Ohio State’s 2024 schedule is like a general education course in college.
At the start of the semester, there are sessions to allow the professor and students to meet, look over the syllabus and anticipate what will follow. Then, sprinkled into the weeks-long class, there are midterms where the professor tracks the students’ comprehension. And then there’s the final exam, the last session where the professor tests what the student applied and learned from the beginning to the end of the course.
This season, Ohio State’s syllabus sessions are Akron, Western Michigan and Marshall, its midterms are Oregon and Penn State and its final exam is Michigan. All other opponents are the quizzes and tests in between.
As the Eleven Warriors Season Preview continues, I break down each opponent on Ohio State’s 2024 schedule, beginning with its season opener against Akron and ending with its season finale against Michigan.
Akron, Aug. 31
Akron Zips head coach Joe Moorhead walks off the field before the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field. (Jordan Prather / USA TODAY Sports)
The last time Joe Moorhead was in Ohio Stadium, he was Oregon’s offensive coordinator. On Sept. 11, 2021, he ran circles around former Ohio State defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs en route to the Ducks’ 35-28 win over the Buckeyes.
On Aug. 31, Moorhead will return to the Shoe. This time around, he is Akron’s head coach, and his Zips are 50-point underdogs.
A lot can change in three years.
With Ohio State marked as a seven-touchdown favorite, the Buckeyes should have no issues clearing their in-state opponent in the season opener. Akron’s offense is abysmal. The Zips ranked 130th in scoring and 129th in total offense out of the FBS' 133 teams and lost a lot of what little production they did have.
Quarterback Tahj Bullock, who will compete with Cal transfer Ben Finley for the title of QB1, is the lone returning player who rushed for more than 14 yards last season. For that matter, no one on this year's roster had more than 188 receiving yards last year, either.
Akron is better on defense but still needs to improve. The Zips will feature defensive end C.J. Nunnally IV and linebackers Antavious Fish and Bryan McCoy as their top talents. Davonte Golden-Nelson, Oregon transfer Daymon David and Darrian Lewis also make for an intriguing trio at cornerback.
Even still, Akron’s defense will have holes Ohio State can and will exploit. Expect the Buckeyes to dominate and use the second half to build depth Ryan Day has said will be crucial as the team mounts a playoff run at the end of the year. (That final sentence applies to Ohio State’s first three opponents, as you’ll see in a moment).
Western Michigan, Sept. 7
Western Michigan Broncos head coach Lance Taylor looks on before the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. (Jeffrey Becker / USA TODAY Sports)
Lance Taylor led Western Michigan to a 4-8 record in his debut season as head coach. In 2024, he will return several standout performers from last year, including quarterback Hayden Wolff, running back Jalen Buckley, wide receiver Kenneth Womach and two All-MAC offensive linemen Jacob Gideon and Addison West. Also, of the 15 Broncos to record 250 or more snaps last season, 12 are back, including defensive end Corey Walker, linebacker Donald Wllis and cornerback Bilhal Kone.
That’s a lot of experience, and if transfers like wide receivers Devaughn Mortimer (Louisiana-Monroe) and Jordin Parker (New Mexico State) and safety Ryan Raybuck (St. Anselm) can make an impact, the Broncos should be a decent team – in the MAC.
While Western Michigan should be better than Akron this season, the Broncos will be no match for the Buckeyes. Once again, Ohio State should dominate their Group of Five opponent and leave ample time for the team’s second and third-string players to develop with in-game reps in the second half.
Marshall, Sept. 21
Marshall Thundering Herd head coach Charles Huff watches in the second quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. (Matt Cashore / USA TODAY Sports)
On Sept. 14, Ohio State and Marshall will meet for the third* time ever. The first matchup occurred in 2004, a 24-21 win in which the No. 9 Buckeyes needed all of Santanio Holmes’ 10 catches, 224 yards and two touchdowns and a 54-yard game-winning field goal from Mike Nugent to avoid an upset in Columbus. The second* matchup occurred in 2010, a 45-7 win that the NCAA later vacated as a result of “Tattoogate.” Hence, the asterisk.
In 2024, the final score between the Buckeyes and Herd should look more like the teams’ second meeting than the first. Now entering his fourth season as Marshall’s head coach, Charles Huff found success in 2021 and 2022, winning 16 combined games with a pair of top 70 teams. However, the Herd fell to 6-7 in 2023 as its offense and defense – combined with perpetually bad special teams – collapsed in the program’s third season in the Sun Belt.
