College football analyst points out his biggest worry with the Ohio State Buckeyes and it’s one that no one is talking about

Winning one national championship is tough, and Ryan Day became just the third active head coach to do so when the Ohio State Buckeyes won it all back in January.

Now, winning multiple titles is even tougher, and the Buckeyes are now tasked with trying to repeat. Ohio State had 14 players drafted from that championship team and lost both of its coordinators.

Still, the expectations remain the same: beat Michigan and compete for another national title. While many are focused on the uncertainty at quarterback, one college football analyst has a different concern.

David Pollack raises a fair concern about the Ohio State Buckeyes heading into 2025

“I think most people are going to lean into quarterback, but I don’t, because I know what Ohio State is in the quarterback room always,” Pollack said recently on See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack. “It’s always consistent and has great coaching, so I don’t doubt the Ohio State offense. I think to me, it’s the defense. You’ve got a new defensive coordinator and you’ve got a ton of new players.

“Does this defense look more like it did a couple of years ago, when it was a big-time deficiency for the team before they won the national championship, or does it look somewhere in the middle or closer to last year? But I could go down the list of so many names with [JT Tuimoloau] and [Jack] Sawyer and all of these guys that have been there, done that, stayed, and had experience in the moment that I trusted.”

Ohio State is replacing its entire starting defensive line along with several other key contributors. Losing defensive coordinator Jim Knowles adds another layer of concern. Fortunately for the Buckeyes, they return the top defensive player in the country, safety Caleb Downs. Ryan Day also brought in veteran NFL coach Matt Patricia to lead the defense.

Still, when you lose that much, it’s fair to question how strong the unit will be. Ohio State had the top defense in the country by the end of last season. If they want a shot at running it back, that group can’t afford much of a drop-off.