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LGHL Burning Questions: What are this year’s best college football games?
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Burning Questions: What are this year’s best college football games?
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
It’s likely not too surprising which games are the most anticipated on this year’s schedule
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the most important questions yet unanswered for the season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content and our ”Burning Questions” articles here.
We are now less than two months away from the start of the college football season. With the opener between Florida State and Georgia Tech over in Ireland getting closer, it is starting to feel real that the start of the season is just around the corner.
Before you know it, Labor Day weekend will be here and we’ll be getting ready to watch Ohio State thrash Akron and take in the rest of the action on the gridiron over the next four months. So what games should be appointment viewing in 2024?
While the correct answer is every game since every year it feels like the college football season is over just after it begins, we know there is only so much Iowa football that a person should watch. To try and make things a little easier, I have put together a list of my top-10 games this year.
Even though a lot of these contests will likely be pretty obvious, at least looking ahead to them can help to reinforce our excitement for the season, which is going to be like no other because of the expansion of the College Football Playoff.
Although Kansas State and the rest of the schools in the Big 12 will have something to say about it, this could very well be a preview of the conference’s championship game. You know the Wildcats, Oklahoma State, and some of the other “originals” in the conference would hate it if two schools from the Pac-12 moved over to the Big 12 and won the conference title in their first season in the league.
What makes this game so interesting is the amount of talent both squads have returning this year. Arizona should have one of the best combos in the country with quarterback Noah Fifita and wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. Last season McMillan hauled in 90 passes for 1,402 yards and 10 scores.
On the other side, Cam Rising is starting his 33rd year of college football. The Utah quarterback missed all of last season after suffering a knee injury against Penn State in the 2023 Rose Bowl. The Utes usually have one of the toughest defenses in the country, which will make it a fascinating battle against Fifita and the Arizona offense.
Who knows if Oklahoma is going to be competitive in their first season in the SEC. What is going to be fun is to see Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel return to Norman, where he won a national championship as quarterback of the Sooners. Not only is Heupel a legend at Oklahoma because of his play on the field, he also was an assistant coach on Bob Stoops’ staff for nearly a decade.
Oklahoma’s schedule in their first season in the SEC is brutal. Along with their annual showdown against Texas, the Sooners have games against the Volunteers, Auburn, Ole Miss, Missouri, and Alabama.
It’s a good thing Brent Venables signed a contract extension a few weeks ago because otherwise his seat might be getting hot if he can’t win a couple of those games. At least quarterback Jackson Arnold should be fun to watch for the Sooners this year.
Last year saw Florida State add to Clemson and Dabo Swinney’s woes when they went on the road and beat the Tigers 31-24 in overtime, snapping a seven-game losing streak against Clemson. The Seminoles would go on to finish the regular season undefeated and win the ACC Championship Game before being passed up for the playoff because of the injury late in the season to quarterback Jordan Travis.
Last season was the first year since 2010 where Clemson didn’t win at least 10 games in a season. Of course we all know that Ohio State broke Dabo when they beat Clemson 49-28 in the 2021 Sugar Bowl, but a lot of the recent struggles for the Tigers can be attributed to Swinney’s refusal to utilize the transfer portal.
Are Dabo’s best days behind him? Not only will this year say a lot about where Swinney stands, the matchup in Tallahassee is going to be massive when it comes to the ACC and College Football Playoff races for both teams.
As much as I can’t stand Penn State, they always show up to play against Ohio State, especially when the game is in State College. Luckily for Buckeye fans, usually the Nittany Lions only take the game down to the wire, they don’t end up actually beating Ohio State.
The Buckeyes have won 11 of the last 12 against Penn State, with the only setback during that span coming in 2016 when the Nittany Lions won 24-21 in Happy Valley.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25520137/1750709710.jpg "Penn State v Ohio State")
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
With the expansion of the Big Ten, following this year’s game the schools won’t meet until 2028. Even though it will feel unnatural for the neighbors to not meet annually, that’s the reality of the new college football. Old rivalries get left in the dust as conferences change and the College Football Playoff expands to 12 teams.
Hopefully there is another thrilling contest in State College this year that ends in yet another Ohio State victory!
