The Ohio State football team ended their 2023 season in disappointing fashion as they were 11-0 and ranked No. 2 in the country, but they lost their final game of the regular season to miss out on the College Football Playoff, and then the Buckeyes scored just three points in their Cotton Bowl loss against Missouri. Ohio State was just a drive away against Michigan from winning the game and likely the Big Ten, which would've earned them a spot in the playoff.

Instead, Ryan Day's seat is getting a little bit warm heading into the 2024 season. The Buckeyes have a big season ahead of them, and after three-straight losses against rival Michigan, Day has his work cut out for him.

Ohio State football had dominated their rival, Michigan, up until the 2021 season. The Buckeyes hadn't lost since 2011, but since 2021, the Wolverines have taken over the rivalry.

All of this started shortly after Ryan Day took over as the head coach of Ohio State. The thing is, Day has been phenomenal against the rest of the Big Ten, and in 2022, they still made the playoff despite losing to Michigan, and they were a field goal away from likely winning a national title.

Ohio State has been a very good team under Day, but right now, he has a Michigan problem, and if it doesn't get fixed, he will not keep his job. The most important thing as the head coach of Ohio State is to beat Michigan.

Next season, that is the goal for Ohio State, and if they accomplish that, they will likely go on to the Big Ten Championship and the College Football Playoff, especially with the expansion to 12 teams. It's a huge year for the Buckeyes, and it seems like they are going all in to win a national title.

Numerous players that were expected to head to the NFL have returned. They have landed a lot of impressive transfers, and more are expected to come, and they have made some big coaching changes.

The Buckeyes are doing what Michigan did last offseason. They are all coming back for one common goal, and that is to win championships and beat rivals. It's going to be interesting to see if it works out for them.

Ohio State football will have TreVeyon Henderson back next year in the backfield along with Ole Miss transfer Quinshon Judkins. That tandem has the potential to be the best in college football.

The Buckeyes also brought in transfer quarterback Will Howard from Kansas State. Howard had his moments with the Wildcats, but he has also struggled at times. However, his offense at Ohio State will be loaded with weapons, and it will likely be much easier for him to be successful there.

For the first time in a long time, the Buckeyes didn't have elite QB play in 2023, and it ended up plaguing them a bit in their biggest games of the season. We'll see if Howard will be able to fix that.

On defense, Ohio State should once again have one of the best units in all of college football. Denzel Burke, JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer are all coming back, and they were three of the best players on that defense this season.

The defense was a major strength for this team in 2023, and it looks like they will once again be scary good next season. They are also still looking at some impressive transfer portal players to come over as well.

It looks like Ohio State football is loading up for the 2024 season, and they are going to be a difficult team to beat. They have already gotten a lot of key players back, and they have already landed a lot of talented players from the transfer portal. However, there is still time to make the roster even better for next season, and here are some guys the Buckeyes should be hoping to land in the portal.

S Caleb Downs, Alabama

One player that Ohio State has had their eye on is Caleb Downs, who is transferring from Alabama. The Crimson Tide recently lost their legendary head coach, Nick Saban, and now a lot of their key players are entering the transfer portal. The Buckeyes have their eyes on a few of those players, and one of them is Downs.

Downs is one of the best available players in the transfer portal, and he would be a huge addition to the Buckeyes defense. Plus, one of his Alabama teammates, Seth McLaughlin, already is committed to Ohio State. There could be more coming as well.

QB Julian Sayin, Alabama

Julian Sayin was the top QB recruit in the 2024 class, and he just entered his name in the transfer portal. Ohio State has already been mentioned as a potential landing spot.

The Buckeyes have had a lot of elite QBs come through in recent years, and Sayin could be the next. He might not win the battle with Will Howard if he does decide to go to Ohio State, but he could certainly be the QB in the future.

There are a lot of talented players in the portal from the Crimson Tide, and a lot of them seem to be giving the Buckeyes attention. Perhaps they are looking for revenge on Michigan after this year's Rose Bowl?

WR Jameer Grimsley, Alabama

We have already discussed two transfers from Alabama. We might as well discuss a third.

Ohio State football has lost some talent at the wide receiver position as Marvin Harrison Jr. is heading to the NFL, and Julian Fleming is transferring to Penn State. It certainly wouldn't hurt the Buckeyes to get some more help at the position, and Jameer Grimsley is someone they should take a look at.

He's a guy that can come in and make an immediate impact, and if some of his former teammates are coming to Ohio State, he might want to join them. This is certainly somebody that Ohio State should take a look at. He could have a good year in that offense.