Former Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer is making some surprising comments about the team. Meyer says this 2024 Ohio State football team is as talented as any he has seen.

“You look at the quality of athlete at every position, I have never seen anything like it,” Meyer said. Meyer qualified the statement by saying they still need to play, but it was certainly still a big statement.

Meyer's comments were reported by On3. It is a bit of a surprise to hear Meyer say that, considering he coached at Ohio State for several years. Also, this Buckeyes team doesn't have Marvin Harrison Jr., Julian Fleming, or many of the other threats from last season.

Ohio State football's 2024 season outlook

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day watches players stretch during spring football practice at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
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Ohio State football enters the 2024 season with the highest of expectations. The Buckeyes have lost to their bitter rival the Michigan Wolverines, for three years in a row. In each of those seasons, Michigan went on to the College Football Playoff. Ohio State did not. Michigan went on to win the CFP title last year, while Ohio State again sat at home. To add insult to injury, the Buckeyes lost in the Cotton Bowl to Missouri.

But the guard may be changing. Michigan lost J.J. McCarthy, Blake Corum and Roman Wilson from last season, along with a slew of other talented players. Jim Harbaugh is also gone; the coach headed to the Los Angeles Chargers of the NFL. The Buckeyes demand excellence, and this could be their best chance in years to achieve it.

The Buckeyes certainly added some talent for 2024. The team now has five-star safety Caleb Downs, who transferred in from Alabama. Talented young quarterback Julian Sayin is also now in Columbus, and will compete right away for the starting job. High-octane rusher Quinshon Judkins is also going to be one of the best running backs in the Big Ten Conference, after transferring over from Ole Miss. These are just some of the weapons on this Ohio State roster.

Despite the talent, it won't be easy for the Buckeyes. The Big Ten is absolutely loaded with talented teams this season. USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington all left the Pac-12 to join the league this season. Washington was in the CFP Final last season, and Oregon won the Fiesta Bowl. Ohio State football may have the talent to go all the way, but they will need a little bit of luck too.

Ohio State opens their season on August 31 against Akron. The team also plays Marshall and Western Michigan in their non conference slate. The team opens conference play in the Big Ten on September 28, against Michigan State. Time will tell if Meyer's comments prove to be true. Ohio State fans certainly hope he is right.