We're almost there. Another long college football offseason is almost over as the calendar now reads August, and the first games will begin on the 24th. College football fans everywhere are eager for the new beginning. College football fever is rampant across the country as we get closer to the season, but this offseason was a bit easier than others because of the new EA Sports NCAA 25 video game that just came out in mid July. All in all, it’s an exciting time to be a college football fan, and one fan base that is excited for the season is Ohio State football fans. The Buckeyes have a lot of hype coming into the 2024 season.
This college football season is a big one, and it's going to look a lot different than past years. The sport is going through some major changes, and some of those changes are going to be seen for the first time during the 2024 season. Let’s take a look at what some of the most notable ones are.
First off, there are going to be some rules changes this year in college football, and some fans aren’t going to like them. Perhaps the biggest change is the addition of the two-minute warning, like in the NFL. If you are like most college football fans, you're getting sick of the amount of commercials that we see during games. Well, the two-minute warning is just another way for TV Networks to pack another break into the action.
There are more changes, however, and these are ones that more fans in favor of, but some still don't like them. College football is going to look completely different next year because of expansion to the College Football Playoff to 12 teams and conference realignment. California schools playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference? Yeah, things are changing.
Conference realignment has made things look a lot different. The power five is no longer a thing as the Pac-12 is essentially dead. Every team left for a new conference except for Oregon State and Washington State. Those two teams have scheduling alliances with the Mountain West, but they aren't actually in the conference.
Every other Pac-12 school found a new home. Utah, Colorado, Arizona and Arizona State are now in the Big 12. Oregon, Oregon State, USC and UCLA joined the Big Ten. Lastly, Cal and Stanford joined the ACC (makes a ton of sense, right?).
The other big change with conferences comes in the SEC. Oklahoma and Texas are both leaving the Big 12 and they will join the SEC. The Big Ten and the SEC are loaded with good teams, and some think that things could be heading in the direction of two super conferences.
This season, we will also see 12 teams make the College Football Playoff instead of just four. For about a month, the College Football Playoff will be happening. Some people aren’t in favor of the big expansion, but there will be more marquee college football games, and it’s hard to be too upset about that.
All in all, this is going to be one of the biggest college football seasons of all time. The game is changing, and this is the start of a new era.
Ohio State football has the talent to win it all
This is a huge season for the Ohio State football team. The Buckeyes have been one of the best teams in college football each of the last three seasons, but they haven't been able to rise to the occasion in their biggest games. A lot of fans have been unhappy with head coach Ryan Day because of that, but against teams not named Michigan, he has been superb. Now that Jim Harbaugh and a lot of players from last year's Wolverines squad are gone, it seems like Day should be able to get over the Michigan hump this year.
There's no doubt about it, this is a national championship or bust season for the Buckeyes. A lot of players that were expected to go pro after last season came back because they want to win it all. Ohio State also brought in one of the most impressive transfer classes in the country. With the talent that this team has, it would be a bit of a disappointment if they don't win a national title.
First thing's first, Ohio State has to be focusing on beating Michigan and winning the Big Ten. That has been their road block the past three years, and if they accomplish that, it will make winning the national title a lot easier. If the Buckeyes win the Big Ten, they will get a bye into the second round of the College Football Playoff, so they would only have to win three CFP games instead of four.
That is the first focus for Ohio State, but their team has said it already: This is a national championship or bust season. The Buckeyes have the talent to get it done, but this one thing could get in the way.
Ryan Day
Ryan Day has done almost everything right since becoming the head coach of the Ohio State football team. He has won a lot of football games, and he has had his team in position to win championships. However, under Urban Meyer, the Buckeyes were winning the Big Ten most years, playoff games most years and they won a national title. Day and Ohio State haven't done any of those things since before the pandemic, and he obviously hasn't won a national championship. Day hasn't been able to win the big one, and some of his decisions during games have cost him.
If you look at last year's Michigan vs. Ohio State game, the Wolverines were clearly the more aggressive team, and it paid off big time. There were multiple instances in the game when Day elected to not go for it on a short fourth down, and when Michigan was put in those spots, they did go for it, and they scored because of it. Day being conservative against Michigan is something that fans haven't liked the past few years. Who knows, but those drives could have resulted in points that won the game if he put some trust into his offense to get less than a yard.
Yeah, Ohio State is loaded with talent. But guess what? That's been the case for the past three seasons, and Day hasn't been able to win big. Until he proves that he can, people are going to continue to wonder if he is the thing dooming the Buckeyes.
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