We are 365 days away from the 2026 National Championship Game and here is what Ohio State needs to do over the next year to get the job done.
The 2026 National Championship is exactly one year from Sunday. Yes, Jan 25, 2027, is the day of the 2026 National Championship Game - why it is so late (or early) in the year is an article for another time.
For now, the Ohio State Buckeyes are exactly 12 months away from their opportunity to hoist the National Championship Trophy and get back to the top of College Football yet again.
What must they do to get there?
I would grade their offseason to this point as a B- at best. The program hemorrhaged young talent at the beginning of the transfer portal window and brought in a couple of veteran players toward the end.
They acquired exactly zero big names and two players that they brought in move the needle for me with Earl Little Jr. and Qua Russaw. Even then, Russaw is coming off a year where he was injured and then lost his position to a younger player.
Then, Ohio State brought in Arthur Smith to be their offensive coordinator after the Steelers hired Mike McCarthy to be their next head coach.
Not a move that inspired many Buckeyes fans.
So, how do they get back to the top?
First, it starts with physicality. The biggest move of the Buckeyes' offseason was the retention of their most important offensive linemen, Carson Hinzman, Luke Montgomery, and Austin Siereveld. Getting back to being a physically dominant group up front on both sides of the line of scrimmage is paramount to their success next season.
Second is a slight change in philosophy on the offensive side of the ball. The last two seasons, Ohio State kept its offense in first gear for the entirety of the regular season.
It came back to bite them in 2024 at the end of the regular season, but they were veteran enough to drop the attack into fifth gear for the playoffs, and they blew past everyone.
2025 was a totally different story. Ohio State showed glimpses during the regular season that they had real flaws on the offensive side of the football, and if they needed to turn up the tempo, it was unsuccessful. Then, in the Big Ten Championship, they got into an MMA fight with Indiana, and they got beaten up and were unable to find that next gear.
Their next game was exactly the same story. Miami drug them down to their level, and when it was time for Ohio State to hit the gas, they simply couldn't do it. They needed three scoring drives in the second half to come back against Miami, and they were only able to have three drives for the entire half.
Day and Smith need to make an adjustment and speed up their tempo. It doesn't have to be early 2010s Oregon, but it does need to be faster in 2026. Another reason that the Arthur Smith hire doesn't make sense.
This is a position group that is not getting talked about enough, as the Buckeyes are losing arguably two of their most important and impactful players in Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles. Replacing them with not only productivity but also leadership will go a long way to getting back.
Those three things are just the start. The Buckeyes have a long, long road to travel to get back to the top, and they are one year away from their opportunity.