The Ohio State football team is entering a pivotal time for the program. Is Ryan Day's current group good enough to win an NCAA title and a Big Ten title, or are the Buckeyes fooling themselves?

With USC and other potential powers about to enter or rumored to enter the conference soon, the margin for error is getting slimmer by the day.

The Buckeyes recently beat out rival Michigan for a prized four-star cornerback. Coach Day shared an emotional message after the retirement of a Buckeyes lineman.

On Tuesday, August 1, Ohio State football took a difficult blow when it was announced that a five-star target had chosen the South Carolina Gamecocks and Coach Shane Beamer instead.

Stewart hails from Friendship Collegiate Academy in Washington, D.C. The 6-foot-5, 250 pound edge rusher had offers from Ohio State football, Penn State, Miami, Georgia and South Carolina among others.

The loss of Stewart was a tough one of the Buckeyes, but Ohio State football still has the second ranked class for 2024 according to On3.com, just behind the back-to-back defending champion Georgia Bulldogs. The addition of Stewart gives South Carolina the 17th-ranked class for 2024 in the same rankings.

Following the loss of Stewart, Ohio State analyst Jeremy Birmingham called out Larry Johnson, Ohio State football's associate head coach, suggesting that something needs to change. It's a sign of high expectations for a program that was one missed mid-range field goal away from the National Championship Game last season, and another testament to the job Day has been doing.