Ohio State Fans Will be Seething Over Controversial Big Ten Prediction

The Ohio State Buckeyes were clearly the best team in the Big Ten last year, even if they still weren't able to shake their demons against the Michigan Wolverines.

But after losing so many key pieces to the NFL Draft this offseason, where does Ohio State stand heading into the 2025 campaign?

Many would agree that the Buckeyes are still championship contenders thanks to an influx of new talent and a handful of returning players that should be even better this time around, but there is no question that the talent gap between Ohio State and the rest of the country just does not seem to be there this year.

In fact, Phil Steele of On 3 recently released his Big Ten predictions for the upcoming season, and he placed the Buckeyes second behind the Penn State Nittany Lions.

"As is often the case with national championship teams, Ohio State is dealing with plenty of turnover," Steele wrote. "Still, few teams bring in as much talent annually as Ohio State. The Buckeyes should be ready to once again compete at the top of the Big Ten."

Now, here's what the Columbus faithful needs to keep in mind: Penn State is returning quarterback Drew Allar, who has a shot to actually be the best signal-caller in the country in 2025. Plus, running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen are returning.

The biggest question for the Nittany Lions is surely head coach James Franklin, who has been slammed with quite a bit of criticism for his inability to win big games. But remember: it wasn't long ago when Ryan Day was faced with similar critiques.

Regardless, Ohio State fans are obviously not going to want to see Penn State ranked ahead of them in any capacity, so this will surely enrage a good portion of the Buckeyes fan base.

But at least Ohio State was placed ahead of the team Up North, right?