Ohio State kicks off its 2024 football season this Saturday. The Buckeyes will be starting their sixth season under head coach Ryan Day as he looks to finally add a national championship to his resumé. He will be joined by new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly in his first year on the staff after previously being the head coach of UCLA in 2023. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles will be at the helm for the third year in Columbus.
Ohio State starts its year with four straight games against unranked opponents before they will be tested first against Iowa. The Bucks will face four total current top-25 teams on their schedule. They will face top ten conference opponents Oregon and Penn State both on the road in October before facing that team up North at Ohio Stadium to close out the regular season in November.
Coach Day’s team received huge additions this offseason by way of the transfer portal. They added star safety Caleb Downs on defense from Alabama. They also acquired center Seth McLaughlin from the tide and flipped five-star quarterback Julian Saiyan after the departure of Nick Sagan in January. Ole Miss standout running back Quinshon Judkins also made his way to Columbus. Starting quarterback Will Howard joined Ohio State by way of Kansas State as well prior to the spring.
The Buckeyes more importantly perhaps returned some vital players from last year’s roster. Numerous draft-eligible players who would have been early-rounders returned to Columbus as they felt they had unfinished business. Defensive ends Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau both return for coordinator Jim Knowles along with star defensive backs Denzel Burke and Lathan Ransom. Downs and Ransom will likely be the top safety tandem in the nation.
On offense, wide receiver Emeka Egbuka and running back TreyVeon Henderson also return as key players for Day and Kelly. Both players will play huge roles for the Bucks and were also both voted captains by the players. They also will have reinforcements with the transfer Judkins and the many weapons at receiver that Brian Hartline has on the roster.
Coach Hartline was able to secure the number one wide receiver and player overall according to 247Sports in Jeremiah Smith from Chaminade-Madonna in Florida. Ryan Day stated earlier in the week that Smith will indeed be out there as a starter week one, something unheard of for a true freshman in Columbus. Returning Brandon Inniss and Carnell Tate will also see the field often. Tate played a large percentage of snaps last year and Inniss was rumored to be a threat with the ball in his hands all throughout camp.
Senior Cody Simon also returns as a captain on defense sharing the title with Jack Sawyer. Simon received the privilege of the “Block O” jersey that honors legendary Bill Willis. Simon has been a major producer in the linebacker rotation in the last few years. New linebackers coach and former Buckeye James Laurinaitis has spoken highly of Simon and he will be the mike linebacker for the unit this year. It’s also expected that he will wear the green dot, meaning he will wear the helmet communicator for the defense this season. Safety turned linebacker Sonny Styles will join him on the field as the will linebacker who will look for him to take a huge leap at his new position.
The Bucks also have depth on the defensive line and in the secondary. Davison Igbinosun, Jordan Hancock, and Jermaine Mathews will all see the field at cornerback as established returning players from last year. The defensive line returns Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton on the interior. They have requested to be called TNT recently in interviews, and I think their explosiveness calls for us all to indulge them.
2024 marks the beginning of the 12-team college football playoff. It is also the start of the new division-less Big Ten where the championship game will take place between the two teams with the best records. These things allow Ohio State to possibly drop a game or two with their tough schedule and still make the tournament. Ohio State could also get a home playoff game in the first round if they finish with a seed anywhere from five to eight. A home playoff game in Columbus in December would make for an amazing spectacle if the Bucks can’t finish within the top four and receive a first-round bye.
Ohio State may just have the deepest and most talented roster in all of college football. They have turned in disappointing performances the past three years with playoff failures and losses to their rival in November. Coach Day recently stated on a podcast with former basketball Buckeye D’Angelo Russell that “pressure is a privilege.” No team in the country may be more privileged than Ohio State this season.
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