The Ohio State Buckeyes are entering the 2025 college football season with plenty of buzz and even more questions. Despite coming off a historic national championship run under quarterback Will Howard and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, the Buckeyes now face a new reality: Maintaining their elite standard amid massive turnover.
Leadership Void Looms After Will Howard, Jim Knowles’ Departures
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day recently addressed the media about the difficult offseason and the program’s most significant challenge heading into the fall.
“There’s a lot of people who are doing it for the first time,” Day said. “We’ve talked a lot about how our team has to grow up. We have a young team in certain areas and other guys that are maybe a little more inexperienced.”
That inexperience now replaces arguably the best quarterback season in Ohio State history. Will Howard, who transferred from Kansas State, rewrote the Buckeye record books in 2024, completing 71.4% of his passes for 4,208 yards and 35 touchdown passes while leading the program to its first title since 2014. He was named Offensive MVP in the Cotton Bowl and the College Football Playoff National Championship win over Notre Dame.
But Howard wasn’t the only significant loss. Defensive mastermind Knowles was poached by Penn State after three dominant years leading Ohio State’s defense. Under Knowles’ guidance, the Buckeyes fielded one of the top-ranked defenses in the nation, allowing just 12.9 points per game and ranking first in total defense over his final four seasons as a coordinator.
His departure leaves a significant gap in the scheme, leadership, and identity.
Ryan Day Faces Pressure, But Sees Opportunity in Adversity
Despite losing 15 players to the transfer portal and both coordinators, Day remains optimistic but realistic about the year ahead. “Every year, it’s a different challenge,” Day said. “This year, it’s about building maturity and continuity in key areas.”
The national title earned Day a well-deserved contract extension and raise, but also reignited the spotlight on his performance, especially after four consecutive losses to rival Michigan before the championship breakthrough. The pressure at a blue-blood like Ohio State never goes away.
“When you’re at Ohio State, you’re expected to win every game,” Day continued. “You’re expected to win the rivalry game. You’re expected to win a national championship. And when you don’t, you have to deal with it.”
Still, Day emphasized that adversity, like the early-season loss to Oregon in 2024, was crucial in forging last year’s title team. The resilience forged in those moments, he says, will again be the key to success in 2025.
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With a young but talented roster, the spotlight now shifts to the new generation of Buckeye stars. The biggest test for Day and his revamped staff will be whether Ohio State can maintain its national relevance without two of the program’s most important leaders.
In the Big Ten’s new era, expectations won’t drop, but without Will Howard and Jim Knowles, the margin for error just got a lot thinner in Columbus.
