Why this season is national championship or bust for OSU football

With the 2024 college football season now about five weeks away, the Ohio State Buckeyes are primed to take the football world by storm and do something they haven’t done in a decade.

The team is loaded with talent, gleaming with confidence and has put themselves in a fantastic position to win now. For the Buckeyes, this season isn’t just about competing at a high level—it’s national championship or bust. Here’s why the stakes are higher than ever for Ohio State football in 2024.

Ohio State boasts one of the most talented rosters in college football and has gone all in on making it better during the most recent portal window. The team is stacked with five-star recruits, Heisman hopefuls, and future NFL stars. The offense, led by the former Kansas State Quarterback Will Howard, is ranked as one of the best in the nation.

They also added former Ole Miss RB Quinshon Judkins to play alongside TreyVeon Henderson in the backfield. This unit will also be under renowned offensive mastermind Chip Kelly, who has recently been hired as the team’s new offensive coordinator.

Like Kelly, head coach Ryan Day has proven himself as one of the top minds in college football. Since taking the helm, he has maintained Ohio State’s status as a perennial powerhouse. The coaching staff, filled with experienced and innovative minds, has the expertise to guide this team to the pinnacle of college football.

Key players, most notably Henderson and Emeka Egbuka, have returned to OSU for a fifth year and another shot at winning the natty. However, after this season, those two, along with many others, will have no choice but to leave the team and declare for the NFL Draft.

The college football playoff has now also been expanded from four teams to 12, so there is slightly more room for trial and error with the Buckeyes early on in the season.

Ohio State football is synonymous with excellence, and the fanbase’s expectations are sky-high. The Buckeyes have come close in recent years, but falling short of a national championship has only intensified the hunger for a title.

The program’s rich history and tradition of success add another layer of pressure. Players and coaches alike understand that at Ohio State, success is measured in championships, and anything less is deemed a failure.

The time for the Buckeyes to act is now.