Repeating as national champion in college football is difficult. Only one team has done it since 2013 despite their being a few perennial powers in that time. Ohio State is going to look to become the team to win the first two 12-team College Football Playoffs this year, but their work is cut out for them.
Not only do they have a number of alternative contenders, like Alabama, Texas, Clemson, Georgia, and Oregon, they lost a lot over the offseason. They lost their QB to the NFL, and a lot of their defense followed out the door. It's a very different team, but fortunately, they've recruited well.
In fact, they've recruited as well as any other team in football. Based on the Blue-Chip Ratio, which determines how well a team has recruited, they are one of two teams (Alabama) with the best shot at winning the title. An 89% BCR will do that. This does not factor in the transfer portal, though, because no team built primarily through the portal has won a title.
How does this compare to last year's ratio? They were 90% last year and won the title, so an 89% this year bodes really well for a potential repeat in spite of the rampant losses they suffered. Aside from OSU in 2024, every other title winner dating back to 2011 has had a lower BCR than the Buckeyes do this year, so the chances of a repeat seem to be very high.