Throughout the year, we will be asking and answering questions about various Ohio State teams, the players, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33 or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.
How are we feeling, fam? Has everyone recovered from the 13-10 Big Ten Championship Game loss that Ohio State suffered to Indiana on Saturday night? I know, for me, it was a disappointing
outcome, but because of the quick turnaround to thinking about the CFP, I have been able to move on fairly quickly.
So, in this week’s fan survey, we have a couple of questions looking forward to the Buckeyes’ next game, which will be on Wednesday, Dec. 31, in the Cotton Bowl against the winner of the first round match-up in College Station, Texas, between No. 7 Texas A&M and No. 10 Miami.
We want to know what you are hoping OSU will improve for that game and which of those two top-10 teams you are hoping will be on the other side of the field on New Year’s Eve.
Check out the questions below, and then make sure to vote in the survey beneath the article. If none of the options included in the survey line up with what you want to pick, feel free to head down to the comments at the bottom of the page and write in your pick. Then, on Saturday morning, check back with LGHL to see the results.
Question 1: What do you think that Ohio State most needs to fix before the CFP?
There is no doubt that Ohio State was outplayed and outcoached on Saturday night, but the most obvious benefit of the 12-team College Football Playoff Era is that the game not only didn’t ruin the Buckeyes’ chance of winning a national title, but it also gave them first-hand experience of knowing the areas that they need to improve in order to make a run like they did a season ago.
Obviously, the team and its coaches won’t be focusing on just one single thing in the lead up to their Cotton Bowl matchup with either Texas A&M or Miami (more on that in a moment) on New Year’s Eve, but we want to know what is the single aspect of OSU’s game that you most hope is dramatically improved before the CFP Quarterfinals?
While the defense was excellent against IU, there were a few issues that cropped up, from Lorenzo Style Jr. getting schemed into covering the deep ball to Hooser running backs picking up easy yardage at the line of scrimmage.
However, the majority of the areas that need improvement, in my mind, are on the offensive side of the ball, with some special teams thrown in as well. The offensive line — primarily the right side — absolutely has to do a better job of blocking rushers, especially in pass protection.
While that is a glaring issue, the single biggest thing that cost Ohio State the Big Ten title, from my perspective, was their inability to execute in the red zone. Save for last season when their efforts were buoyed by running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, and Will Howard’s ability to run, the entirety of Ryan Day’s tenure in Columbus has struggled in these situations. I don’t know what the answer is, and (until this point) clearly neither does the coaching staff.
Is it play-calling? Is it personnel? Is it practice and preparation? I don’t know, but against highly skilled teams — especially a potential rematch with IU — this will have to be remedied if the Bucks want to repeat as champs.
Question 2: Who would you rather see Ohio State play in the CFP Quarterfinals?
I have already gone on record in predicting every game of the 2025-26 College Football Playoff, and I believe that No. 2 Ohio State will face off against No. 10 Miami in the quarterfinals. However, what somebody thinks will happen and what they want to happen aren’t always the same thing.
Beating an SEC team in a high-profile matchup, in this case, Texas A&M, always brings some extra enjoyment for me. But beating Miami would bring back fond memories of one January night in the desert more than two decades ago.
So, I don’t know that I necessarily have a strong preference one way or the other, as they both bring bonus warm fuzzies. But, since I did predict the mild upset, I would vote for that one.
Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
