Former national champion head coach Urban Meyer has never shied away from strong takes, especially when it comes to his old stomping grounds in Columbus. This spring, he delivered one that sent a ripple through Buckeye Nation: a prediction that Ohio State would finish the 2025 regular season at 10-2.<\/p>\n
Coming off a national championship campaign in 2024, Ohio State fans are hoping for continued dominance. But Meyer, always the pragmatist, believes this team will be elite\u2014just not undefeated. His rationale? Talent remains in place, but with coordinator changes, new locker room leadership, and a brutal schedule, a couple of stumbles may be inevitable.<\/p>\n
Speaking on his podcast The Triple Option<\/em>, Meyer said he believes Ohio State will be one of the top teams in college football again, but he flagged two factors that could cause hiccups: new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and the program\u2019s brutal 2025 schedule.<\/p>\n \u201cThe talent\u2019s there. This might be the most loaded Ohio State team in years, top to bottom,\u201d Meyer said. \u201cBut the Patricia hire\u2014look, he’s smart, but college football isn\u2019t the NFL. That\u2019s a big transition. And let\u2019s be honest: the schedule is no joke.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Ohio State opens the season against Texas\u2014a College Football Playoff team last year\u2014and still has to deal with Big Ten heavies Penn State and Michigan, plus a potential rematch with Oregon or USC in the conference championship game.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s dive into why Meyer might be bracing for a 10-2 finish.<\/p>\n Any of these games could result in losses\u2014hence the two-loss projection Meyer dropped.<\/p>\n Despite the departures of several NFL draftees, including quarterback Devin Brown and wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, the roster remains ridiculously loaded. Perhaps most notably, five-star freshman quarterback Julian Sayin, a transfer from Alabama, is expected to lead the offense.<\/p>\n Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith<\/strong>, who exploded as a true freshman with over 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns, might already be the best WR in college football. With Hartline still calling plays, Meyer is confident the offense will be fine:<\/p>\n \u201cThe offensive identity isn\u2019t changing much. It\u2019s the same system that\u2019s developed guys like Olave, Wilson, Smith-Njigba, Harrison. Sayin just needs to be smart with the football.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n On defense, five-star linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa is poised to be the emotional and physical centerpiece. The question, as Meyer noted, is how Patricia transitions to the college game\u2014particularly in adapting to uptempo spread offenses that dominate the Big Ten.<\/p>\n Meyer is a uniquely positioned voice when it comes to assessing Ohio State. He knows what it takes to win in Columbus and has seen teams fall short due to off-field noise or locker room issues. When he makes a prediction\u2014especially one that isn\u2019t blindly optimistic\u2014fans and media take notice.<\/p>\n That said, Meyer has been conservative in previous predictions. In 2021, he downplayed Ohio State\u2019s CFP chances under C.J. Stroud\u2019s early leadership\u2014only for Stroud to become a Heisman finalist and top NFL pick. Still, Meyer has also correctly predicted some growing pains, especially when it comes to coordinator changes and leadership shifts.<\/p>\n The reaction to Meyer\u2019s 10-2 projection was, predictably, mixed. Some fans believe he\u2019s just playing it safe, lowering expectations. Others feel he might actually be spot-on.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s easy to say \u2018We\u2019re winning it all again,\u2019 but look at that schedule. If we split Michigan and Texas and maybe slip at Penn State, 10-2 is very reasonable,\u201d one fan posted on the Eleven Warriors message board.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Others were less convinced:<\/p>\n \u201cWith this roster? Anything less than 11-1 feels like a disappointment. Meyer sounds like he\u2019s trying to cover for Patricia before things go south.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Even with two losses, Ohio State would likely remain in CFP contention under the expanded 12-team format. A 10-2 Buckeyes squad with competitive losses to top-10 teams would likely earn an at-large bid. The question becomes: would they be peaking at the right time?<\/p>\n The postseason landscape is changing fast. With more flexibility in how teams make the playoff, the old mantra of \u201cmust go undefeated\u201d is dying. Urban seems to understand this shift\u201410-2 with a conference title game appearance might be all you need to keep dancing.<\/p>\n Despite his tempered prediction, Meyer made it clear that Ohio State\u2019s long-term outlook remains as bright as ever. The program continues to dominate recruiting, especially at the skill positions, and Ryan Day\u2019s infrastructure is humming.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re still the standard in the Big Ten, and maybe in college football overall,\u201d Meyer said. \u201cA 10-2 year doesn\u2019t change that if it\u2019s part of a larger championship window.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n It\u2019s worth noting: some of college football\u2019s best stories have begun with adversity. Georgia in 2022. Alabama in 2021. Even Ohio State in 2014, under Meyer himself. A team that takes early lumps and finishes strong is often more dangerous than a frontrunner with no scars.<\/p>\n If Ohio State enters the playoff as a lower seed and gets a second crack at a team like Texas or Michigan, they may be in better shape than people realize.<\/p>\n Whether you agree with his 10-2 forecast or not, Urban Meyer\u2019s analysis has depth. He sees the big picture: talent wins games, but culture and experience win championships. And in 2025, with some volatility around the coaching staff and schedule, a couple of close losses could be the cost of sustained greatness.<\/p>\n Even if Meyer\u2019s prediction comes true, the Buckeyes are still likely playoff-bound\u2014and perhaps even more battle-tested than they were in their title run.<\/p>\n The bottom line? Don\u2019t mistake 10-2 for a letdown. It might just be the start of another trophy chase in Columbus.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Urban Meyer Predicts 10-2 Finish for Ohio State in 2025: Realistic Outlook or Undersell? Former national champion head coach Urban Meyer has never shied away from strong takes, especially when … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":6802,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[476,478,479,480],"class_list":["post-6799","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-football","tag-ohio-state","tag-ohio-state-buckeyes-news","tag-ohio-state-football-news","tag-ohio-state-news"],"yoast_head":"\nBreaking Down the 2025 Schedule<\/h3>\n
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\nThe Longhorns are loaded and have unfinished business after their 2024 playoff run ended in heartbreak. This is a massive test for a Buckeyes team replacing several defensive starters and adjusting to Patricia\u2019s new scheme.<\/li>\n
\nAlways a tough environment, Beaver Stadium could be a trap game if the Buckeyes are still settling in mid-season.<\/li>\n
\nThis one needs no introduction. Ohio State beat Michigan in 2024 to reclaim Big Ten supremacy, but Jim Harbaugh\u2019s replacement will be hungry to take it back.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nWho\u2019s Leading the 2025 Buckeyes?<\/h3>\n
Urban\u2019s History of Predicting OSU<\/h3>\n
Fan Reaction: Shock, Doubt, and a Bit of Agreement<\/h3>\n
National Perspective: Still a CFP Contender?<\/h3>\n
Meyer\u2019s Long-Term View: Ohio State Still Elite<\/h3>\n
Could 10-2 Be a Setup for a Deep Playoff Run?<\/h3>\n
Is Urban Right?<\/h2>\n