2025 was not the year Ohio State expected on the offensive side of the football. Not in the games that mattered, anyway, outside of The Game, which always matters.
The Buckeyes throttled Michigan 27-9 in Ann Arbor through a layer of snow, utilizing timely passing and a physical run game that took over in the second half. It inspired confidence in an offensive line and backfield that had been great in pass protection all year, but struggled to run the ball against any defense with a pulse. False confidence, with the hindsight of the two games Ohio State played to close its season afterward.