This game almost was last year’s title game, as Texas gave Washington all it could handle in the Sugar Bowl. The Longhorns look like they are stacked again, while Michigan has to not only replace their head coach, they’ll also have a new starting quarterback after J.J. McCarthy was taken in the first round of the NFL Draft. The Wolverines also have a brutal schedule with games against USC, Washington, Oregon, and Ohio State later in the season.
It would be amazing if the Big Ten hadn’t linked up with FOX since this is a game that feels like it should be under the lights and not a noon kickoff. Plus, it will be wild to see Michigan welcome a team with a pulse to Ann Arbor in September after what felt like years of directional in-state non-conference foes and other Division I weaklings.
Maybe Quinn Ewers can do something his former team hasn’t been able to do in a few years: Beat Michigan.
The last team these rivals met was back in the 2011 season before Texas A&M moved to the SEC. Despite the teams being in different conferences, there was hope the schools would still be able to square off of the field, and there were even bills filed by politicians in Texas to reinstate the rivalry. Now that Texas is also a member of the SEC, the schools are scheduled to play later this year for the first time in 13 years.
Fans in College Station might not be too happy with the result this year since Texas is looking like a contender for the College Football Playoff, while Texas A&M will be in its first season under new head coach Mike Elko. Then again, the Aggies are always tough to beat at Kyle Field, and you just know the intensity of the 12th Man is going to be kicked up a few notches for their first game against the Longhorns in over a decade.
It’s not often these two powers meet during the regular season. The last time these teams played before December was back in 2020 when the Crimson Tide beat the Bulldogs 41-24 in Tuscaloosa. Alabama has dominated the series lately, winning eight of the last nine against Georgia. The lone loss to the Bulldogs was in the 2021 national title game, which was the first of Georgia’s back-to-back national championships.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25520142/1829313749.jpg "2023 SEC Championship - Georgia v Alabama")
Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images
This marks the start of a new era of the Georgia-Alabama rivalry, as this will be the first meeting between the schools with Kalen DeBoer at the helm for Alabama. Despite the Crimson Tide having a new coach, they still have plenty of players from last year’s team that beat the Bulldogs in the SEC Championship Game, including quarterback Jalen Milroe.
This could be the first of two, or even possibly three meetings between the schools this year.
From Georgia going against a new coach in the SEC to the Bulldogs taking on one of the new schools in the SEC. A week after the Longhorns battle hated rivals Oklahoma in Dallas, they’ll return to Austin to take on a Georgia team that is one of the favorites to win the national title.
This marks the sixth meeting all-time between the schools, and the first since Texas won 28-21 in the 2019 Sugar Bowl. You’ll likely remember that game since before the start UGA tried to step to Bevo and almost immediately regretted that decision.
There’s a reason both teams are going to enter the season ranked in the top-five. They are a couple of the most talented teams in college football and there’s no reason to think they won’t make the CFP. What makes this game fun is seeing Georgia head to Austin for an on-campus game.
Even though conference realignment has destroyed some of our favorite things about college football, it also gives us a chance to embrace some things we have rarely seen in the past.
This game is going to be the marquee contest on a loaded Saturday in October. The Buckeyes head out to Eugene to take on the Ducks in the first battle between the schools as conference foes.
This marks the second time Ohio State has taken the trip out west to Oregon’s home turf. The first meeting came in 1967 when Ohio State shutout the Ducks 30-0. There was supposed to be a meeting in Eugene in 2020 but COVID-19 scrapped the contest, and even if we hadn’t been in the midst of a pandemic, wildfires might have made it tough for the game to be played since the air quality was so poor.
There’s a reason why this is one of the most anticipated games of the college football season. Ohio State and Oregon are both loaded on offense and have dynamic defenses. There’s a very real possibility this will be the first of two or three meetings between the teams.
It certainly would be fitting if in the first year of the College Football Playoff Ohio State and Oregon met for the title, and if they did again in the first year of the CFP being a 12-team playoff.
Did you really think the top spot was going to be any other contest besides “The Game”? After nearly two decades of domination by Ohio State, Michigan has not only won the last three meetings with the Buckeyes, they are also the defending national champs.
Despite his outstanding record during his time as head coach of the Buckeyes, the majority of the very few blemishes on Ryan Day’s record have come to the Wolverines.
If there was ever a year to regain some momentum in the rival, it’s this year for Ohio State. Jim Harbaugh left for the NFL and Michigan will have a new starting quarterback this year. Plus, they won’t have Connor Stalions and his magic spying vacuum cleaners.
