Ohio State Buckeyes 2025 Record Prediction: Can They Prove Their Championship Wasn’t Just a Bought Mickey Mouse Title?

Now for our record prediction for the one and only Ohio State Buckeyes. And what a peculiar, controversial, and drama-filled offseason it’s been for them. The dust is still settling from what critics—perhaps rightly—are calling a “Mickey Mouse national championship.” The whispers are growing louder that Ohio State didn’t win it outright as much as they bought it, a title wrapped in skepticism, NIL power plays, and questionable officiating. And now, with a target on their back and few excuses left, the Buckeyes must show the college football world that their 2024 title wasn’t a fluke, let alone a farce.

Ohio State’s 2025 season doesn’t just hinge on wins and losses. It’s about validation. The Buckeyes need to assert their dominance without controversy, navigate a grueling Big Ten schedule, and prove they’re more than just an NIL heavyweight backed by boosters with deep pockets. Can they do it? That’s the million-dollar question—and ironically, a million dollars might be what it takes.

Ryan Day, still at the helm, enters the season with more pressure than ever. Sure, he finally got that elusive national championship, but the manner in which it came left more questions than answers. Critics aren’t forgetting the soft semifinal opponent, the generous calls, and the sense that Ohio State’s machine had more to do with money than merit. And with a reloaded but not necessarily better roster, the Buckeyes are walking into a landmine-laden 2025 schedule that could make or break Day’s long-term tenure in Columbus.

Let’s start under center. The quarterback room remains stacked, but unsettled. Devin Brown is gone, and while freshman phenom Keenan Wilcox has the fanbase excited, the transition from high school to the Big Ten gauntlet is steep. Transfer portal additions helped, but none come without question marks. Quarterback consistency will determine whether the Buckeyes start 8–0 or spiral midseason in the face of pressure-packed environments like Madison, East Lansing, and (most notably) Ann Arbor.

The wide receiver corps remains elite—that’s never really in doubt in Columbus. Jeremiah Smith is back and expected to be one of the top three receivers in the country. His combination of size, speed, and football IQ makes him nearly uncoverable, even in bracketed coverage. But beyond Smith, the depth drops off slightly. Julian Fleming’s departure leaves a hole in the WR2 spot, and while younger talents are emerging, the offense will need more than one reliable target to compete at the highest level week after week.

Running back is solid, though not spectacular. TreVeyon Henderson is gone, and although the committee approach with Dallan Hayden, Chip Trayanum, and sophomore upstart DeShawn McKnight offers variety, it may lack the game-breaking threat that separates contenders from pretenders. The offensive line is retooled, especially on the right side, where multiple starters from 2024 have departed for the NFL. If there’s a vulnerability in this Ohio State offense, it’s in the trenches—especially early in the season before chemistry gels.

On defense, Ohio State might have to win ugly. The front seven is experienced and aggressive, led by returning linebacker Cody Simon and edge rusher Jack Sawyer. But the secondary remains a concern. With Denzel Burke off to the league and no clear shutdown corner emerging in spring practices, teams like Michigan, Penn State, and even USC could expose the back end. That’s not ideal in a conference that’s gotten significantly deeper on offense with the addition of West Coast programs and improved quarterback play across the board.

Speaking of the conference, the new Big Ten schedule is no joke. Ohio State will face both Oregon and USC in 2025, and neither trip will be easy. Add in annual matchups with Michigan and Penn State, plus potential trap games against upstart teams like Iowa or Washington, and you’ve got a schedule that could punish even a more complete Buckeye team than this one.

Week 1 against UNLV is a glorified scrimmage—Ohio State should roll by 40. But Week 2 at Washington? That’s where things start to get interesting. Kalen DeBoer may be gone, but the Huskies still have pieces and the cross-country trip is no joke. If Ohio State looks sluggish or gets upset in Seattle, the questions about their legitimacy will ignite all over again.

The next few weeks should bring wins—home games against Indiana and Northwestern are manageable. But October is brutal. A trip to Michigan State, followed by back-to-back showdowns with Penn State and USC, will define their season. Go 2–1 in that stretch, and the Buckeyes are in playoff contention. Lose two or more, and you’re staring down an 11-2 season that could easily feel like a letdown after 2024’s controversial high.

Then comes The Game. Ohio State and Michigan at the Big House. Jim Harbaugh might be gone, but the rivalry never loses its heat. Michigan fans still believe 2024 was stolen from them—either by refs, NIL influence, or both—and you better believe they’ll be out for blood. A loss in Ann Arbor, even with a solid 10–1 record entering the game, could implode the Buckeyes’ playoff hopes. A win, on the other hand, silences critics—at least temporarily.

And that’s what this entire season feels like: temporary silence or renewed noise. If Ohio State wins 12 games, beats Michigan, and makes the playoff again? Ryan Day and the program gain some credibility back. If they slip up two or three times, even if they make a New Year’s Six bowl, it won’t feel like enough.

There’s also the looming narrative war they can’t avoid. Every time they win big, skeptics will say, “Of course—they paid for it.” Every time they lose, those same critics will call them frauds. It’s a no-win situation unless they run the table, look dominant doing it, and shut down doubters with undeniable play on both sides of the ball.

And that’s a big ask. This Ohio State team is good. Very good. But it may not be great. It may not have the generational talent on both sides of the ball that we saw from Georgia in 2021–22 or LSU in 2019. The Buckeyes will need everything to click—coaching, player development, injury luck, and yes, officiating—to make another title run. That’s a lot of “ifs” for a team still trying to shake off the image of a store-bought crown.

Ultimately, we’re predicting a 10–2 regular season for Ohio State. Losses to either Washington or USC on the road, and a defeat to Michigan in The Game, will keep them out of the Big Ten title game and likely outside the four-team playoff bracket. The offense will be explosive, the defense good enough—but not elite—and the noise will never quite go away.

And maybe that’s fitting. Maybe this is the identity of Ohio State now: the most polarizing blue blood in the country. They’re talented, deep, and financially fortified. But they also have to live with the reality that many don’t see them as champions—they see them as opportunists.

If Ryan Day wants to change that narrative, it starts in September. And it’ll end—one way or another—in late November in Ann Arbor.

So here it is. The Buckeyes’ 2025 record prediction: 10–2. Not a disaster. Not a championship. Just enough success to keep the noise manageable, and just enough failure to keep the critics talking.

And isn’t that what college football is all about?