Ohio State coach Ryan Day is seeking to return the Buckeyes to their former glories after they lost both their Big Ten and national titles to the rampaging Indiana Hoosiers last season. The Buckeyes have been aggressive in the transfer portal to revamp their roster ahead of next season.
Most importantly, Day will welcome back quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith to his offense next season.
Analyst Warns CFB About Ohio State’s Strengths
In his way-too-early national championship predictions, PFSN analyst Ryan Guthrie predicted that the Buckeyes would be one of the most potent teams on both sides of the ball next season.
“8.04% chance to win the national championship (PFSN CFP Playoff Meter). Ohio State rarely stays down, and 2026 won’t be the exception. Julian Sayin, a 2025 Heisman finalist, returns hungry. Jeremiah Smith might be the most terrifying receiver in college football and a potential top-3 NFL Draft pick,” Guthrie wrote.
“While the Buckeyes lose some defensive pieces from a top-5 PFSN unit in 2025, there’s no shortage of talent waiting for DC Matt Patricia to develop. And an angry Ryan Day-led Ohio State team. That’s a problem for everyone.”
Ahead of Day’s Buckeyes, Guthrie picked the Texas Longhorns and the Oregon Ducks as his favorites to win the national championship next season.
Ohio State Hire Tabbed To Help Ryan Day’s Focus Next Season
The Buckeyes hired former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith to the same position in Columbus as Brian Hartline’s replacement. During Monday’s segment of the “Joel Klatt Show,” Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt predicted that the Buckeyes’ hiring of Smith will allow Day to focus on running the program next season.
“I don’t think Ryan Day wants to have to worry about, look over the shoulder of, the offense,” Klatt said. “I really don’t. I think that he wants to be able to give the keys to the offense to a guy like Arthur Smith, just like he gave the keys to the defense to a guy like [OSU defensive coordinator] Matt Patricia.
“Now, he can be CEO and he can worry about evaluating talent, and then fixing a problem that arose. He was able to do that two years ago when Chip Kelly was the O. C and he jumped in on the defensive side and allowed them to make some changes that ultimately led to a national championship. Last year, he was never really able to do that.”
The Buckeyes have one of the toughest schedules in the country next season, including a non-conference game on the road against Texas, road clashes against the Iowa Hawkeyes, Indiana Hoosiers, and USC Trojans, and home games against the Oregon Ducks and Michigan Wolverines.
