You say precision; I hear the Buckeyes. For the coming season of College Football, HC Ryan Day is sparing no effort. Whether it’s through team alignment or rigorous fall camp training, Ryan is determined to bounce back from last season’s loss.

The Ohio State Buckeyes might finally break their national championship drought as Ohio State’s roster is widely regarded as the most talented in the nation as we enter 2024, and they are currently ranked second in the Top 25 AP poll with the Georgia Bulldogs as their only competitor. What did Ryan do? Let’s find out.

Last week on August 15 for the first time in ages, Ryan Day officially announced Kansas State graduate transfer Will Howard as the Ohio states QB1. Following this announcement, Ryan on August 22, shared his judgement behind the decision while talking to the host on Always College Football with Greg McElroy saying how it’s important to have a cognitive mindset towards approaching your team “I think the thing that you have to do as the head coach is you got to get a feel for the locker room. You can’t fool those guys.”

Ryan Day also mentions how keeping the whole team on one page throughout the decision is important as one rookie mistake can cause you the whole gang. But in Will’s case it was very clear: “A little 10-day stretch there where he took control of the offense and had a strong presence with the team.” Ryan’s statement shows how much confidence he holds in for Howard’s gameplay “It’s a combination of his feet, his experience, his size, his accuracy, his ability to throw the ball. I mean, all the above”. 

Well, the decision regarding Howard was an obvious choice, after his excellent performance in the training camp, he was the fastest player in the five-man Ohio State quarterback room this offseason. As the starting QB in the 2023 season, he led the Wildcats to a 9-4 record while throwing for 2,643 yards and scoring 24 touchdowns. Following his transfer to Ohio State, Will has taken over as the replacement for Kyle McCord. He has really come a long way. Let’s see how the coming season under Ryan works for him.

How the 2024 season looks for the Buckeyes

Ohio State is entering the new season under Ryan Day’s who holds an impressive 56-8 record. Can those stats improve this season? How will the team work this time is the only question popping into everyone’s head, but the offense will look different under Chip Kelly. With players like QB Will Howard and CB Denzel Burke along with Davidson Igbinosun, the team could be on the higher edge in terms of the offense. Running backs Quinshon Judkins and Treyvon Henderson with notable results in the past season are a value addition. 

However, the uncertainties lie in the team’s defense, the Buckeyes had only 28 sacks last season ranking them  64th among 130 Football Bowl Subdivision teams which is quite low. But this year the goal is to have the best defense in the country. Players like Linebacker C.J. Hicks expect to get plenty of snaps this season, while Sonny Styles has been moved to linebacker from safety, as he has efficient skills to be an effective pass rusher. So far, it seems everything is on track for Ryan Day’s Ohio State. What will the team’s position be in the coming season? Only time can tell.