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Kirk Herbstreit Reveals One Concern to Watch at Ohio State: Exclusive

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jonathan D Adams | Last updated Jan 31, 2025 9:27 AM ET

As the Ohio State Buckeyes continue to celebrate the team's national championship, head coach Ryan Day also faces questions on how to replace some of the key players leaving the program. Much has been made about how the Buckeyes offense will look without players like quarterback Will Howard and the pair of star running backs heading to the NFL draft.

Yet, Ohio State's success could depend on the team's defense with star pass rushers JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer among those also heading to the 2025 NFL draft. Prior to the national title matchup versus the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Athlon Sports had a chance to speak with ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit.

When asked about potential contenders for the 2025 college football season, Herbstreit name dropped Ohio State. The longtime analyst indicated the team's biggest concern is retooling the defense.

"Ohio State is going to completely rebuild on defense," Herbstreit told Athlon Sports during the national championship media day on Jan. 18. "That'll be exciting to see how they are able to rebuild, because if anybody can, it would be Ohio State. They have some young players that are anxious [to play].

"... I think it's your normal teams probably reloading [in 2025]. Hopefully some more teams keep coming off the radar. It's fun to see that."

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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