a marketing phrase; it is an operating standard built by Woody Hayes across five championships, Archie Griffin across two Heismans — the only player in the sport's history to win it twice — and the recruiting machinery that has turned the state of Ohio into a talent monopoly. 'The standard is the standard' is not inspiration; it is the accounting ledger by which every season is evaluated. Eight national championships, 42 conference titles, the Horseshoe at 102,780. The program does not speak about its success as a feel-good story. It speaks the way a manufacturing concern speaks about its operating rigor.
The 2024 title resolved one question and left another open. Day's championship — won through the 12-team Playoff over Notre Dame — ended the 'can he win the big one' narrative that had built to a roar after a third consecutive loss to Michigan. But the 2024 Michigan game was still Michigan's, a fact the trophy case cannot fully erase. The fanbase fracture runs exactly there: the faction for whom only the championship counts, and the faction for whom The Game is the whole point, trophy or not. Four straight losses to the rival from 2021 through 2024 is a wound a single title softened but did not close. In Columbus, the asterisk is the rivalry, not the trophy.
The 2026 season asks whether Day can build a Tressel-like multi-title arc or whether 2024 was the Meyer-like singular peak of an otherwise competitive era. The depth is real, the recruiting has stayed top-five nationally, and the portal strategy is as sophisticated as any program in the sport. What 2026 will adjudicate, in SEC-caliber November games, is whether the standard and the scoreboard are the same noun again — and whether The Game, in Ann Arbor, gets answered.
Dynastic-industrial: a national recruiting monopoly built on Ohio talent, executing a pro-style scheme with the country's deepest rotation of NFL-caliber linemen on both sides of the ball. Day has layered RPO elements and spread-tempo concepts over the Tressel-era physical identity, but the trench dominance remains the program's true operating system. Depth at every position is the recruiting thesis: Ohio State does not rebuild, it reloads, and the 2026 roster reflects that in the defensive backfield above all.
Ohio State 2016–2025. Holding the line. The 10-year slope (+0.02 rungs / yr) doesn't tilt either way — the program lives at roughly Tier 7.
12 seasons on file
down middle peak CFP year
Season Standing · 2025 · 12-2 · CFP #2 / AP #3
Ohio State: Top 5 / CFP-contender. A real championship case is on the table.
Big Ten Standing · 2025
Ohio State is 2nd in the Big Ten at 9-1. 1 team above — that's the direct path to the title game.
| # | Program | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indiana | 11-0 |
| 2 | Ohio State | 9-1 |
| 3 | Oregon | 8-2 |
| 4 | Michigan | 7-2 |
| 5 | USC | 7-2 |
| 6 | Iowa | 6-3 |
| 7 | Illinois | 5-4 |
| 8 | Minnesota | 5-4 |
| 9 | Washington | 5-4 |
| 10 | Nebraska | 4-5 |
| 11 | Northwestern | 4-5 |
| 12 | Penn State | 3-6 |
| 13 | UCLA | 3-6 |
| 14 | Rutgers | 2-7 |
| 15 | Wisconsin | 2-7 |
| 16 | Maryland | 1-8 |
| 17 | Michigan State | 1-8 |
| 18 | Purdue | 0-9 |
Coaching Era · Ohio State
Ryan Day has held the program for 7 seasons — the era is established.
Things this fanbase does every Saturday — none of them invented in the last decade.
since 1936
The Ohio State Marching Band spells out 'OHIO' in script across the field, culminating in a senior sousaphone player 'dotting the i.' First performed Oct 24, 1936 — credited as the first moving script-writing by a marching band. Being chosen to dot the i is a senior-year honor with a campus-wide audience. The pageantry hasn't changed in 90 years; that's the point.
since 1920s
Four people (or four sections) each take one letter, performed in sequence with arm gestures. The most portable college football ritual — works at tailgates, airports, weddings. Any Buckeye fan recognizing another Buckeye in public starts it. The arm-gesture version is the canonical one.
