There’s something in the air in Columbus, and it smells like legacy. The echoes of last season’s triumph still ring through the hallowed halls of Ohio Stadium, but for the Buckeyes, resting on their laurels has never been part of the culture. As the 2025 college football season creeps closer, fans, players, and critics alike are beginning to ask the question that turns mere champions into dynasties—can Ohio State do it again? Can they go back-to-back like they’re Jordan in ’96 and ’97?
Winning one national championship is hard enough. It takes talent, leadership, discipline, and maybe even a little luck. Winning two in a row? That’s reserved for the legends. The 1996 and 1997 Chicago Bulls, led by the unrelenting will of Michael Jordan, are still referenced today as the standard of sustained greatness. It’s that exact kind of invincibility, that aura of inevitability, that the 2025 Buckeyes are now being asked to match. And perhaps what’s most intriguing is that they might actually be equipped to do just that.
Head coach Ryan Day has steadily built a machine in Columbus that seems more fine-tuned than ever. The 2024 season wasn’t just a championship run—it was a declaration. After years of coming close but falling just short, Day finally delivered the title that many believed had been within reach for several seasons. Now, instead of chasing Georgia or Alabama, the Buckeyes are being hunted. But much like Jordan returning to the NBA with a vengeance after a brief retirement, Ohio State’s swagger doesn’t seem rattled by the pressure—it seems amplified by it.
Offensively, Ohio State returns one of the most explosive and versatile attacks in college football. Quarterback Devin Brown, once a question mark, is now the unquestioned leader of the huddle. His decision-making, pocket awareness, and arm strength all took a massive leap forward in 2024, culminating in a season where he threw for over 4,000 yards and 36 touchdowns. He enters this season not just as a Heisman contender, but as a quarterback fully confident in his ability to lead a title defense.
But Brown isn’t going it alone. The wide receiver room—arguably the deepest in the country—remains intact and lethal. Marvin Harrison Jr. may have moved on to NFL stardom, but Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate, and Brandon Inniss form a trio that can punish defenses at all levels. Smith, in particular, is being hailed as the next great Buckeye wideout, a future top-five pick with the hands, speed, and route-running to break records. His chemistry with Brown is already evident and may become the defining duo of the season.
Then there’s the ground game. TreVeyon Henderson returned for another shot at glory, and that spells danger for defensive coordinators across the country. His blend of power and breakaway speed makes him one of the most complete backs in college football. With an offensive line that returns four starters and adds one of the top incoming freshmen in the nation, Henderson could easily put up Heisman-level numbers while helping the Buckeyes control the clock and dominate physically in key matchups.
Defensively, the Buckeyes were elite last year, and they may be even better this time around. Jim Knowles’ unit finally lived up to the hype, combining aggression with discipline to stifle even the most dynamic of offenses. The defensive front, led by Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau, is ferocious and unrelenting. Both players turned down NFL opportunities to chase history, and that commitment alone speaks volumes about the mentality in the locker room.
The linebacker corps is anchored by C.J. Hicks, a freak athlete with sideline-to-sideline speed and a nose for the ball. In the secondary, Denzel Burke and Davison Igbinosun return to create headaches for opposing quarterbacks. With a combination of press coverage, ball-hawking instincts, and film-room mastery, they’ve created a no-fly zone in the back end of the defense. When you put it all together, the Buckeyes have the personnel, the scheme, and the hunger to once again be the best defense in the nation.
But championship football is about more than just talent. It’s about mindset. Michael Jordan’s Bulls weren’t just great because they had MJ—they were great because they approached every game like it was personal. That edge, that refusal to take a night off, is what separates good teams from legendary ones. And that’s exactly what Ohio State seems to be embracing. Every practice, every rep, every team meeting is infused with the weight of legacy. They’re not just defending a title—they’re pursuing a dynasty.
Off the field, the culture has shifted too. Veteran leadership runs deep through the roster. There’s accountability, unity, and an understanding of what’s at stake. This group knows they’re being mentioned in the same breath as college football royalty. They know the comparisons to USC’s early-2000s dominance, Alabama’s dynastic run, and yes—even Jordan’s Bulls. And they’re embracing it.
The schedule doesn’t do them any favors, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. They open Big Ten play with a tough road game at Penn State, followed by matchups against Michigan State, Iowa, and a much-improved UCLA team. But the big one, as always, looms in late November—The Game. Michigan may be reloading, but in a rivalry like this, nothing can be taken for granted. Last year’s victory in Ann Arbor was cathartic for Buckeye Nation, and you can bet that the Wolverines will be eager to exact revenge.
A loss in that game wouldn’t necessarily derail Ohio State’s championship hopes, but a win? That might be the final boost of belief the team needs heading into the playoff. Because if history has taught us anything, it’s that great teams peak at the right time. Jordan’s Bulls lost games. They had bad shooting nights. But when the lights were brightest, they rose above everyone else. That’s what Ohio State must do again.
The College Football Playoff will be expanded, meaning Ohio State will need to win even more high-stakes games to repeat. Depth will be tested. Injuries may happen. Adversity will come knocking. But if there’s a team built to weather the storm, it’s this one. With an elite quarterback, a punishing run game, a suffocating defense, and a locker room full of leaders, the ingredients are there.
Buckeye fans are some of the most passionate in the country, and they understand just how rare back-to-back championships are. It’s not just about winning again—it’s about etching this team’s name into the annals of college football greatness. It’s about legacy, about doing something that future generations will speak of with awe. It’s about going back-to-back like MJ.
So, will Ohio State do it? Will they rise to the moment and assert themselves as the dynasty of this era? Only time will tell. But if you’re betting on anyone to embrace the pressure and rise to the occasion, you might want to bet on the team in scarlet and gray. They’ve got the tools. They’ve got the hunger. And most importantly—they’ve got that Jordan-like mindset. That unshakable belief that when the moment comes, they’ll own it. Just like they did last year. Just like they plan to do again.
