Ohio State football has heard all season that the only reason it’s good is because it bought all of its talent.

But little did many remember that aside from Caleb Downs and a few other select players, the majority of Ohio State’s star-studded defense had remained in Columbus a season ago.

On the offensive side of the ball, Quinshon Judkins certainly played some role, but it was freshman Jeremiah Smith and longtime Buckeyes star Emeka Egbuka who carried much of the offensive load.

That’s why analyst Kirk Herbstreit felt comfortable pushing back against that claim, especially after the Buckeyes throttled the Tennessee Volunteers and Oregon Ducks in the College Football Playoff.

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Herbstreit also makes a good point, and with the Buckeyes looking like the best team in the country, you can tell how important NIL is to the next generation of talent.

Ohio State has proven it can take recruits and turn them into players who can compete at the highest level of the sport. This is what can push many athletes forward.

Herbstreit hit the nail on the head, but that’s not what’s turning heads, especially if Ohio State continues to surge like it has. The Buckeyes will face the Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl on Friday night.

That will be the real test of whether or not they are one of the top two teams in the country.

This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Kirk Herbstreit talks about the perception of Ohio State football