The National Championship between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Miami Hurricanes in on Monday in Miami is a reminder of what could have been for Ohio State.
Monday night in Miami is going to hurt to watch for Buckeye fans everywhere. The Ohio State Buckeyes finished the 2025 season with just two losses, one to each of the teams that are playing on Monday.
More importantly, it couldn't be clearer that Ohio State played Indiana closer than anyone else in America has, especially in the postseason, as they have been on this generational run that is reminiscent of last year's Ohio State run.
Everyone in Scarlet and Gray is going to play the what if game while watching this match. What if Julian Sayin doesn't slip on the QB sneak? What if Sayin throws it to move the chains instead of setting up the field goal attempt? What if Ohio State didn't get addicted to two and three-tight end sets? What if Jayden Fielding makes the kick?
All of those are fair questions to ask, but there is a saying about aunts and uncles and the word "if." The point is that Ohio State didn't do any of those things, and now they are suffering the consequences of it.
The Buckeyes had an opportunity to right all of their wrongs in the Cotton Bowl Classic against Miami but instead, Miami further exposed the weaknesses that Indiana brought to life.
Now, the question about the Buckeyes program is, how far away are they really? Are they 3 points away from the best team in the country, or are they somewhere in the mix between the 3rd-8th best teams in the country?
They had the best skill positions in America during the 2025 season, but they struggled at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the football, and that proved to be the biggest difference.
Ohio State is going to have a major challenge on its hands going into the new season next year. There is a very clear blueprint in this era of College Football that age is way more important than young talent, and the Buckeyes leaned into it.
They will have a roster that can go toe-to-toe with the oldest in the country, and that's what it is going to take to win. Will it be enough to erase the gap? I tend to think that they didn't do enough to improve their roster, but the team is set for now, and they will go forward with what they have.
What's inside their walls has to be enough to close the gap because the football we will watch on Monday night is much better than the team we had out on the field in 2025.