Ohio State did not take the field this week, but the college football world never slows down. With conference championship games complete and the College Football Playoff bracket taking shape, the Buckeyes
found themselves at the center of awards season, coaching news, and postseason discussion. The pause before the playoff provides a moment to reflect on what Ohio State accomplished in the regular season, and what still needs to be solved before the quarterfinal.
Buckeyes dominate postseason honors
Ohio State’s roster strength was reflected clearly in the postseason accolades. On offense, Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate earned first-team All-Big Ten honors, while Julian Sayin, Bo Jackson, Luke Montgomery, and Austin Sierveld landed on the second team. Defensively, the Buckeyes were even more dominant, with Kayden McDonald, Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles, and Caleb Downs all being named first-team All-Big Ten. Caden Curry and Davison Igbinosun earned second-team recognition, while Jermaine Mathews Jr. landed on the third team.
National recognition followed. CBS Sports named Jeremiah Smith, Kayden McDonald, Arvell Reese, and Caleb Downs as first-team All-Americans. Downs added another major accolade by winning the Jim Thorpe Award, cementing his status as one of the nation’s premier defensive backs. Smith finished second in the Biletnikoff voting but was named Big Ten Receiver of the Year, an outcome that underscored both his dominance and the depth of elite receivers nationally this season.
Coaching movement and rivalry fallout
One of the quieter developments of the week came on the coaching carousel, as Jim Knowles moved on after Penn State chose not to retain him, ultimately landing at Tennessee as the Volunteers’ defensive coordinator. The timing was unusual, but the move effectively closed his chapter in the Big Ten and allowed both programs to turn the page heading into the postseason and offseason.
Across the rivalry, the news was anything but quiet. Michigan formally dismissed Sherrone Moore with cause, a stunning outcome tied to the latest chapter in a growing list of program scandals that have engulfed the Wolverines over the past half-decade. What was once framed as continuity and stability quickly unraveled, as investigations and institutional fallout exposed deeper leadership and cultural issues within the program. Moore’s firing leaves Michigan searching yet again for direction, credibility, and a reset button that has proven elusive. The situation adds further turbulence to an already chaotic Big Ten offseason and underscores the widening divide between Ohio State’s playoff focus and a rival still reckoning with the consequences of its own failures.
Bracket talk, basketball, and lingering concerns
With conference championships complete, attention naturally shifted to the playoff bracket and the broader bowl slate. Early betting lines set expectations across the country, with programs like Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Oregon, and Oklahoma opening as first-round favorites, while a thinner non-playoff bowl schedule still offers intrigue in matchups such as Michigan vs. Texas, Iowa vs. Vanderbilt, and Georgia Tech vs. BYU.
Away from the gridiron, Ohio State basketball experienced a frustrating week, falling 88–80 to Illinois despite a brilliant 34-point performance from Bruce Thornton, a reminder of both the team’s ceiling and its inconsistency against elite competition.
For the football program, however, the focus has sharpened. Internal evaluations and team awards reinforced both the roster’s star power and its growth areas. Caleb Downs, Jeremiah Smith, and Julian Sayin stood out as MVP-caliber pillars, while Arvell Reese, Caden Curry, Kayden McDonald, Sonny Styles, Austin Sierveld, and Carnell Tate were recognized for significant development. Transfer additions such as Max Klare and Phillip Daniels also earned praise for steadying key positions of need.
As Ohio State turns fully toward its New Year’s Eve semifinal, the formula is simple but unforgiving. Red-zone execution and offensive line consistency remain the defining variables. The Buckeyes possess the talent, depth, and accolades of a national champion, but in the postseason, precision and execution in the game’s smallest moments will determine whether this season is remembered as another deep run or the one that ends with a repeat national title.
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