Can Ohio State Finally Figure Out How to Beat Rival Michigan?
There are programs where money would be raised to erect a statue of a head coach with a 56-8 career record. However, seeing Big Ten rival Michigan win the national title is turning up the pressure on Ohio State’s Ryan Day. Three straight losses to Michigan is not sitting well for the faithful in Columbus and when looking at the most important games of the 2024 season, as well as the 2025, 2026, 2027 and 2028 seasons, it all starts with the annual showdown with the Wolverines in the regular-season finale.
Expectations are high for the Buckeyes as the college football odds have Ohio State second at +425 in the odds of winning the national title.
Ohio State isn’t exactly loading up its non-conference schedule with heavyweights as the Buckeyes are listed by the sportsbook odds as 50½-point favorites against Akron in the Aug. 31 season opener. Ohio State should also be heavy favorites against Western Michigan and Marshall before heading into Big Ten play.
With the College Football Playoff expanding from four to 12 teams, it would take quite the meltdown for the Buckeyes not to be in the CFP field for the fourth time in the last six years. Ohio State has -700 odds to make it into the NCAAF playoffs.
Ohio State would have been a national title contender without much help via the transfer portal. However, adding the top-rated transfer in Alabama safety Caleb Downs, Alabama quarterback Julian Sayin, Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins and Kansas State quarterback Will Howard makes the Buckeyes an even more imposing team.
Will Howard is ready for the challenge of being QB1 at Ohio State:
“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t feel like I was ready for it…Nothing that is worth getting ever comes easy. This opportunity here was just too good to pass up.” pic.twitter.com/pkxsLSjw3q
— Lantern Sports (@LanternSports) January 30, 2024
Here’s a look at Ohio State’s most important games heading into the 2024 college football season.
Ohio State Top 4 Games in 2024
1. Buckeyes Save the Best for Last
Since the start of the 2016 season, Ohio State is 42-7 against the teams on its 2024 schedule and three of those losses have come against Michigan.
The Wolverines will look a little different now that head coach Jim Harbaugh, quarterback J.J. McCarthy and running back Blake Corum are all in the NFL.
It remains to be seen if both the Buckeyes and the Wolverines are undefeated heading into the game, as was the case in both 2022 and 2023. With the Big Ten moving away from the two-division format, there is a possibility that the rivals could meet again in the Big Ten title game.
If Ohio State falls at home to Michigan on Nov. 30, the seat could be getting rather warm for Day.
2. Are Penn State Nittany Lions Ready to Roar?
Don’t be fooled by Ohio State’s seven-game winning streak against Penn State. A play or two kept Penn State from taking down the Buckeyes as three of those games were decided by eight points or less.
How many times can Ohio State hold off a Nittany Lions’ team eager to win against the Buckeyes for the first time since a 24-21 victory as a 17.5-point underdog at home in 2016?
If this was a little earlier in the season, the upset watch would be in the red-alert category.
Penn State lost by 1, 13 and 13 points the last three times that Ohio State came to Happy Valley and the Nittany Lions will be waiting for the Buckeyes on the first weekend of November.
3. Can Big Ten Newcomer Oregon Make a Splash?
The last time that Oregon and Ohio State met, it was Oregon winning 35-28 as a 14.5-point underdog on Sept. 11, 2021.
This will be just the fourth meeting between the programs since 2010 with the previous three landing under the total.
It is hard to know what to expect out of Oregon as the Ducks move from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten. The Ducks had the No. 2-rated class of incoming transfers.
The newcomers include former UCLA quarterback and the well-traveled Dillon Gabriel among those looking to replace Bo Nix as the signal caller. Moore and Texas A&M receiver Evan Stewart are among two of the top-10 rated incoming transfers nationally.
Oregon also has the No. 3 recruiting class so the Ducks have enough talent to make life interesting for Ohio State. The college football betting line currently has the host Ducks favored by one point in the Oct. 12 showdown in Eugene.
4. Iowa Hawkeyes Look to Pull Off a Stunner
We would love to throw a compelling non-conference game into this slot because it is hard to imagine Ohio State losing any of the other games during the regular season.
Iowa is getting Ohio State early in the conference portion of the schedule so perhaps the Buckeyes are still adapting to life without dynamic receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
Iowa is annually one of the best defensive teams in the Big Ten. However, the Hawkeyes finished in the bottom 10 nationally in scoring offense in each of the last two seasons. Will a change at the offensive coordinator position result in the Hawkeyes pushing the Buckeyes?
We only hope the game will be more competitive than the 54-10 shellacking by Ohio State against the overmatched Hawkeyes in the 2022 showdown.
Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets.
Questions of the Day
What are Ohio State’s odds to win college football’s national championship?
Ohio State is priced at +425 to win the national title. Only Georgia has shorter odds.
Which Ohio State players have the best odds of winning the Heisman Trophy?
Quarterback Will Howard, who started 25 games in four seasons at Kansas State, has +1400 odds of winning the Heisman Trophy. Former Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins comes in at +7000 to win the Heisman.