This fall, Marshall will turn to Wake Forest transfer Mitch Griffis or Tulsa transfer Braylon Braxton as its quarterback. They could also start a transfer at running back, all three receiver positions, tight end and three offensive line spots. The defense will also feature seven transfer defensive linemen, two transfer linebackers and two transfer defensive backs.
That said, it’s hard to predict what kind of team the Herd will be on the second weekend in September.
Still, even with a collection of transfers and some talented returners including wide receiver DeMarcus Harris, center Logan Osburn, defensive tackles TyQaze Leggs and Isaiah Gibson Sr., defensive end Michael Green and defensive back Josh Moten, the Herd will be the final “cupcake” before Ohio State starts its nine-game conference schedule in East Lansing.
At Michigan State, Sept. 28
Michigan State's head coach Jonathan Smith walks to the sideline during the Spring Showcase on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. (Nick King./ USA TODAY Sports)
Ohio State fans remember 1998, 1999, 2011, 2013 and 2015. Those losses to Michigan State created deep wounds that resurface whenever the Spartans appear on the schedule. Even still, when Ohio State travels to East Lansing on Sept. 28, it will do so with an eight-game win streak over Michigan State. And if all goes according to plan at Spartan Stadium, the Buckeyes will extend their streak to nine.
Following Michigan State's firing of Mel Tucker amid sexual harassment allegations, the Spartans hired former Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith as their next program leader this offseason. Before leaving Corvallis for East Lansing, Smith pulled off an epic rebuild with the Beavers, taking them from 2-10 in year one to 10-3 in year five. He will now look to accomplish the same feat for the Spartans.
This fall, Michigan State will look like an entirely different team than it did a year ago, as Michigan State will return five regulars (three starters) on offense and seven regulars on defense. Both of those units ranked outside the top 100 in production in 2023.
On offense, Michigan State will start North Dakota transfer Tommy Schuster or Oregon State transfer Aidan Chiles at quarterback. The Spartans also added UMass transfer running back Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams – who was once considered a potential transfer portal addition for Ohio State – and Oregon State transfer tight end Jack Velling from the portal and will combine them with returning wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. Still, Michigan State will return just one offensive lineman with 200 or more snaps while signing three transfer linemen, so depth up front is tenuous.
Smith took a similar transfer-heavy approach to his defense, as he and defensive coordinator Joe Rossi added 15 players from the portal. Among them were defensive end Quindarius Dunnigan (Middle Tennesee), linebacker Wayne Matthews III (Old Dominion), cornerback Ed Woods (Arizona State) and safety Nikai Martinez (UCF). The Spartans will also return several contributors from last season, including defensive end Jalen Thompson and defensive backs Angelo Grose, Chance Rucker and Dillon Tatum.
As mentioned above, Smith will spend his first year as Michigan State’s head coach rebuilding the program from ground zero. While Michigan State is a team to watch for the future, the Buckeyes should have no issues defeating the Spartans in battle, no matter how much Day upsells them as Ohio State’s first Big Ten opponent on the road.
Iowa, Oct. 5
Iowa Hawkeyes wide receiver Kaleb Brown runs the ball against the Tennessee Volunteers in the fourth quarter at Camping World Stadium. (Jeremy Reper / USA TODAY Sports)
One could argue Ohio State’s 2024 season doesn’t “start” until Oct. 5, when Kirk Ferentz and the Iowa Hawkeyes travel to Columbus. A preseason top-25 team in the AP and Coaches polls, Iowa will have one of the best defenses in America, as always. But the question remains – as always – how will the Hawkeyes score points?
A top-five unit in each of the past five seasons under coordinator Phil Parker, Iowa’s defense will be magnificent for a sixth consecutive season in 2024. Defensive tackle Yahta Black, linebackers Jay Higgins and Nick Jackson and cornerback Sebastian Castro headline a defense that will start eight seniors this year. With an experienced and talented set of players, now would be a great time for Iowa’s offense to carry its weight.
Forced to fire his son, Brian, and hire a new coordinator, Ferentz called upon former Western Michigan head coach Tim Lester to lead his offense. Lester is a former quarterback and quarterbacks coach, but in seven full seasons as an FBS coordinator or head coach, Lester’s best offenses ranked No. 49 in total yards (2017) and his worst ranked No. 124 (2022). While that doesn’t inspire confidence that Iowa’s offense can turn the corner in 2024, Lester will have former Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara, former Ohio State wide receiver Kaleb Brown and some other weapons to work with, and time will tell what kind of results he can produce.
When Ohio State and Iowa face off in Columbus, the Hawkeyes should provide a stiff test for the Buckeyes. With a trip to Oregon scheduled a week later, Iowa will challenge Ohio State’s offense to make sound decisions and take care of the football, something the Ducks will do in Eugene the following Saturday. That said, the Buckeyes should be careful not to look past their matchup with the Hawkeyes, who – despite their history of offensive ineptitude – will make the Buckeyes work for every yard gained and every point scored in the Shoe.
