Despite a strong start to the 2025 college football season, here are the three issues the Ohio State Buckeyes must address before entering Big Ten Conference play next week.

After a huge week one victory over the Texas Longhorns, it has been clear that the Ohio State Buckeyes' are one of the best teams in the nation this season.

But "good enough" is not enough for the reigning National Championship-winners if head coach Ryan Day and his squad want to repeat in 2025-26.

Now that the Buckeyes have completed their non-conference schedule for this season following Saturday's victory over the Ohio Bobcats, the program gets a bye week to prepare for the start of their upcoming Big Ten Conference schedule in week five. With a week of preparations heading into week five on the road against the Washington Huskies, here are the three issues that must be addressed for the remainder of the season.

Running Back Room

Ohio State's offensive efforts have been carried by redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Sayin through the first three weeks of the season. Part of the reason why offensive coordinator Brian Hartline has heavily relied on Sayin is due to the inefficiency on the ground.

Heading into this season, former West Virginia standout CJ Donaldson and sophomore James Peoples were slated to take a majority of the workload on the ground. But this is beginning to change after true freshman running back Bo Jackson's incredible two-game stretch.

The highly-touted prospect in the 2025 recruiting class surged on to the season against Grambling State after rushing for 108 yards and one touchdown on just nine carries. This paved the way to Jackson receiving an increased workload against the Bobcats in week three, where he finished with 109 rushing yards on nine carries.

Jackson's combination of size and speed allows him to be a true workhorse for the Buckeyes, as it gives the offense a reliable threat on the ground that is capable of big-time plays. As the current leader in rushing yards for the program, Jackson should clearly see an increased workload for the rest of the season.

Defending The Run

It's clear that Ohio State knocked it out of the park with the hiring of defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, but his unit will be tested once the team enters conference play. 

Four out of the nine teams the Buckeyes are set to face in conference play rank within the top 60 programs in rushing yards per game, with the Buckeyes week five opponent in the Washington Huskies ranking fourth with 303.5 rushing yards per game.

Ohio State's defense has done a terrific job of limiting the passing attack this season, allowing an average of 118.3 passing yards. But it's the run defense that must be fixed in order to maintain the program's hot start on defense. This season, the Buckeyes have allowed an average of 109.3 rushing yards per game, while giving up a total of 166 rushing yards to the Texas Longhorns in week one.

Luckily for the Patricia, defensive tackle Kayden McDonald continues to show plenty of promise as the newest starter up front. The junior defender recorded 14 tackles, one sack and one tackle for a loss in three games this season, which makes for a bright spot on defense. McDonald, along with the dynamic linebacker duo of Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles could help the Buckeyes' efforts on the ground moving forward this season.

Growing Pains With QB Julian Sayin

Considering how well he's done this season so far as a first-year starter, this could be a bit of  nitpicking with Sayin's performances. But if Ohio State wants to maintain their status as the No. 1 team in the country, there are a few issues the young quarterback must fix before going into conference play.

Hartline clearly expanded the playbook for Sayin during the team's past two contests. And with the growth of responsibilities beginning to increase for the California native, we've finally seen more of Sayin and his struggles that he is encountering on a weekly bases.

One area of struggle for the redshirt freshman was the lack of conversions in the red zone, which happened multiple times against the Bobcats. Last year, Ohio State was able to excel in these situations due to the combination of  Quinshon Judkins, TreVeyon Henderson and Will Howard being able to find the end zone on the ground. But without a stable run game and Sayin unable to consistently use his legs, this makes it a challenge for the Buckeyes to convert in these spots.

Overall, Sayin has been nothing short of impressive. However, these little situations could begin to pile up throughout the course of the season as the level of competition continues to rise in conference play.