While Michigan did swipe running backs coach Tony Alford from Ohio State, the Buckeyes immediately upgraded when they hired Carlos Locklyn from Oregon. It would be great to see the Buckeyes hand Alford a loss in his first season in Ann Arbor.
Who knows, we could see this matchup a week later in the Big Ten Championship Game since the conference did away with division after adding four teams. What would be better than beating Michigan? Beating Michigan twice in the same season. Go Bucks!
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
It’s likely not too surprising which games are the most anticipated on this year’s schedule
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the most important questions yet unanswered for the season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content and our ”Burning Questions” articles here.
We are now less than two months away from the start of the college football season. With the opener between Florida State and Georgia Tech over in Ireland getting closer, it is starting to feel real that the start of the season is just around the corner.
Before you know it, Labor Day weekend will be here and we’ll be getting ready to watch Ohio State thrash Akron and take in the rest of the action on the gridiron over the next four months. So what games should be appointment viewing in 2024?
While the correct answer is every game since every year it feels like the college football season is over just after it begins, we know there is only so much Iowa football that a person should watch. To try and make things a little easier, I have put together a list of my top-10 games this year.
Even though a lot of these contests will likely be pretty obvious, at least looking ahead to them can help to reinforce our excitement for the season, which is going to be like no other because of the expansion of the College Football Playoff.
10) Arizona v. Utah - Sept. 28
Although Kansas State and the rest of the schools in the Big 12 will have something to say about it, this could very well be a preview of the conference’s championship game. You know the Wildcats, Oklahoma State, and some of the other “originals” in the conference would hate it if two schools from the Pac-12 moved over to the Big 12 and won the conference title in their first season in the league.
What makes this game so interesting is the amount of talent both squads have returning this year. Arizona should have one of the best combos in the country with quarterback Noah Fifita and wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. Last season McMillan hauled in 90 passes for 1,402 yards and 10 scores.
On the other side, Cam Rising is starting his 33rd year of college football. The Utah quarterback missed all of last season after suffering a knee injury against Penn State in the 2023 Rose Bowl. The Utes usually have one of the toughest defenses in the country, which will make it a fascinating battle against Fifita and the Arizona offense.
9) Oklahoma v. Tennessee - Sept. 21
Who knows if Oklahoma is going to be competitive in their first season in the SEC. What is going to be fun is to see Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel return to Norman, where he won a national championship as quarterback of the Sooners. Not only is Heupel a legend at Oklahoma because of his play on the field, he also was an assistant coach on Bob Stoops’ staff for nearly a decade.
Oklahoma’s schedule in their first season in the SEC is brutal. Along with their annual showdown against Texas, the Sooners have games against the Volunteers, Auburn, Ole Miss, Missouri, and Alabama.
It’s a good thing Brent Venables signed a contract extension a few weeks ago because otherwise his seat might be getting hot if he can’t win a couple of those games. At least quarterback Jackson Arnold should be fun to watch for the Sooners this year.
8) Clemson v. Florida State - Oct. 5
Last year saw Florida State add to Clemson and Dabo Swinney’s woes when they went on the road and beat the Tigers 31-24 in overtime, snapping a seven-game losing streak against Clemson. The Seminoles would go on to finish the regular season undefeated and win the ACC Championship Game before being passed up for the playoff because of the injury late in the season to quarterback Jordan Travis.
Last season was the first year since 2010 where Clemson didn’t win at least 10 games in a season. Of course we all know that Ohio State broke Dabo when they beat Clemson 49-28 in the 2021 Sugar Bowl, but a lot of the recent struggles for the Tigers can be attributed to Swinney’s refusal to utilize the transfer portal.
Are Dabo’s best days behind him? Not only will this year say a lot about where Swinney stands, the matchup in Tallahassee is going to be massive when it comes to the ACC and College Football Playoff races for both teams.
7) Ohio State v. Penn State - Nov. 2
As much as I can’t stand Penn State, they always show up to play against Ohio State, especially when the game is in State College. Luckily for Buckeye fans, usually the Nittany Lions only take the game down to the wire, they don’t end up actually beating Ohio State.
The Buckeyes have won 11 of the last 12 against Penn State, with the only setback during that span coming in 2016 when the Nittany Lions won 24-21 in Happy Valley.