At Oregon, Oct. 12
Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel congratulates Luke Moga after a touchdown by Mona during the Oregon Ducks’ Spring Game at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Ben Lonergan / USA TODAY Sports)
In 2014, Oregon reached the College Football Playoff national championship game behind the standout performances of Heisman Trophy quarterback Marcus Mariota. In the seven seasons after, the Ducks ranged from mediocre to exceptional, winning four games twice (once during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season) while winning nine or more games four times.
Then, Oregon hired Dan Lanning.
In back-to-back seasons as the Ducks’ head coach, Lanning took what he learned as Kirby Smart’s defensive coordinator at Georgia and transformed the Oregon program into a national powerhouse from the Pacific Northwest.
According to ESPN and Bill Connelly’s SP+, Oregon’s 2023 team was its best ever, surpassing even Chip Kelly’s national runner-up team in 2010 and Mark Helfrich’s 2014 runner-up team. The Ducks won 12 games (including four against SP+ top-40 teams) by an average of 46-13. Their two losses came to Washington in the regular season and Pac-12 Championship Game – the former a 36-33 loss in Seattle, and the latter a 34-31 loss in Las Vegas.
This season, Oregon has a roster just as talented as last year’s team. Instead of Bo Nix, the Ducks will have Dillon Gabriel as their lead signal caller. His career stats? A 63.1% completion rate, 14,865 passing yards, 125 touchdowns and 26 interceptions. Along with Gabriel, Oregon will have talented pass catcher Tez Johnson back in uniform after a 1,100-yard season in 2023, pairing him with Texas A&M transfer Evan Stewart and NW Missouri State transfer Jay Harris out wide. The Ducks will also have running backs Jordan James and Noah Whittington and tight end Terrance Ferguson at their disposal.
On defense, Lanning took Oregon’s secondary to the next level, adding high-profile transfers Jabbar Muhammad (Washington), Kam Alexander (UTSA), Brandon Johnson (Duke) and Kobe Savage (Kansas State) from the portal. Those transfers bolster a defense that returns edge rusher Jordan Burch and linebackers Jeff Bassa and Jestin Jacobs. The Ducks will have some concerns with defensive tackle depth after losing four of their top five players at the position after last season. Still, Lanning inked two transfers in Derrick Harmon (Michigan State) and Jamaree Caldwell (Houston) to alleviate that consternation.
All things considered, Ohio State’s road trip to Eugene will be one of college football’s best regular-season games in 2024, as the Buckeyes and Ducks should be top-five teams in the AP and Coaches polls when kickoff arrives. The game also has massive Big Ten title and CFP implications, as whoever wins the showdown will put themselves in the driver’s seat for a Big Ten Championship Game appearance and potential ‘bye’ in the first-ever 12-team postseason tournament.
Nebraska, Oct. 26
Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule stands on the sideline during the second quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Memorial Stadium. (Dylan Widger / USA TODAY Sports)
Here’s a fact: Nebraska has finished below .500 in seven straight seasons.
In 2024, Matt Rhule will look to stop that slide in his second season as the Cornhuskers’ head coach. Rhule built a conference champion at Temple, and after Baylor’s disastrous fall in the mid-2010s, he had the Bears back in the Big 12 Championship Game in his third season in Waco, Texas. That said, if Rhule can’t turn the Nebraska program around, it’s fair to ask the question: Who can?
This offseason, Rhule signed the No. 18 class in the 247Sports composite, landing five-star quarterback and former Ohio State commit Dylan Raiola (the No. 7 overall prospect in the class), four-star tight end Carter Nelson (No. 55) and four-star offensive tackle Grant Brix (No. 83). He also added eight transfers, including running back Dante Dowdell (Oregon), wide receivers Isaiah Neyor (Texas) and Jahmal Banks (Wake Forest), offensive lineman Micah Mazzccua (Florida), linebackers Vincent Genatone (Montana) and Stefon Thompson (Syracuse) and cornerbacks Blye Hill (Saint Francis) and Ceyair Wright (USC).
With an improved roster and a weak schedule through seven games – UTEP, Colorado, Northern Iowa, Illinois, Purdue (in West Lafayette), Rutgers and Indiana (in Bloomington) –Nebraska could arrive in Columbus undefeated, creating a possible top-25 matchup between the Buckeyes and Cornhuskers. However, time will tell if Nebraska ends the year in poll position, as Rhule and Co. will go on to face UCLA, USC, Wisconsin and Iowa following their matchup with Ohio State.
