ohio state football: What You Need to Know (October 2026)

Ohio State Football Is Back in the Spotlight — Here's Why Everyone Is Searching

Search interest in Ohio State football has spiked 200 percent in recent weeks, and it is not hard to understand why. The Buckeyes are generating buzz across recruiting boards, transfer portal activity, and preseason rankings — all converging at once to remind the college football world that Columbus remains one of the sport's most powerful addresses.

Ryan Day's Program Enters 2025 With Something to Prove

Head coach Ryan Day enters his seventh season at Ohio State carrying both the weight of expectation and the momentum of last year's national championship run. After the Buckeyes captured the 2024 College Football Playoff title — beating Notre Dame 34-23 in the national championship game in Atlanta — the program is now navigating the complicated reality of defending a title while absorbing significant roster turnover.

Quarterback Will Howard, who played a pivotal role in that championship run, has exhausted his eligibility. The signal-caller competition heading into fall camp is genuinely open, which is a rare thing for a program that typically has that position locked down. Four-star prospect Air Noland and redshirt freshman Julian Sayin are the names drawing the most attention from analysts, and that uncertainty alone is driving a wave of fan engagement and media coverage.

Transfer Portal and Recruiting Have Ohio State Moving Fast

The Buckeyes have been aggressive in the transfer portal this cycle, a necessity in the modern era of college football. Ohio State added several key pieces on both sides of the ball, most notably targeting experienced offensive linemen and secondary depth — two areas where departures created real need.

On the recruiting trail, the 2026 class is already drawing national attention. Ohio State currently holds commitments from multiple top-100 prospects and is in the running for several five-star players who will announce decisions before the end of summer. That activity keeps the program trending on recruiting platforms day after day.

What the Buckeyes Return — and What They Lost

Despite the roster churn, there is genuine talent coming back. Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who put together one of the most electric freshman seasons in program history with 76 receptions for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2024, returns as arguably the most dangerous receiver in college football. Teams will gameplan around him from week one.

Defensively, the Buckeyes return a core that should remain among the Big Ten's best. Linebacker Chip Trayanum and cornerback Denzel Burke give the defense an experienced spine heading into what figures to be a physically demanding conference schedule.

What Ohio State lost, beyond Howard, includes a handful of NFL Draft picks on the defensive line — players who made the Buckeyes' pass rush a genuinely frightening thing to face. Replacing that production from depth and the portal will be the program's biggest challenge in 2025.

The Schedule Sets Up Another Deep Run

Ohio State's 2025 schedule features marquee non-conference games and the usual gauntlet of Big Ten opponents. The annual game against Michigan — still the most watched regular season rivalry in the sport — lands in late November in Columbus, which means the Shoe will be the center of the college football universe for at least one Saturday.

• Oregon, Penn State, and Michigan are the three biggest threats in the Big Ten
• A neutral-site opener against a Power Four program has scouts and analysts circling early
• The CFP field expands to 16 teams again, giving the Buckeyes more margin for error

Ohio State football trends for a reason. The program operates at a scale most schools cannot match — in recruiting budget, facilities, fan base, and historical pedigree. With a title banner freshly hung in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center and a roster still loaded with elite talent, the Buckeyes are not rebuilding. They are reloading, and college football is paying close attention.