Ohio State was just named “best on paper” by ESPN’s Greg McElroy but that is not necessarily a good omen. The college football analyst made the proclamation on his Always College Football podcast as was reported by the Sporting News, where he clarified his opinion on the Big 10 juggernaut. For years, the Buckeyes have had one of the premiere programs in the nation, and along with their consistent 11 win seasons, their teams have been highlighted by All-Americans and Heisman candidates, but that has failed to translate into a national title in the last decade.
McElroy Clarifies His Opinion
While McElroy did point out that once again Ohio State looked like the team to beat on paper, he made it abundantly clear that Georgia was in a league all their own. It is hard for anyone to argue that point as the the Bulldogs have acquired two national titles in the last three years and have won 46 of their last 48 games. However, that does not negate the fact that the Buckeyes had an incredible offseason.
Ohio State Gets Talent Rich
Even by the Buckeyes’ high standards, the 2024 offseason was an amazing one, as Ohio State enriched itself through maybe the best recruiting and transfer portal classes in the nation. In all, the Buckeyes brought in 23 recruits, acquiring them a number three ranking by 24/7 Sports. Their incoming freshman class included the five-star ranked and number one recruit in the nation, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, and four-star edge rusher Eddrick Houston.
The Buckeyes continued to enrich themselves through the transfer portal as they brought in a talent-laden group that included running back Quishon Judkins who came in via Ole Miss, former five-star safety Caleb Downs, who made his way from Alabama, and five-start quarterback Julian Sayin who also came in via the Crimson Tide.
They Made Changes In The Staff
Even with all the upgrades in talent that Ohio State made this offseason, maybe their biggest acquisition was off the field of play, as they acquired Chip Kelly, who left his head coaching position at UCLA to take on the offensive coordinator responsibilities with the Buckeyes. Though Kelly, who had struggled as a head coach as of late with the Bruins, still holds a stellar reputation as one of the premier offensive minds in the country. It also says a lot about the state of college football and about Ohio State, as was reported by Adam Gibbs of Grid Iron Heroics.
Ohio State struggled last year on the offensive side of the ball, only attaining a level of 48th in the ESPN rankings. This ranked sixteen spots behind Kelly’s Bruins, despite the Buckeyes having far more talent. With the talent coming in both the freshman class, as well as the transfer portal, many are anticipating a massive advance for the Ohio State offense.
Junfu Han, USA TODAY NETWORK
Michigan Is In Transition
Nothing was more of a gut punch to the Buckeye faithful than watching Michigan hoist the national title trophy in 2024. However, their arch-rival is going through a major transition this season as head coach Jim Harbaugh left to take the helm with the Los Angeles Chargers. This certainly impacted their recruiting as well, as the Wolverines fell to 19th in the overall rankings when top-five classes were generally a common occurrence. This transition period for the Wolverines certainly shifted the balance of power in the Big 10.
It May Be Enough To Move The Needle
With all these changes the question will be whether Ohio State made enough moves to place themselves in a position to go from best on paper to best on the field. The Buckeyes do have a favorable schedule, with their only true first-half of-the-season test being the Oregon Ducks in game six. The second half of the year will be more challenging with Nebraska, Penn State, and Michigan on their schedule. The Buckeyes will open their season on August 31st against Akron.