With the expansion of the Big Ten, following this year’s game the schools won’t meet until 2028. Even though it will feel unnatural for the neighbors to not meet annually, that’s the reality of the new college football. Old rivalries get left in the dust as conferences change and the College Football Playoff expands to 12 teams.
Hopefully there is another thrilling contest in State College this year that ends in yet another Ohio State victory!
6) Texas v. Michigan - Sept. 7
This game almost was last year’s title game, as Texas gave Washington all it could handle in the Sugar Bowl. The Longhorns look like they are stacked again, while Michigan has to not only replace their head coach, they’ll also have a new starting quarterback after J.J. McCarthy was taken in the first round of the NFL Draft. The Wolverines also have a brutal schedule with games against USC, Washington, Oregon, and Ohio State later in the season.
It would be amazing if the Big Ten hadn’t linked up with FOX since this is a game that feels like it should be under the lights and not a noon kickoff. Plus, it will be wild to see Michigan welcome a team with a pulse to Ann Arbor in September after what felt like years of directional in-state non-conference foes and other Division I weaklings.
Maybe Quinn Ewers can do something his former team hasn’t been able to do in a few years: Beat Michigan.
5) Texas v. Texas A&M - Nov. 30
The last team these rivals met was back in the 2011 season before Texas A&M moved to the SEC. Despite the teams being in different conferences, there was hope the schools would still be able to square off of the field, and there were even bills filed by politicians in Texas to reinstate the rivalry. Now that Texas is also a member of the SEC, the schools are scheduled to play later this year for the first time in 13 years.
Fans in College Station might not be too happy with the result this year since Texas is looking like a contender for the College Football Playoff, while Texas A&M will be in its first season under new head coach Mike Elko. Then again, the Aggies are always tough to beat at Kyle Field, and you just know the intensity of the 12th Man is going to be kicked up a few notches for their first game against the Longhorns in over a decade.
4) Georgia v. Alabama - Sept. 28
It’s not often these two powers meet during the regular season. The last time these teams played before December was back in 2020 when the Crimson Tide beat the Bulldogs 41-24 in Tuscaloosa. Alabama has dominated the series lately, winning eight of the last nine against Georgia. The lone loss to the Bulldogs was in the 2021 national title game, which was the first of Georgia’s back-to-back national championships.
This marks the start of a new era of the Georgia-Alabama rivalry, as this will be the first meeting between the schools with Kalen DeBoer at the helm for Alabama. Despite the Crimson Tide having a new coach, they still have plenty of players from last year’s team that beat the Bulldogs in the SEC Championship Game, including quarterback Jalen Milroe.
This could be the first of two, or even possibly three meetings between the schools this year.
3) Georgia v. Texas - Oct. 19
From Georgia going against a new coach in the SEC to the Bulldogs taking on one of the new schools in the SEC. A week after the Longhorns battle hated rivals Oklahoma in Dallas, they’ll return to Austin to take on a Georgia team that is one of the favorites to win the national title.
This marks the sixth meeting all-time between the schools, and the first since Texas won 28-21 in the 2019 Sugar Bowl. You’ll likely remember that game since before the start UGA tried to step to Bevo and almost immediately regretted that decision.
There’s a reason both teams are going to enter the season ranked in the top-five. They are a couple of the most talented teams in college football and there’s no reason to think they won’t make the CFP. What makes this game fun is seeing Georgia head to Austin for an on-campus game.
Even though conference realignment has destroyed some of our favorite things about college football, it also gives us a chance to embrace some things we have rarely seen in the past.
2) Ohio State v. Oregon - Oct. 12
This game is going to be the marquee contest on a loaded Saturday in October. The Buckeyes head out to Eugene to take on the Ducks in the first battle between the schools as conference foes.
This marks the second time Ohio State has taken the trip out west to Oregon’s home turf. The first meeting came in 1967 when Ohio State shutout the Ducks 30-0. There was supposed to be a meeting in Eugene in 2020 but COVID-19 scrapped the contest, and even if we hadn’t been in the midst of a pandemic, wildfires might have made it tough for the game to be played since the air quality was so poor.
There’s a reason why this is one of the most anticipated games of the college football season. Ohio State and Oregon are both loaded on offense and have dynamic defenses. There’s a very real possibility this will be the first of two or three meetings between the teams.