Regardless of where Nebraska enters the game or ends the season in the polls, Ohio State will be coming off a second bye week following an expected top-five showdown against Oregon, which should benefit the Buckeyes. Still, the program must be careful not to look past the Cornhuskers in preparation for their road test at Penn State the following week.
At Penn State, Nov. 2
Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) hands off to running back Kaytron Allen (13) during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Beaver Stadium. (Vincent Carchietta / USA TODAY Sports)
In June, Penn State announced game themes for its 2024 season that revealed the crowd at Beaver Stadium will participate in a “Stripe Game” – not a “White Out” – when Ohio State travels to State College in November. Nevertheless, the 100,000+ Penn State faithful will create the most hostile environment the Buckeyes will play in all season. Combine that atmosphere with a top-10 team, and the Buckeyes will need their A-game to defeat the Nittany Lions.
This fall, head coach James Franklin will lean on former Kansas offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki to unlock quarterback Drew Allar’s potential. Kotelnicki will also look to bring the best out of running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, as well as Ohio State transfer wide receiver Julian Fleming and a collection of pass catchers that include Tyler Warren, Harrison Wallace III, Liam Clifford, Omari Evans, Kaden Saunders and Anthony Ivey.
On defense, former Indiana head coach Tom Allen will take over for Manny Diaz as defensive coordinator. To Allen’s credit, his Hoosier defenses had good game plans, even if the program didn’t have the depth to execute them for 60 minutes. In State College, Allen will have plenty of depth. While cornerbacks Kalen King and Johnny Dixon are off to the NFL, Cam Miller will be back along with transfers A.J. Harris (Georgia) and Jalen Kimber (Florida). In the front six, Allen can experiment with defensive ends Adbul Carter and Zuriah Fisher and linebackers Kobe King, Dominic DeLuca and Tony Rojas.
As will be the case with Ohio State’s road trip to Oregon, the battle between the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions will have Big Ten title and CFP implications, meaning a win over Penn State will be crucial for Ohio State’s postseason aspirations. And, as will be the case with Ohio State’s road trip to Oregon, securing that win will be easier said than done.
Purdue, Nov. 9
Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Hudson Card throws a pass against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first quarter at Kinnick Stadium. (Jeffrey Becker / USA TODAY Sports)
In Ryan Walters’ first season at Purdue, he started Texas transfer quarterback Hudson Card and several transfers on his offensive and defensive line. Yet, it was true freshman safety Dillon Thieneman – a three-star prospect who signed with the Boilermakers out of high school – who was the team’s best performer in 2023, winning Big Ten Freshman of the Year in addition to second-team All-Big Ten and third-team All-American honors.
In 2024, Card and running back Devin Mockobee will return to an otherwise brand-new Purdue offense. This offseason, Walters and his staff added several transfers to the skill positions, including running back Reggie Love III (Illinois) and wide receivers Kam Brown (UCLA), C.J. Smith (Georgia), De’Nylon Morrissette (Georgia) and Jahmal Edrine (FAU). The Boilermakers also return four starting offensive linemen.
On defense, Thieneman will headline a unit that returns eight of 18 players to start at least once last season. Of those eight Boilermakers, defensive end Kydran Jenkins, defensive tackle Cole Brevard, cornerback Derrick Rogers Jr. and linebacker Yanni Karlaftis, the younger brother of George Karlaftis, should be among the team’s top contributors.
While Purdue should experience incremental improvements in year two under Walters, the Boilermakers remain a non-threat to the Buckeyes – especially considering the game will occur at Ohio Stadium, not Ross-Ade Stadium, where Ohio State has suffered five losses since 2000.
At Northwestern (Wrigley Field), Nov. 16
Northwestern Wildcats interim coach David Braun shakes hands with Northwestern Wildcats wide receiver Jack Kennedy (1) before the game at SHI Stadium. (Vincent Carchietta / USA TODAY Sports)
David Braun transformed a 1-11 Northwestern football team in 2022 into an 8-5 Northwestern football team in 2023. How did he accomplish that feat? The Wildcats went 6-2 in one-score finishes and benefited from one of the conference’s weaker schedules. Even still, Braun was put in an impossible position following Pat Fitzgerald’s termination, but he guided the program to success and won Big Ten Coach of the Year.
In 2024, Braun will look to duplicate that success with an experienced defense. Last year, Braun played many defenders, including 19 who recorded at least 240 snaps. Fourteen of those Wildcats will return this fall, including sacks leader Aidan Hubbard and tackles for loss leader Xander Mueller.
