LAdam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch-USA TODAY NETWORK

Ohio State fans aren’t going to like who one former Buckeye picked to win the national championship this season

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Brandon Little | Last updated Aug 7, 2025 9:34 AM ET

Winning back-to-back national championships a very the tough feat in college football—especially with the expanded 12-team playoff format.

Ohio State will try to do just that this season after losing a ton of talent to the NFL from last year’s team. Georgia managed it in 2021 and 2022, and Alabama did it in consecutive seasons starting in 2011. Before that, you’d have to go all the way back to Nebraska in 1995 to find the last repeat champion.

Going back-to-back is quite the feat, and that may be why one former Buckeye isn’t picking Ohio State to win it all this season.

Former Ohio State player picks Penn State to win the national championship

Zak Herbstreit of On3, who spent four years at Ohio State as a walk-on tight end and is the son of ESPN college football analyst and former Buckeye quarterback Kirk Herbstreit, is predicting Penn State to win the national title. He sees the Nittany Lions defeating Georgia in the championship game.

Via @ZHerbstreit on X

Herbstreit projects the Buckeyes as the No. 5 seed, earning wins over Boise State and Texas before falling to Georgia in the semifinals. On the other side of the bracket, he has Penn State knocking off Alabama and Clemson to reach the title game.

Penn State returns more production than any team in the Big Ten, with key players like quarterback Drew Allar and running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton all returning. A major offseason move was Penn State hiring Jim Knowles away from Ohio State to be its defensive coordinator—a key addition for the Nittany Lions.

Ohio State will host Penn State in early November in what’s sure to be a Big Noon Kickoff game on FOX. Expect that matchup to play a crucial role in determining the Big Ten title race and College Football Playoff seeding.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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