It certainly would be fitting if in the first year of the College Football Playoff Ohio State and Oregon met for the title, and if they did again in the first year of the CFP being a 12-team playoff.
1) Michigan v. Ohio State - Nov. 30
Did you really think the top spot was going to be any other contest besides “The Game”? After nearly two decades of domination by Ohio State, Michigan has not only won the last three meetings with the Buckeyes, they are also the defending national champs.
Despite his outstanding record during his time as head coach of the Buckeyes, the majority of the very few blemishes on Ryan Day’s record have come to the Wolverines.
If there was ever a year to regain some momentum in the rival, it’s this year for Ohio State. Jim Harbaugh left for the NFL and Michigan will have a new starting quarterback this year. Plus, they won’t have Connor Stalions and his magic spying vacuum cleaners.
While Michigan did swipe running backs coach Tony Alford from Ohio State, the Buckeyes immediately upgraded when they hired Carlos Locklyn from Oregon. It would be great to see the Buckeyes hand Alford a loss in his first season in Ann Arbor.
Who knows, we could see this matchup a week later in the Big Ten Championship Game since the conference did away with division after adding four teams. What would be better than beating Michigan? Beating Michigan twice in the same season. Go Bucks!
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LGHL You’re Nuts: Which non-Michigan game is the most dangerous for Ohio State this season?
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You’re Nuts: Which non-Michigan game is the most dangerous for Ohio State this season?
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch via Imagn Content Services, LLC
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.
In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.
Heading into the 2024 season, one of the biggest burning questions on Buckeye fans’ lips is whether Ohio State will finally be able to get the job done against Michigan. While we’ll have to wait until November for the answer, in many ways, the Buckeyes’ matchup with Oregon carries with it even more intrigue than The Game — and more danger.
The Buckeyes head west on Oct. 12 to face the Ducks at Autzen Stadium in Oregon’s first year as a Big Ten opponent, in one of the season’s marquee matchups. Many preseason projections have the Buckeyes at No. 2 and Oregon at No. 4, separated by razor-thin margins.
Head coach Ryan Day spent the offseason making use of the transfer portal, most notably shocking the college football world by nabbing five-star safety Caleb Downs (who left Alabama in the wake of Nick Saban’s retirement), along with quarterback Will Howard and running back Quinshon Judkins, among others.
Add those names to a roster full of returning players, including defensive standouts J.T. Tuimoloau, Denzel Burke, star running back TreVeyon Henderson, and powerhouse wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, and—to put it bluntly—this team is loaded.
Any concerns about depth we had going into the 2023 season seem to have been answered. We saw what Jim Knowles’ defense was capable of last season, and the Buckeyes should have the offense to match this year.
Day also had an answer for a major criticism of his coaching abilities—his offensive playcalling. Though Day’s play calling as an assistant was impeccable, when he chose to retain play calling (a responsibility traditionally delegated to the offensive coordinator) as head coach, he came up short in critical game situations, often proving unable or unwilling to make the adjustments needed to come up with victories in big games.
This season, it shouldn’t be an issue, as he’s passed that responsibility to new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly (one of Day’s mentors, and, funnily enough, the head coach at Oregon when OSU faced the Ducks in the 2010 Rose Bowl).
Collectively, the Buckeyes’ offseason moves should leave them poised for victory this season.
The Ducks, who have been making moves of their own, aren’t going to make it easy. Head coach Dan Lanning brings his team into the Big Ten with back-to-back bowl victories and his own stockpile of talent, including quarterback Dillon Gabriel (the Oklahoma transfer who will take over from Bo Nix), wide receivers Evan Stewart and Tez Johnson (whose 1,182 receiving yards in 2023 are the third-most in a single season at Oregon), and returning running back Jordan James. And Lanning too has been hard at work adding depth to his team, leaving the Ducks without any obvious gaps this year.
That’s not to say challenges couldn’t arise in the form of injuries or unexpected holes, but at the top of the season, they look just as poised for success as our boys in Columbus.
