Ahead of Ohio State football's upcoming season, a slight tweak has just been made to the team's schedule. The Buckeyes will be facing Grambling State in place of UConn, marking a change in non-conference opponents. The game against Grambling State will be on September 6 while the UConn clash on October 18 has been canceled after mutual agreement from both schools. (per ohiostatebuckeyes.com)

Ohio State's schedule won't be easy. Besides their season-ending clash against Michigan, the team will be up against the likes of Oregon and Penn State. Nevertheless, the Buckeyes themselves are a squad to be feared. Finishing 2023 with the second-best record in the Big Ten, Ohio State won their first 11 games before falling in the November 25 rivalry game against the Wolverines.

As a result, the Buckeyes missed out on a CFP appearance, settling for a Cotton Bowl Classic against Missouri to conclude their campaign. They're currently gearing up for another run, in what will be Ryan Day's seventh season as a head coach.

The last time Ohio State won a National Championship was in 2014, during the Urban Meyer era. With Ryan Day, the Buckeyes have made the CFP thrice, one of which saw them play in the National Championship Game. Still, a storied program like Ohio State isn't satisfied with just winning records and playoff berths. They're one of the biggest names in college football, and the Buckeye fandom expects nothing less than to win it all every year.

Ohio State football's fruitful offseason

Can 2024 finally end the decade-long drought? It's quite possible, looking at the recent offseason. The Buckeyes have plenty of returning talent, in addition to quality transfer portal additions.

Following Marvin Harrison Jr.'s move to the NFL, Emeka Egbuka is expected to lead the wideout room. Egbuka had the third-most receiving yards (515) in the team last year. Offensive lineman Donovan Jackson will suit up for another season as well. On the defensive side, Jack Sawyer (DE) and Tyleik Williams (DT) are also running it back for another campaign with the Buckeyes. Sawyer had 6.5 sacks last year while Williams finished his season with 54 combined tackles (20 solo).

From the transfer portal, quarterback Will Howard has moved to Columbus from Kansas State, and will likely be the starting signal-caller this coming season. Ohio State also landed former Alabama safety Caleb Downs, who shocked everyone by entering the portal despite a stellar season with the Tide. Furthermore, running back Quinshon Judkins — who starred for Ole Miss in the past two seasons — will also be a Buckeye this year.

All in all, there's a lot that Ohio State football fans can look forward to come September.