Gridiron Glory. Football Analysis. Expert Insights.

Auburn Tigers, Alabama Crimson Tide, Nick Saban

Ohio State Buckeyes: Nick Saban Destroys Ohio State’s $20 Million Roster With A Interesting Take Many Buckeyes Fans Are Not Going To Like

The day has finally arrived for Ohio State to play their first game in 2024 against the Akron Zips.

The Buckeyes should blow Akron away, and the game shouldn’t even be competitive. However, Ohio State will be facing a handful of competitive games this season against Oregon, Penn State, and Michigan, and they put together a roster to do it.

JT Tuimoloau, Jack Sawyer, Ohio State
Sep 17, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau (44) celebrates a tackle during the first half of the NCAA Division I football game against the Toledo Rockets at Ohio Stadium.
© Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Ohio State attacked the transfer portal this offseason, bringing in star players Caleb Downs, Will Howard, and Quinshon Judkins and returning many of their starters.

A report showed that Ohio State spent around $20 million in NIL money on this year’s roster, which got Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin reacting to it. He said he knows that money is higher than NIL money given out at other programs, and another SEC coach had something to say about the Buckeye’s loaded roster.

Nick Saban Goes After Ohio State’s Roster

Nick Saban Dallas Cowboys
Sep 2, 2023; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban smiles as he takes his pregame walk at Bryant-Denny Stadium before the Crimson Tide played MTSU. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports

Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban is one of the new hosts on ESPN’s College Gameday and isn’t a fan of the Buckeyes $20 million roster.

Saban stated,” I just wanna say, you guys keep talking about a $20 million roster. If you don’t pay the right guys, you’ll be out of luck.”

espn fpi
April 13, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA;
Ohio State head football coach Ryan Day speaks to players during the first half of the LifeSports spring football game at Ohio Stadium on Saturday.

Saban knows a thing or two about rosters since he has won seven national championships as head coach, and he’s totally right: If you’re paying the wrong guys, $20 million means nothing.

Ohio State has to make sure it pays guys who want to be Buckeyes and are in for the team and not themselves. If the Buckeyes have great players but aren’t team first, then it won’t matter how much money they give out because they aren’t going to win anything.

It will be interesting to see how Ohio State’s talent comes together this season. Hopefully, they will listen to Saban, come together as one, and become a team, all trying to reach the same goal.

Avatar of Daniel Fisher

About Daniel Fisher

Daniel Fisher is a sports writer for Gridiron Heroics covering the NFL and College Football. He has been covering the NFL and College Football for the past two years and with a focus on the Cleveland Browns and Ohio State Buckeyes.

Leave a Comment

Share your thoughts and join the discussion

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Stay in the Game

Get the latest sports news and analysis delivered to your inbox.

Share This Article