This game won’t be the Buckeyes' first test (that will likely come the week prior against Iowa), but it will be one of the Ducks’ first chances to cook. The Ducks also face down a brutal November schedule that involves not just four tough opponents consecutively but requires them to travel to the Midwest every other week, adding time changes and long trips into the mix as they face Michigan on the road, Maryland at home, Wisconsin on the road and Washington at home. In a season where the Big Ten seems to be full of powerhouse potential, the Ohio State game almost feels like a must-win for the Ducks, both to announce to the conference that they’re here to hang with the big dogs and to give themselves a little breathing room in case they drop a game in November.
When we examine the Big Ten landscape holistically this season, both Ohio State and Oregon seem like they could rise to the top, and given that they are separated by such thin margins in terms of talent, the Buckeyes will have even less room for error in this road game.
If they come out of the Iowa game worse for the wear and then have to grapple with a time change in a tough stadium, it could spell victory for the Ducks. Neither team can afford lackluster play in this game, so regardless of how it shakes out, expect to see a hard-fought battle between two teams firing on all cylinders.
Day spent the offseason putting the wheels in motion for the Buckeyes to do just that, hopefully well into the postseason, but it is the Ducks who will provide the first—and highest—hurdle for Ohio State to clear.
If this question had been phrased differently, I probably would have agreed with Jami. Had it been, “Which non-Michigan game is Ohio State moat likely to lose this season,” there really wouldn’t be any argument that Oregon was the right choice. But I don’t think that the Ducks are OSU’s most dangerous non-rivalry game. That honor, I believe, belongs to the Nittany Lions.
Yes, I know that Ohio State hasn’t lost to the Nits since 2016, and has only lost once in Happy Valey since 2005, but it is less about the opponent and more about the timing for me. With the expanded College Football Playoff, the margin for error is even wider for the Buckeyes than it ever has been before in the CFP Era, and we know they’ve gotten into the tournament with losses before.
So, if Ryan Day’s Buckeyes do go to Eugene and drop a game in Week 7, assuming it is not an all-out embarrassment, they would still have seven weeks in the regular season — plus Conference Championship Weekend — to make up for it. OSU would have remaining games against Nebraska, Penn State, and Michigan to remind the selection committee of why they deserve to be in. There would also be two full months for other teams to stumble as well, allowing the Bucks to get back in a good CFP spot.
The same is not as true for the PSU game. If the Buckeyes were to lose in State College on Nov. 2, they would only have matchups with Purdue, Northwestern, and Indiana (not exactly an impressive string of games) before the regular season-ending game against Michigan. Tough to prove you are a contender when you are playing teams that likely won’t even merit mention as pretenders.
Of course, I imagine that even a two-lose Ohio State team will still probably be in line for a CFP berth, but it would probably be in the back half of the seedings, and could even put them in a first-round road game. Obviously not the worst situation, but getting a first-round bye will be incredibly important to get guys healthy and preserve your roster.
So, to me, Oregon will be an incredibly important game, but in terms of danger, I will side with the late-season contest instead.
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch via Imagn Content Services, LLC
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.
In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.
Today’s Question: Which non-Michigan game is the most dangerous for Ohio State this season?
Jami’s Take: Ohio State at Oregon on Oct. 12
Heading into the 2024 season, one of the biggest burning questions on Buckeye fans’ lips is whether Ohio State will finally be able to get the job done against Michigan. While we’ll have to wait until November for the answer, in many ways, the Buckeyes’ matchup with Oregon carries with it even more intrigue than The Game — and more danger.
The Buckeyes head west on Oct. 12 to face the Ducks at Autzen Stadium in Oregon’s first year as a Big Ten opponent, in one of the season’s marquee matchups. Many preseason projections have the Buckeyes at No. 2 and Oregon at No. 4, separated by razor-thin margins.
Head coach Ryan Day spent the offseason making use of the transfer portal, most notably shocking the college football world by nabbing five-star safety Caleb Downs (who left Alabama in the wake of Nick Saban’s retirement), along with quarterback Will Howard and running back Quinshon Judkins, among others.
Add those names to a roster full of returning players, including defensive standouts J.T. Tuimoloau, Denzel Burke, star running back TreVeyon Henderson, and powerhouse wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, and—to put it bluntly—this team is loaded.
Any concerns about depth we had going into the 2023 season seem to have been answered. We saw what Jim Knowles’ defense was capable of last season, and the Buckeyes should have the offense to match this year.