While the defense should be Northwestern’s strength, the Wildcats could have issues on offense, where Ryan Hilinski, Mississippi State transfer Mike Wright and Jack Lausch will compete to start at quarterback. Northwestern will return talented running backs Cam Porter and Joseph Himon II, as well as wide receiver Bryce Kirtz, but outside of those three options, the offense remains unproven.
When Ohio State and Northwestern meet at Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, the Buckeyes will be the superior team. However, late November in the Windy City could make weather an interesting factor, much like it was two years ago when C.J. Stroud and the Buckeyes needed all four quarters to beat the Wildcats 21-7.
Indiana, Nov. 23
Indiana Head Coach Curt Cignetti during practice at Memorial Stadium. (Rich Janzaruk / USA TODAY NETWORK)
Curt Cignetti is not afraid of Purdue, Michigan or Ohio State. He made that clear this offseason during an Indiana basketball game at Assembly Hall.
“I’ve never taken a backseat to anybody and don’t plan on starting now,” Cignetti said. “But so does Michigan and Ohio State. Go IU!”
Cignetti wants to back up his trash talk as soon as this season. His plan to accomplish that includes transfers – lots and lots of transfers. This offseason, Cignetti imported his roster from James Madison to Indiana, as the former Dukes head coach brought 13 players with him, including wide receiver Elijah Sarratt, defensive end Mikail Kamara, defensive tackle James Carpenter, linebackers Aiden Fisher and Jailin Walker and cornerback D’Angelo Ponds.
However, the transfers didn’t stop there. Cignetti landed 30 of them in all, including quarterback Kurtis Rourke (Ohio); running backs Elijah Green (North Carolina) and Justice Ellison (Wake Forest); wide receivers Miles Cross (Ohio), Myles Price (Texas Tech) and Ke’Shawn Williams (Wake Forest); offensive lineman Trey Wedig (Wisconsin); defensive tackle CJ West (Kent State); cornerback Cedarius Doss (Austin Peay); safeties Shawn Asbury II (Old Dominion) and Terry Jones Jr. (Old Dominion).
With a smorgasbord roster, Indiana’s season seems destined to either be an enormous success (see Michigan State in 2021) or a massive failure (see Colorado in 2023).
Regardless of the outcome, the Hoosiers will still face an incredible uphill battle to beat the Buckeyes in Columbus. Ohio State currently holds a 28-game win streak over Indiana dating back to 1988. With the Michigan game scheduled for the following weekend, the Buckeyes have every intention of extending that streak to 29 before hosting the 120th edition of The Game.
Michigan, Nov. 30
Blue Team running back Donovan Edwards (7) runs against Maize Team defensive back Jyaire Hill (20) during the first half of the spring game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. (Junfu Han./ USA TODAY Network).
It all comes down to this.
In 2023, Ohio State suffered its third consecutive loss to Michigan before watching the Wolverines win their third consecutive Big Ten title and their first national championship since 1997.
The Buckeyes responded with one of the best offseasons ever, returning over a dozen starters from last year while adding star-studded transfers like Kansas State quarterback Will Howard, Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins, Alabama offensive lineman Seth McLaughlin and Alabama safety Caleb Downs. Together, Day and Ohio State’s reloaded roster will return to form in the greatest rivalry in all of sports, knocking off “That Team Up North” for the first time since 2019.
This fall, Michigan will start either Alex Orji, Davis Warren or Jack Tuttle at quarterback. That signal-caller will start next to running back Donovan Edwards and have weapons like tight end Colston Loveland and wide receivers Fredrick Moore, Tyler Morris and Semaj Morgan at their disposal.
On defense, three stars will return from 2023: cornerback Will Johnson and defensive tackles Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant. The Wolverines will also return defensive ends Derrick Moore and Josaiah Stewart as transfers Jaden Mangham (Michigan State), Ricky Johnson (UNLV), Aamir Hall (Albany) and Jaishawn Barham (Maryland) provide reinforcements.
In Sherrone Moore’s first season as head coach, Michigan will likely experience a drop-off after winning a national title a year ago. However, that does not mean Ohio State can approach The Game with any less urgency. For two decades, the Buckeyes dominated the Wolverines as the rivalry became as much a game between the lines as it did between the ears. That is to say, Ohio State is the better, more talented team, but the Buckeyes must overcome physical and mental hurdles to beat the Wolverines in late November.
If Ohio State does beat Michigan, the Buckeyes will have accomplished one of their three goals this season and be one step closer to the other two, winning a Big Ten title and winning a national championship.
If Ohio State doesn’t beat Michigan, well, change could come in Columbus – and fast.
