It’s officially the New Year, and in 2025 Ohio State and Penn State are hoping to win a national championship.
Every week after the Big Ten games, we will bring you some B1G thoughts on everything that happened! This will include analysis, stats, key players, moments, and more. With the Big Ten expanding from 14 teams to 18 teams in 2024 we will have a bunch of storylines to follow.
Ryan Day and Ohio State are all in for the 2024 season. Is Oregon a national championship contender or will they stumble in their first Big Ten season? How do the former members of the Big Ten West fair in the new divisionless format? We track all these storylines and more as the Big Ten hopes to win back-to-back national championships.
Check out the I-80 Football Show for more in-depth analysis and to preview the next week of B1G games.
It’s a new Day for the Buckeyes…
It’s a new Day for the Buckeyes, literally and figuratively after a disappointing end to the season culminating in their fourth-straight loss to Michigan and four years without a Big Ten Championship.
Ryan Day has risen from the ashes like a phoenix. Many people, fans, and national media alike called for Day’s job, and for good reason. Instead of wallowing in sadness, he took a long look in the mirror and listened to the criticism. After suffering a horrendous loss to Michigan, Day has led his team to consecutive blowout wins over Tennessee and Oregon. After scoring 10 points and putting up only 252 yards against Michigan, Ohio State has put up 970 yards and 83 points in their last two games.
For some, this is a time to laugh at the “lunatic fringe,” but in reality, this is validation for their anger. Fans knew that this was a possibility, that this Ohio State team existed, but they weren’t being utilized. For various reasons, Day would hold back the offense with his play calling and lack of aggressiveness, or hold back the defense with his staff construction or lack of oversight.
The last two games have been the idealized version of the Buckeyes. This is the team Day has constructed, which clearly has the best roster in the country. It was up to him to take his foot off the brake and put the gas pedal to the floor, and this is the result. It’s a new Day for the Buckeyes, and this Day can lead this team to a national championship.
Big game, or not a big game, that’s the question
James Franklin has a reputation that he can’t win big games. Heading into the Boise State matchup, Franklin had a 3-19 record in games against top-10 opponents. So far in the College Football Playoff, Franklin has led his Nittany Lions past SMU and Boise State. So do these wins change the small game James narrative or not?
The question remains largely because of the common sentiment that Penn State has had the easiest path in the playoff. Are SMU and Boise big wins because they’re playoff games, or not because of the supposedly quality of the opponent? In the final College Football Playoff rankings, Boise was ranked No. 9 while SMU was ranked No. 10.
Regardless of where you stand on what is a big game, Penn State has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the expanded College Football Playoff. Despite losing to Ohio State again, they got to play in the Big Ten championship game, and they’re now in the CFP semi-finals.
There are some bigger games ahead, and Franklin may withdraw into a turtle shell, but so far he has met the moment and Penn State is one game away from reaching their first national championship in 38 years. Win or lose, this has been a great year for Penn State, but one more win and Franklin may change the entire narrative.
Follow The I-80 Football Show on YouTube: @GetDefensiveSportsNetwork.
Subscribe to the podcast: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
Connect with me on Twitter: @JordanW330
Follow I-80 Football Show on Instagram: @I80FootballShow