"Biggest area where there's going to be a drop-off": CFB insider reveals major concern for Ryan Day's Ohio State as they aim for back-to-back nattys

The Ohio State Buckeyes roster from 2024 was one of the strongest in college football. With this team, coach Ryan Day went on an amazing run in the College Football Playoff and defeated Notre Dame to win the national championship.

There is doubt coming from numerous circles in the college football world that Ohio State is going to be able to make it back-to-back national championship wins. While that is a consensus agreement, what makes this team weaker than its predecessor is debatable.

One take on this came from college football insider Bruce Feldman. He made an appearance on "The Rich Eisen Show" on Friday and said the following:

"They (Ohio State) dont have those two running backs. (Timestamp: 8:49). Those guys were dynamite for Ohio State. That's the biggest area where you are going to get drop-off."

In the eyes of Fredman, it is not the quarterback change that is going to be the downfall of Ohio State, but their running backs.

Last season, the Buckeyes had a strong pairing at running back, consisting of Tre'Veyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins.

The duo was one of the strongest in college football last season. Judkins, who had transferred from Ole Miss the previous offseason, led the team in rushing yards, recording 1060 and scoring 14 touchdowns. This figure was closely matched by Henderson, who was able to record 1016 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The two players acted as another strong part of the Buckeyes' offense, which already had strength in the form of Will Howard as the quarterback and numerous talented wide receivers, including Jeremiah Smith.

However, Henderson and Judkins do not return to Columbus this year. They were both selected in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft by the New England Patriots and the Cleveland Browns, respectively.

This massive loss in talent is something that Ryan Day has found hard to replace. These replacements, albeit talented, are not on the same level as Henderson and Judkins. This degradation in the position could be one of the numerous factors that cost Ohio State its chance to retain its national championship.

Who are the Ohio State running backs for 2025?

The two players who have stepped up to replace Tre'Veyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins at Ohio State are James Peoples and CJ Donaldson.

Peoples is going into his junior year and had some time on the field last year. In 49 carries, he recorded 197 rushing yards, scoring two touchdowns in the process.

Donaldson is the more experienced of the two, being a senior and spending most of his college football career at West Virginia. During his 2024 season with the Mountaineers, he recorded 734 rushing yards from 163 carries with 11 touchdowns.

The pairing should be able to provide a good running game for Ohio State this season. But it will be a major step back (on paper) when compared to last year's dream pairing of running backs.