The availability of key players remains uncertain as Ohio State prepares for its final test against Rutgers before finishing the regular season at Michigan.

Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin is the Heisman Trophy front runner in some circles but the Buckeyes’ offense won’t quite be the same if Tate and Smith are unable to give it a go against a stout secondary led by Zeke Berry, Mason Curtis, Jyaire Hill, Brandyn Hillman and others next weekend.

After years of complicated game plans and painful losses to Michigan, Stephen Means and Stefan Krajisnik deliver the most honest take yet on the Buckeye Talk podcast

He continues to earn national recognition, with Ohio State announcing on Thursday that Downs has been named a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. It's an annual award given to college football's most outstanding defensive player. "Bronko Nagurski 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭, @caleb_downs2," Ohio State wrote on X.

Among the one-loss cohort, USC has yet to play in the Big Ten championship, though it played in the Pac-12 championship four times (winning it 31–28 over Stanford in 2017). Oregon won the game last year, and Michigan won three in a row from 2021 to '23.

Julian Sayin has a strong chance of winning the Heisman, but he must lead Ohio State football to an important victory first.

Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) is tripped up by Purdue defensive back Smiley Bradford (1) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in West Lafayette, Ind. Credit: AP/Doug McSchooler

The Michigan Wolverines have a challenging two-game slate left this season with Maryland on the road in College Park this weekend and #1 Ohio State coming to Ann Arbor the following week. The Wolverines' offense has been drastically better this season under new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey,