Ohio State: Time Is Now to Win the National Championship

© Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

Ohio State comes into the 2024 season as one of the most hyped teams in the country. Ryan Day is coming off a very disappointing season, in which the Buckeyes lost their last two games and failed to accomplish their primary goals. But after one of the best offseasons in terms of player acquisition in Ohio State history, Day has reasserted himself as the right man to lead the Ohio State program.

Ohio State was on the verge of completing a perfect season in 2023 before falling to rival Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich. Day and his Budkeyes are now riding a three-game losing streak against Michigan. With pressure building to fix the situation, Day appears to have built one of the best teams ever assembled in Columbus, Ohio.

Day has exhausted all excuses and must put Ohio State back on top if he hopes to remain the head coach in Columbus. With NFL talent scattered all over the team roster, is it fair to say that just beating Michigan isn’t enough? Because of what Day has done this off-season is it a national championship or bust in 2024?

Loaded Almost Everywhere

After the 2023 season, one of the biggest question marks was at the quarterback position. Day and his staff recognized this issue and went out and got two of the best QBs in the Transfer Portal—Will Howard and Julian Sayin. Howard put up good numbers at Kansas State, while Sayin came to Ohio State after a brief stint at Alabama.

The question Day needs to answer at QB is whether he should give the keys to the Ferrari over to the experienced driver or the one who has the higher upside but has never driven before. Whoever Day selects will find himself loaded with NFL-caliber weapons all around. BETMGM has Howard with the fifth-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy at +1300, so it would be no surprise if he wins the job.

If getting two of the best QBs wasn’t enough, Day went into Southeastern Conference territory and came away with the best running back and top safety. Ohio State already had a talented RB in Treveyon Henderson, but Day lured Quinshon Judkins away from Ole Miss to give the Buckeyes arguably the best backfield in America. Caleb Downs a true freshman All-American at Alabama, and a projected first-round NFL draft pick will help solidify one of the top secondaries in the country.

For defensive coordinators, trying to stop the two-headed Henderson-Judkins monster will produce plenty of headaches. On top of that, Ohio State lines up three of the best wide receivers in the country: Emeka Egbuka, Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith. Ohio State will keep defensive coordinators up at night trying to figure out how to stop this loaded Buckeye offense.

Not only does Ohio State have a top offense, but it also has an elite defense. Going into the off-season, many Buckeyes defenders had the opportunity to head to the NFL but decided to stay in Columbus. Defense coordinator Jim Knowles enters his third season and will have his most talented unit. Players like Jack Sewyer, JT Tuimoloau, Denzel Burke and Davison Igbinosun give Knowles riches on every level. 

Only Question: Offensive Line

If Ohio State has any lingering question mark heading into the 2024 season, it is along the offensive line.  In the biggest moment last season, the line couldn’t give Kyle McCord the time he needed to hit an open Marvin Harrison Jr. Not one but two Buckeyes offensive linemen were lying on their backs instead of blocking, which resulted in McCord getting hit as he threw the ball to Wolverines' defensive back, Rod Moore, for the game-sealing interception in OSU's devastating 30-24 loss to the Wolverines. (McCord has since transferred to Syracuse.)

© Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

Day was asked about the offensive line at Big Ten Media Days and said, “This team is going to go as the offensive line goes. This team is going to go as the defensive line goes. We know how important the offensive line is going to be.” Last season, Ohio State gave up 29 sacks, the 5th-most in the B1G. With just slight improvement up front, there is no telling how good the offense will be. However, the only major addition on the front line is graduate student Seth McLaughlin, a center who transferred from Alabama. Whether the Ohio State program has done enough to address its OL issues remains to be seen.

Fans Lower Expectations

Beat Michigan! That's what Ohio State fans want, and a win in “The Game” would have most labeling the season a success. It’s been four years since Buckeyes fans have seen a win over their archrivals. Day has done the unthinkable and let Michigan get back into the rivalry after Ohio State dominated for the better part of 20 years. After last season's disappointing loss to Michigan, fans were calling for Day's job. Thanks to a great offseason, their calls have gone cold and most are ready to give Day one more chance to get it done.

“There were two ways to be happy: improve your reality or lower your expectations.”

Jodi Picoult, Nineteen Minutes

With the star-studded roster Day has assembled, saying, "just beat Michigan," is lowering expectations. Ohio State fans appear to have lowered their expectations to avoid potential disappointment.

Ohio State's Realistic Expectations

It’s very simple to set the expectations for this Ohio State team: beat Michigan, win the B1G and win the national championship. Failure to do all three makes the 2024 season a failure. With the talent Day and his staff have put together in Columbus, there is no reason to expect anything else but those three things.

Some Ohio State fans believe it's unfair to put such high expectations on the team. But when Urban Meyer comes out and says the Buckeyes have "one of the most-talented rosters in the last decade, maybe ever," how can it not be national championship or bust? Then add in Jim Tressel saying, “I don't know if I've ever seen that many great players in that building all at once." The expectation of a championship becomes inveitable.

The simple question for Ohio State fans is this: If Day can’t lift the national championship with this team on Jan. 20 in Atlanta, Ga., will he ever be able to deliver? If 2024 ends without a national championship, the narrative will be that Day can’t win the biggest games. And a narrative like that is unacceptable for the head coach of Ohio State.