Joel Klatt explains why Ohio State is ranked No. 3 in preseason top 25 as reigning national champions

Despite coming off a national championship victory, Ohio State isn’t the top-ranked team in Joel Klatt’s preseason college football rankings. On Monday, the FOX Sports analyst explained why the Buckeyes are the third-best team in the country entering the 2025 campaign.

“I would have put them higher, but they’re just replacing so much, in particular, on that defensive side; 14 NFL draft picks,” Klatt said. “They have Ryan Day back, but they’ve got to replace both coordinators. So Chip Kelly, he’s gone. Brian Hartline comes in. I think he’s going to call more plays. He’s been there. I think it’ll be a collaborative effort. I like that. That’s the offensive side.

“Jim Knowles leaves the defensive side. They bring in Matt Patricia. That seems like very much an outsider… Jim Knowles was creative. Matt Patricia comes in more of an NFL style guy. How long does it take him to mold to the college game? I think that that’s a huge question.”

Matt Patricia perhaps has the best résumé of any assistant coach in the country. He was the New England Patriots’ defensive coordinator from 2012-17 and is a three-time Super Bowl champion.

Additionally, Patricia was the Detroit Lions’ head coach from 2018-20. Nonetheless, Patricia hasn’t coached at the collegiate level since 2003, when he was a graduate assistant at Syracuse.

Worse, Patricia has massive shoes to fill. Ohio State had the No. 1 defense in the country last season. With only three returning starters on the defensive side of the ball, it’ll be difficult for Patricia to match OSU’s defensive prowess last season.

Of course, Ohio State will also have concerns on offense this fall. Most notably, the team must replace quarterback Will Howard, who moved onto the NFL this offseason.

“I’ve been asking Coach Day all offseason, like, ‘Who’s it going to be? Is it Julian?’ I think it’s going to be Julian Sayin but he continues to say Lincoln Kienholz is still fighting for that job and doing a heck of a job in practice,” Klatt said. “Whoever wins that, guess what? Your prize is that you get to throw to Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate. I want to win that job. Can I win that job?

“I’m 43. I can’t run at all. Can barely throw at this point. My shoulder is toast. I could throw it to Jeremiah Smith. Just have to throw it in the vicinity. This guy is incredible. He’s my top player in the country.”

It won’t be long before Ohio State fans find out who will be leading their offense. On Aug. 30, the Buckeyes will kick off their 2025 campaign with a showdown against Texas at noon ET. The game will air live on FOX.