THE ART OF INEVITABILITY: HOW OHIO STATE PERFECTED WINNING
Gunnar Galloway - October 15, 2025
There is a certain stillness happening in Columbus, Ohio, right now. A kind of precision that separates this team from anyone else in college, almost putting them in a league of their own. They don't run, flinch, or show a glimmer of error; they just keep. on. winning. Everywhere around the league, you see upsets, bad plays, and franchise-ending collapses, yet somehow the Buckeyes seem inevitable. Every Saturday, they line up and show every team exactly what happens when a program is elite and knows it.
It all starts with one man: Julian Sayin, the face of the #1 team in college football. Sayin doesn't play with much flash or ego, but more like a man who knows he's that good. Against Illinois went 19-of-27 for 166 yards and two touchdowns, managing the game from a position of control. He leaned on the short-to-intermediate game, especially early, completing 12 of 13 passes within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage for 81 yards and a touchdown. Every throw was on time. Every drive was methodical. Sayin’s game is built on efficiency, and it’s the backbone of Ohio State’s identity this year.
But OB1 and offense aren't the only strengths of this team this year or last; the “defense wins championships” argument applies to this team, and it continues to work beautifully. It feels like an understatement to say that most weeks, the Buckeyes are suffocating their opponents. They’re fast, physical, and ruthless in the trenches, holding last week's Minnesota to just three points and fewer than 200 total yards. It's just an absolute tone-setting defense that can completely rattle your favorite Ob and his weapons. People are starting to notice on the field as well.
This sort of balance is exactly why they’re number one on our AP poll, and most others agree. The musical-like rhythm this team gets in is what makes Ohio State so terrifying. They don’t rely on a massive 50-yard bomb to boost tempo. They control the entire band: tempo, field position, and most importantly, emotion. When you watch them play, it's watching something being tuned all offseason and finally hitting its stride.
It’s not that Ohio State is unbeatable; it’s that they play like a team that refuses to beat itself. And that’s a rare thing in college football. When the rest of the sport is still trying to figure itself out, Ohio State already knows exactly who they are. They’ve built something greater than talent, a culture of control, where execution trumps excitement and consistency wins out over chaos. Every week, they remind the country that greatness isn’t just about highlights; it’s about harmony.
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