since 1903 (alma mater); end-of-game tradition codified in 2001
The alma mater sung by team, band, and fans after every home game, win or loss. Tradition of the team singing it on the field stabilized under Jim Tressel circa 2001. The post-loss version is its own catharsis ritual — the program acknowledges the loss with the school, not separately.
since 1968
Players earn buckeye-leaf stickers for the helmet based on individual game performances. Originated under Woody Hayes (1968); the leaves accumulate visibly across the season. A heavily-leafed helmet is a defacto status symbol; freshmen with few leaves get the contrast. The leaves themselves are real-ish — a stylized buckeye-shape sticker.
since 1934
The Marching Band's pre-game public rehearsal — fans pack St. John Arena to watch. The team makes a brief appearance. Originated as a practical band tuning; evolved into a fan event. ~10,000-12,000 attend per game. The contrast: serious band rehearsal in front of cheering fans makes it uniquely Ohio State.
Smith logged 247 mentions across 28 weeks in the conversation — nearly four times Carnell Tate's 66 — and his attention score peaked at 7.25, the highest number logged by any Buckeye skill player in the pool. The standard is the standard, and no one else in the receiving room came close to matching it last fall.
gamelog + roster archive · Jeremiah Smith · 2025Tate's single-week attention score topped out at 7.26 — a tick above Smith's 7.25 — even though he carried far fewer total mentions across his 19 weeks in the conversation. The Buckeyes had two separate receivers reach the same ceiling last season, from two very different mention totals.
gamelog + roster archive · Carnell Tate · 2025The Buckeyes' 70-0 shutout of Grambling in Week 2 landed 45.9 points above the season's average margin of 24.1 — the single widest deviation from the mean of any game the Buckeyes played last year. Seventy points, zero on the other side: the kind of scoreline that reset what 'normal' looked like for a week.
gamelog · 2025 season · wk 2The Buckeyes' passing EPA sat at the 97.5 percentile of FBS last season, built across 14 games and a raw value of .577 — elite by any measure the Savant board tracked. Only a handful of offenses nationally generated more value through the air per snap that year.
Savant card · 2025 season through postseasonOpponent rushing EPA against the Buckeyes checked in at the 94.6 percentile of FBS last season — meaning almost no offense in the country managed to run the ball efficiently against that defense. Paired with an elite passing offense, it was a rare Ohio State roster that graded out at the extreme end of both sides of the ball at once.
Savant card · 2025 season through postseasonProgram memory
Most weeks vanish. These didn’t.
1942
Paul Brown's 9-1 team brought the national title to Columbus in 1942
1968
Woody Hayes won it twice with unbeaten teams — 10-0 in 1954, and 10-0 again in 1968
Tressel's championship over a stacked Miami
Day's first championship — won the 12-team Playoff over Notre Dame after losing to Michigan in the regular season
Four straight to the rival — the wound a title couldn't erase
Wound
Moment of the Year · Ohio State · 2025
Week 18 of 2025. The single game that defined the season's arc.
Bowl / Postseason Ledger
Most recent: 2025 — loss 14-24 (home). Last 5 postseason: 4-1.
NFL Draft Pipeline
2022–202641 picks last 5 cycles, including 14 in round 1. Top recruit destination + development pipeline.
Unit lineage
FBS-relative efficiency percentile per season (2014–2025), same population as the Coordinator Mirror board. Dashed vertical lines mark a coordinator change.
Hired for 2026: co-Keenan Bailey / Arthur Smith — not yet reflected in on-field data.
Ohio State · Next-Season Outcome Band
Recruiting Footprint · 2026
Fanbase Health Index · Ohio State · high confidence
2025 stat leaders
How They Play · 2025
Most Similar Programs · Ohio State
Season Standing · 2025 · 12-2 · CFP #2 / AP #3
Coaching Era · Ohio State
Moment of the Year · Ohio State · 2025
Bowl / Postseason Ledger
NFL Draft Pipeline