Ohio State enters 2026 as one of the most talented rosters in the country. But ESPN analyst Greg McElroy isn't letting the Buckeyes off the hook on defense.

On the latest episode of Always College Football on ESPN on YouTube, McElroy laid out his biggest concern about Day's team heading into the season.

"We're talking about the spine, the backbone of the operation," McElroy said. "Several players that ended up getting drafted in the top 11 of the NFL Draft. They're all gone."

That's the real problem. Ohio State has lost key defensive starters to the NFL Draft for the second consecutive year. Replacing that many impact players at once is a genuine challenge, even for a program with this kind of recruiting pipeline.

Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia now has to rebuild the unit again from scratch using new contributors. Patricia did it last year. The question is whether the new faces are ready to step up immediately.

McElroy also flagged something that hasn't gotten enough attention. Even in a dominant undefeated regular season last year, Ohio State went scoreless in key stretches against Indiana in the Big Ten Championship and against Miami in the College Football Playoff.

"The question for Ohio State has never been talent," McElroy said on the same episode. "It's been about the fourth quarter and the way they finish."

That's a pattern Ryan Day knows well. The talent has never been in question. The closing ability in the biggest moments has been.

That said, McElroy still rates Ohio State as the most talented team in the country. Quarterback Julian Sayin returns after a Heisman finalist season. Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who McElroy called the best player in college football, is back. Bo Jackson returns at running back, and the offensive line is experienced.

New Ohio State OC Arthur Smith bringing an NFL mindset to Ryan Day’s offense

One of the bigger storylines in Columbus this year is the arrival of new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who spent years running NFL offenses before coming to Ohio State, per On3.

McElroy thinks that hire gives Day something different.

"He takes his offense, hands it to an NFL mind in Arthur Smith. He steps into the CEO chair, which is a great recipe," McElroy said.

Smith plans to lean on the run game while keeping the serious passing threat alive through Sayin and Smith.

"It's gonna be ground and pound. It's gonna be commit to the run, but don't disregard the explosive playmaking ability at wide receiver," McElroy explained.

If the defense holds up and the offense closes games the way the talent suggests it should, Ohio State is the team to beat. The defense is the only real question mark standing between them and another national title run.

Do you think Ohio State's defense will be ready? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Farheen Fathima

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi