Ohio State football ranked No. 1 in Big Ten early-spring rankings

Ohio State is coming off a national championship season, during which the Buckeyes asserted their dominance late in the year by dismantling the Tennessee Volunteers and Oregon Ducks, crushing the hopes of the Texas Longhorns, and squashing the Notre Dame Fighting Irish for the third season in a row.

Although the season was not always perfect, as Ohio State finished fourth in the Big Ten even though they were responsible for the only losses the top three teams in the conference had all year. But that’s what happens when you face tough competition.

With the nation’s highest 15 players sent to the NFL Combine, many expect a regression out of Ohio State. But that’s not how Athlon Sports’ Steven Lassan sees it. He has Ohio State at the top of his spring 2025 power rankings. Right behind them, he has Penn State at No. 2 and the reigning Big Ten champion Oregon at No. 3. Here is everything he had to say about the Buckeyes:

“The Buckeyes have holes to fill, so a repeat national championship won’t be easy. However, quarterback Julian Sayin is a breakout candidate, and coach Ryan Day’s squad still has two of the nation’s best players in receiver Jeremiah Smith and safety Caleb Downs.”

Steven Lassan

At this point, it is practically a consensus amongst college football fans that Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs are the two best players returning in college football. It’s no surprise that Steven points them out as a major reason why the Buckeyes are on top of the Big Ten this spring.

But Julian Sayin is an interesting person to mention here first. Ohio State does technically have a quarterback battle going on this spring between Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz. Sayin is the favorite to land the position, especially with what Chip Kelly, Will Howard, and Denzel Burke had to say about him during the national championship run and at the NFL combine.

If all goes according to plan this spring, Julian Sayin will be the only starter for the Ohio State offense that has never started a college football game in his career. Sayin is a clear breakout candidate, but he is also the most important one, too.

There is no doubt this Spring all eyes will be on the quarterback position once again, as it could be the difference between winning it all or regressing compared to last year.