Day also had an answer for a major criticism of his coaching abilities—his offensive playcalling. Though Day’s play calling as an assistant was impeccable, when he chose to retain play calling (a responsibility traditionally delegated to the offensive coordinator) as head coach, he came up short in critical game situations, often proving unable or unwilling to make the adjustments needed to come up with victories in big games.
This season, it shouldn’t be an issue, as he’s passed that responsibility to new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly (one of Day’s mentors, and, funnily enough, the head coach at Oregon when OSU faced the Ducks in the 2010 Rose Bowl).
Collectively, the Buckeyes’ offseason moves should leave them poised for victory this season.
The Ducks, who have been making moves of their own, aren’t going to make it easy. Head coach Dan Lanning brings his team into the Big Ten with back-to-back bowl victories and his own stockpile of talent, including quarterback Dillon Gabriel (the Oklahoma transfer who will take over from Bo Nix), wide receivers Evan Stewart and Tez Johnson (whose 1,182 receiving yards in 2023 are the third-most in a single season at Oregon), and returning running back Jordan James. And Lanning too has been hard at work adding depth to his team, leaving the Ducks without any obvious gaps this year.
That’s not to say challenges couldn’t arise in the form of injuries or unexpected holes, but at the top of the season, they look just as poised for success as our boys in Columbus.
This game won’t be the Buckeyes' first test (that will likely come the week prior against Iowa), but it will be one of the Ducks’ first chances to cook. The Ducks also face down a brutal November schedule that involves not just four tough opponents consecutively but requires them to travel to the Midwest every other week, adding time changes and long trips into the mix as they face Michigan on the road, Maryland at home, Wisconsin on the road and Washington at home. In a season where the Big Ten seems to be full of powerhouse potential, the Ohio State game almost feels like a must-win for the Ducks, both to announce to the conference that they’re here to hang with the big dogs and to give themselves a little breathing room in case they drop a game in November.
When we examine the Big Ten landscape holistically this season, both Ohio State and Oregon seem like they could rise to the top, and given that they are separated by such thin margins in terms of talent, the Buckeyes will have even less room for error in this road game.
If they come out of the Iowa game worse for the wear and then have to grapple with a time change in a tough stadium, it could spell victory for the Ducks. Neither team can afford lackluster play in this game, so regardless of how it shakes out, expect to see a hard-fought battle between two teams firing on all cylinders.
Day spent the offseason putting the wheels in motion for the Buckeyes to do just that, hopefully well into the postseason, but it is the Ducks who will provide the first—and highest—hurdle for Ohio State to clear.
Matt’s Take: Ohio State at Penn State on Nov. 2
If this question had been phrased differently, I probably would have agreed with Jami. Had it been, “Which non-Michigan game is Ohio State moat likely to lose this season,” there really wouldn’t be any argument that Oregon was the right choice. But I don’t think that the Ducks are OSU’s most dangerous non-rivalry game. That honor, I believe, belongs to the Nittany Lions.
Yes, I know that Ohio State hasn’t lost to the Nits since 2016, and has only lost once in Happy Valey since 2005, but it is less about the opponent and more about the timing for me. With the expanded College Football Playoff, the margin for error is even wider for the Buckeyes than it ever has been before in the CFP Era, and we know they’ve gotten into the tournament with losses before.
So, if Ryan Day’s Buckeyes do go to Eugene and drop a game in Week 7, assuming it is not an all-out embarrassment, they would still have seven weeks in the regular season — plus Conference Championship Weekend — to make up for it. OSU would have remaining games against Nebraska, Penn State, and Michigan to remind the selection committee of why they deserve to be in. There would also be two full months for other teams to stumble as well, allowing the Bucks to get back in a good CFP spot.
The same is not as true for the PSU game. If the Buckeyes were to lose in State College on Nov. 2, they would only have matchups with Purdue, Northwestern, and Indiana (not exactly an impressive string of games) before the regular season-ending game against Michigan. Tough to prove you are a contender when you are playing teams that likely won’t even merit mention as pretenders.
Of course, I imagine that even a two-lose Ohio State team will still probably be in line for a CFP berth, but it would probably be in the back half of the seedings, and could even put them in a first-round road game. Obviously not the worst situation, but getting a first-round bye will be incredibly important to get guys healthy and preserve your roster.
So, to me, Oregon will be an incredibly important game, but in terms of danger, I will side with the late-season contest instead.
Let us know who you are agreeing with:
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