As Ohio State prepares to defend its national championship, ESPN attempted to name the one game that will define the Buckeyes season in 2025. There are plenty of changes facing head coach Ryan Day and the program with roster attrition and multiple key coaching changes after winning the College Football Playoff. The good news for Ohio State fans, however, is the Buckeyes signed the No. 4 high school class and bring back two All-Americans in safety Caleb Downs and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.
It’s hard to imagine Ohio State not contending for a Big Ten championship and playoff spot next season, though a misstep in ESPN’s defining game could throw a wrench into those overarching goals. According to Jake Trotter of ESPN, “The Game” looms as a season-defining matchup in which success has eluded the program for four-straight years.
“Is there a team in college football with a game more defining than Ohio State’s trip to Michigan on Nov. 29?,” Trotter wrote. Michigan pulled off the upset over the Buckeyes under first-year head coach Sherrone Moore in what was expected to be a breakthrough win for Day and Co. The Buckeyes came into The Game as the 20.5-point favorites (ESPN BET) before falling, again, 13-10 in Columbus.
Ohio State does have a pair of high-profile matchups elsewhere on the 2025 slate, including a home meeting with Texas to open the season, a rematch from the Cotton Bowl semifinal. Additionally, Big Ten runner-up Penn State will visit the Buckeyes on Nov. 1 after reaching the playoff semifinals last season. Despite those two matchups looming and Ohio State still securing a national championship with a loss to Michigan last season, Trotter believes the 2025 season “will seem like a disappointment” for Buckeyes faithful with a road loss to UM.
