Even with a tougher schedule than some Big Ten foes, and new faces in important roles, Cardale Jones and Beanie Wells believe the Buckeyes will win the Big Ten.

“We’re returning champs. You’ve got a lot of talent around a potential new, young starting quarterback and a lot of great things on defense,” Jones said on the latest edition of THE SCRIPT: A Podcast on THE Ohio State Buckeyes.

Jones was referring to Julian Sayin, a redshirt freshman quarterback who transferred from Alabama in January 2024.

Along with the pressure of defending a championship, the Buckeyes will have a new quarterback once again and just nine returning starters. Still, neither Jones nor Wells are concerned about the turnover or the strength of schedule.

“No matter if they’ve got a quarterback who’s been there for two years, or even a young quarterback going into his first year, they’ve had success out the gate,” Wells said, citing past Ohio State quarterbacks who’ve won early despite limited experience at Ohio State.

“You can say they’ll be just fine because they’re going to have a quarterback leading the charge who’s going to be successful,” Wells added. “We already know the talent they have at the other skill positions. They’ll be just fine.”

Jones also emphasized the importance of home-field advantage in key matchups.

“You look at our schedule — our tougher games are at home — and I think that gives us a little bit of an edge,” he said, referring to games against Texas and Penn State at Ohio Stadium.

Jones added that Michigan and Oregon have a “cupcake schedule” compared to the Buckeyes, and Wells wasn’t shy about expressing his frustration with the disparity.

“I don’t like it,” Wells said. “I want there to be continuity across the board — where it’s fair for everybody.”

Wells said he wants every Big Ten contender to play tough competition weekly so they’re truly battle-tested for the postseason.

Ohio State opens the season at home against Texas on Saturday, Aug. 30, on Fox.

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