Ohio State Football Always Ranks Among Top 25 Teams but the Buckeyes Are Not the Big Ten’s Trendiest Title Contender

The Ohio State Buckeyes are a staple in college football’s top 25 rankings. Every year, regardless of coaching changes, roster turnover, or schedule challenges, they remain near the summit of the sport. The scarlet and gray represent tradition, excellence, and consistency in a way few programs can match. Yet as the 2025 season approaches, there’s a curious shift occurring within the Big Ten: while Ohio State is respected, admired, and expected to contend, it’s no longer the league’s most fashionable pick to win the conference — let alone the national title.

In a landscape shaped by perception, media hype, and evolving rosters, the Buckeyes have found themselves in an unusual position. They are elite, yet not trendy. Dangerous, but not darling. Respected, not revered. That distinction matters, especially in a league that just expanded to include blue-blood powerhouses USC, Oregon, Washington, and UCLA. It is these West Coast arrivals, along with a reinvigorated Michigan, that have stolen the off-season spotlight, even as Ohio State reloads for another run at glory.

Ryan Day’s team has been here before — underestimated despite its track record. Since Day took the reins from Urban Meyer in 2019, the Buckeyes have consistently posted double-digit win seasons, earned playoff berths, and produced NFL stars. But since their last national title in 2014, they’ve also endured their share of frustration: blowout playoff losses, back-to-back defeats to Michigan, and questions surrounding quarterback play in the most high-stakes moments. That’s where perception begins to fracture from reality.

Entering 2025, the Big Ten’s sexy pick is not Ohio State. It’s Oregon, led by the charismatic Dan Lanning and loaded with a quarterback-friendly system, West Coast talent, and modern swagger. Oregon is new to the Big Ten, yet already viewed by some pundits as a better bet to win the conference than the Buckeyes. After a strong 2024 campaign and with transfer quarterback Dillon Gabriel running the show, Oregon feels like the fresh storyline that captures imagination.

Then there’s Michigan. Even with Jim Harbaugh off to the NFL and a new coaching staff in place, the Wolverines’ three-game win streak over Ohio State continues to hang over the rivalry like a storm cloud. Until Day’s team proves otherwise, many analysts believe Michigan holds the psychological and schematic edge. That narrative has influenced preseason predictions — with some outlets projecting Michigan as the Big Ten favorite based on continuity, culture, and recent success.

And yet, the numbers tell a different story. Ohio State arguably boasts the most complete roster in the Big Ten, if not the country. The Buckeyes landed key transfer targets — most notably Kansas State quarterback Will Howard — to address the inconsistencies that plagued their offense late last year. Howard isn’t a flashy addition, but he’s a proven veteran with physical tools, poise, and the leadership experience to operate within the Buckeyes’ dynamic system. He doesn’t need to be C.J. Stroud or Justin Fields; he just needs to be reliable.

Ohio State’s offensive arsenal is formidable. TreVeyon Henderson returns as one of the most explosive running backs in college football, complemented by depth at receiver and tight end. While Marvin Harrison Jr.’s departure to the NFL leaves a void, the Buckeyes aren’t lacking in talent. Sophomores Brandon Inniss and Carnell Tate are ready for breakout seasons. The offensive line, which has struggled at times in recent years, has been rebuilt with experience and fresh legs.

Defensively, this might be Ohio State’s best unit since 2019. Jim Knowles enters his third season as defensive coordinator with a group that is fast, physical, and deep. Linebackers like C.J. Hicks and safety Caleb Downs, a standout transfer from Alabama, are potential All-Americans. The defensive line remains stout, and the secondary — once the program’s Achilles heel — has grown into a position of strength. Unlike some recent seasons where Ohio State had to outscore teams, 2025’s squad is capable of winning with defense.

And perhaps that’s where the disconnect arises. Ohio State isn’t the flashy new storyline. The Buckeyes aren’t riding the wave of change like Oregon. They haven’t upended their rivals like Michigan. They haven’t changed their colors, their coach, or their play style. What they have is an old-school brand of football dressed in new-age speed and strength — but no dramatic narrative arc to capture the nation’s imagination.

Trendy picks tend to revolve around momentum and novelty. But trends fade. What Ohio State offers is something more enduring. The Buckeyes have made the College Football Playoff in three of the past five seasons. They’ve recruited top-five classes year after year. Their NIL infrastructure is competitive. Their coaching staff is stable. And while some fans grumble about Ryan Day’s record against Michigan, his overall winning percentage remains elite. The program is built to contend, even if it’s not currently the media’s favorite.

It’s also worth noting that the Big Ten schedule in 2025 is far more daunting than in years past. With no divisions and a rotational format that brings in top opponents from across the country, every contender will be tested. Ohio State hosts Texas in a non-conference showdown and must travel to face Oregon late in the season. It’s possible — perhaps even likely — that the Buckeyes won’t go undefeated. But perfection isn’t the standard anymore. In the new College Football Playoff format expanding to 12 teams, the focus shifts from dominating the regular season to peaking in December and January.

That shift plays in Ohio State’s favor. The Buckeyes have the depth, talent, and infrastructure to make a deep run. Their margin for error is greater than ever. If Will Howard settles in, if the defense continues to progress, and if the Michigan monkey can finally be removed from their back, there’s little doubt Ohio State can reclaim its place atop the sport.

But even if that all comes to pass, it still won’t make Ohio State trendy. This is a program that doesn’t reinvent itself every offseason. It doesn’t chase the headlines. It simply exists in the upper echelon of college football, season after season, whether the public is watching or not. That kind of consistency can be easy to take for granted — especially when shinier objects appear in the conference.

There’s a certain irony to the Buckeyes’ current standing. In past years, critics accused the Big Ten of being too Ohio State-centric, of ignoring the rest of the conference. Now, as the league grows to 18 teams and embraces a broader national scope, Ohio State finds itself almost marginalized in the noise — not because it has slipped, but because everyone else has gotten louder.

Don’t mistake quiet for weakness. In the silence, the Buckeyes are building. They’re working. They’re preparing to remind the world — and perhaps especially their conference peers — that being a perennial power doesn’t require hype or headlines. It requires wins. And if there’s one thing Ohio State still does better than almost anyone, it’s win.

So while Oregon may be the trendy pick, and Michigan may be the emotional favorite, Ohio State remains the safest bet. It might not be flashy, but it’s effective. It might not be loved, but it’s feared. And in a sport increasingly driven by buzz and clicks, there’s still value in a program that lets its results do the talking.

This fall, the Buckeyes will once again take the field with national championship aspirations. They’ll face critics, skeptics, and challengers from coast to coast. But they’ll do so with the confidence of a team that knows what it’s capable of. Because while trends come and go, tradition — especially in Columbus — never fades.

And maybe, just maybe, the least trendy team in the Big Ten will end up being the last one standing.