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Early look at Ohio State’s chances of repeating as national champs: Could Buckeyes do it?

Published

11 months ago

January 23, 2025

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Early look at Ohio State’s chances of repeating as national champs: Could Buckeyes do it?

Ohio State has never repeated as a national champion.

But after winning the College Football Playoff on Monday night, it will attempt the feat next season.

The Buckeyes are in position to reload and maintain one of the more talented rosters in the sport.

2025 College Football Playoff odds

BetMGM has the Buckeyes as early favorites to win the title in 2025, giving them +450 odds, slightly ahead of Georgia and Texas with +650 odds.

Can Ohio State repeat as national champs?

The case for the Buckeyes to capture a second straight title begins with the presence of superstar wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and All-American safety Caleb Downs.

Neither underclassman is eligible to leave early for NFL, providing them with cornerstone players. Smith and Downs could be considered the best players in the nation on their sides of the ball.

Buy Ohio State books, posters, gear from CFP title win

Carnell Tate should continue to complement Smith as another talented playmaking wideout, and Purdue transfer Max Klare arrives as another weapon. Klare’s 51 receptions in 2024 were third among Big Ten tight ends.

But there will be heavy roster attrition. Thirteen of their 22 starters during the playoff were seniors with eligibility expiring.

That includes Will Howard, a seasoned quarterback who spent a year at Ohio State after transferring from Kansas State.

Julian Sayin is likely to take over for Howard and was the top-ranked passer in his high school class, but he is inexperienced and redshirted as a freshman this past season.

How is Ohio State’s 2025 roster shaping up?

The heaviest losses for the Buckeyes are on defense. Eight starters were seniors, cornerback Davison Igbinosun or linebacker Sonny Styles are juniors who are eligible to declare for the NFL draft.

But Caden Curry and Kenyatta Jackson shined as part of the defensive end rotation and Jermaine Mathews Jr. also gained experience in the playoff when he replaced Denzel Burke for the second half of the semifinal win over Texas.

The injuries on the offensive line also helped to provide experience for interior linemen Carson Hinzman, Luke Montgomery and Austin Siereveld. Transfer tackles Phillip Daniels of Minnesota and Ethan Onianwa of Rice should also help replace Josh Fryar and Donovan Jackson.

The draft decision of running back Quinshon Judkins looms large, though the Buckeyes added experience to the backfield last month with West Virginia transfer CJ Donaldson Jr.

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Ohio

$50K Powerball ticket sold in Northeast Ohio; jackpot reaches $1.5B

Published

9 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Press Room

K Powerball ticket sold in Northeast Ohio; jackpot reaches .5B

CANFIELD, Ohio (WJW) – Nobody took home the massive Powerball jackpot on Wednesday, but one Canfield man is still celebrating after purchasing a winning ticket worth $50,000.

According to Ohio Lottery, Bryan decided to try his luck after realizing the Powerball jackpot was over $1 billion. He bought a ticket from the Meijer grocery store on Boardman-Canfield Road in Boardman.

The next morning, Bryan woke up and checked the ticket, stunned to discover that he won $50,000.

After mandatory state and federal taxes, the lucky winner will take home more than $36,000.

Bryan told lottery officials that he doesn’t have specific plans for money yet, but the big win will certainly make for “a very good Christmas.”

It has been months since someone won the Powerball jackpot, which now sits at a massive $1.5 billion. There is also a cash option worth $689.3 million up for grabs.

The next drawing will be Saturday night at 11 p.m. Learn more about the Powerball right here.

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After her son died in car wreck, Ohio mom fought for public records

Published

21 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

After her son died in car wreck, Ohio mom fought for public records

A mom searching for answers about her son’s death in a car wreck won a victory on Dec. 19 when the Ohio Supreme Court ordered the Richland County Sheriff to release records to her.

The court ruled in a unanimous decision that Andrea Mauk is entitled to three sets of records withheld by the sheriff, with only Social Security numbers being redacted. Mauk will be awarded $2,000 in damages but will not receive attorney fees.

On June 23, 2023, 18-year-old Damon Mauk lost control of his 1998 Ford Mustang and slammed it into a tree. His mother wanted to piece together what happened, collect his belongings and grieve the loss of her child. She didn’t think she’d have to fight for public records and take her case to the Ohio Supreme Court.

Following the crash, Richland County Sheriff’s deputies, a township fire department and the Ohio State Highway Patrol responded.

During the investigation, a trooper told a deputy to leave Damon’s iPhone and wallet in the car, according to Mauk’s court filings. Instead, the deputy took the belongings to the hospital and handed them off to someone who said he was Damon’s dad.

Mauk didn’t understand. Damon’s father was largely absent from his life. How could he have been there to pick up the wallet and phone?

A few weeks after the fatal crash, Mauk asked for records, including: the sheriff’s report and inventory of items taken from the car, body camera footage from deputies who gave away the belongings, the report, photos and videos created by the patrol and more.

Mauk, of the Mansfield area, received some but not all of the requested records. Mauk hired attorney Brian Bardwell to pursue records she believes exist but weren’t provided or were improperly redacted.

The sheriff’s office claimed that some of the requested records were exempt from disclosure because they are confidential law enforcement records or personal notes. The court privately reviewed the records withheld from Mauk and determined that they should be released.

The decision in favor of releasing records runs contrary to recent rulings from the high court.

In 2024, the court held that the cost of sending troopers to protect Gov. Mike DeWine at a Super Bowl game weren’t subject to disclosure and that the Ohio Department of Health should redact from a database the names and addresses of Ohioans who had died, even though that death certificate information can be released on an individual case basis.

In 2025 the court ruled that police officers’ names may be kept confidential if they’re attacked on the job, giving them privacy rights afforded to crime victims.

State government reporter Laura Bischoff can be reached at lbischoff@usatodayco.com and @lbischoff on X.

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No. 21 Ohio State women beat Norfolk State 79-45

Published

1 day ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

No. 21 Ohio State women beat Norfolk State 79-45

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Kylee Kitts scored 13 points, Jaloni Cambridge added 11 and No. 21 Ohio State rolled past Norfolk State 79-45 on Thursday night for its eighth straight win.

Dasha Biriuk added 10 points for Ohio State, which is 10-1 overall and 7-0 at home.

Kitts was 6 of 12 from the field, and grabbed 10 rebounds to go with two steals and two blocks. Cambridge was 4-of-8 shooting and had eight rebounds and two steals.

Cambridge scored seven points in the first quarter as the Buckeyes jumped out to a 20-10 lead and built a 43-21 halftime advantage. Kitts and Cambridge each scored nine first-half points.

Ohio State outrebounded Norfolk State 55-32 and scored 21 points off 17 turnovers.

Jasha Clinton scored 18 points to lead Norfolk State (5-9). Ciara Bailey had 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Up next

Norfolk State plays at Elon on Sunday.

Ohio State hosts Western Michigan on Mondahy.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

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