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 needs to deliver this year
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.
One thing that will be crucial during their run to a potential Big Ten title and more is quarterback play. That was one thing that didn't live up to Buckeye standards last year, and it will need to be better in 2024. Will Howard, Devin Brown and Julian Sayin are currently battling it out for the starting job, and it will be won by…
Will Howard
Will Howard will be the starting quarterback for the Ohio State football team in 2024. Howard transferred over from Kansas State in the offseason, and Buckeyes fans are hoping that he can bring elite QB play back to Columbus.
Last year with Kansas State, Will Howard was 219-357 for 2,643 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Remember, a lot of Ohio State fans blame Kyle McCord for their shortcomings from a year ago. McCord was 229-348 for 3,170 yards, 24 touchdowns and six picks. Better completion percentage, almost 600 more yards on less attempts, and less interceptions.
The thing is, McCord was surrounded by elite talent at Ohio State, and Will Howard was playing at Kansas State. With the elite talent that he has around him in Columbus, he should be able to improve his numbers from last year. However, it's important to note that if they end up looking similar, Buckeyes fans might not be happy.
Devin Brown and Julian Sayin are both solid QBs, but Howard is the man for the job. Sayin is going to be a great college QB one day, he just doesn't have the experience yet. He will likely be the next Buckeyes starter after Will Howard. It wouldn't be surprising to see Brown hit the transfer portal after this season. He got a shot against Missouri in the Cotton Bowl, and it did not go well. He didn't get a ton of time as he went down after a big hit, but he didn't look great in limited action.
Will Howard will be the guy for Ohio State football, and there is a lot of pressure on him to perform.
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