The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1523593
THE WOLVERINE 2024 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 133 BY CLAYTON SAYFIE Ohio State head coach Ryan Day is fac- ing tremendous pressure despite winning all but three Big Ten games in five seasons at the helm. The issue? The failure to beat Michi- gan, which handed Day all three of his conference losses and won last year's na- tional championship. Ohio State hasn't beaten the Wolverines since 2019, won the Big Ten since 2020 or been crowned national champs since 2014. The Buckeyes are desperate to change some of those facts, reportedly spend- ing more than $13 million in NIL funding to build their 2024 roster, which includes impact transfers and key re- turners who passed up the NFL for another shot at their goals in college. Fox Sports analyst RJ Young called it the "best team money can buy." Jumping on board from the transfer portal were gradu- ate quarterback Will Howard (Kansas State), junior run- ning back Quinshon Judkins (Ole Miss), sophomore safety Caleb Downs (Alabama) and graduate offensive lineman Seth McLaughlin (Alabama). Fifteen starters are back, including eight on de- fense, many of whom could've headed to the NFL Draft this past spring. Howard is the favorite to start behind center rather than junior Devin Brown, who opened the Cotton Bowl (after starter Kyle McCord transferred to Syra- cuse) but left the 14-3 loss to Missouri in the second quarter due to injury. The hope is that Howard is an upgrade from McCord, who was a third-team All-Big Ten selection a year ago, on an offense now led by former UCLA head man Chip Kelly. The 6-foot-4, 237-pounder connected on 61 percent of his throws for 2,643 yards and 24 touchdowns at K-State last season while adding 9 rushing scores. Ohio State has four returning offensive line starters, including two that earned first-team All-Big Ten honors last season in senior left guard Donovan Jackson and senior right tackle Josh Fryar. The Buck- eyes also boast what Pro Football Focus has rated the top running back room in the nation, led by senior TreVeyon Hen- derson (926 yards, 11 TD in 2023) and Judkins (2,725 yards, 31 TD in two seasons at Ole Miss). Wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. was a generational talent who wound up be- coming the No. 4 overall pick to the Ari- zona Cardinals, and he's hard to replace. However, the Buckeyes have a proud tra- dition of producing wide receivers, and the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2024 class, Jeremiah Smith, should make an early impact along with veteran Emeka Egbuka (515 yards, 4 TD in 2023) and others. Ohio State's defense was stellar in its second season under coordinator Jim Knowles, ranking second nationally be- hind Michigan, giving up just 11.2 points per game. It was first against the pass (145.9 yards allowed a game) and 29th versus the run (119.5 yards per contest). Downs — the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2023 — plugs into a loaded second- ary that includes three other returning starters (junior safety Sonny Styles has moved to linebacker, where there are big shoes to fill). The defensive line also touts tons of talent, both on the interior and edge with all four starters back. Senior defensive ends JT Tuimoloau (7 tackles for loss, 5 sacks) and Jack Sawyer (10 TFL, 6.5 sacks) were productive a year ago, both earning All-Big Ten honors. So were se- niors Tyleik Williams (10 TFL) and Ty Hamilton (4.5) at tackle. ❑ 2024 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2023 Result Aug. 31 Akron — Sept. 7 Western Michigan — Sept. 21 Marshall — Sept. 28 at Michigan State W, 38-3 Oct. 5 Iowa — Oct. 12 at Oregon — Oct. 26 Nebraska — Nov. 2 at Penn State W, 20-12 Nov. 9 Purdue W, 41-7 Nov. 16 at Northwestern — Nov. 23 Indiana W, 23-3 Nov. 30 Michigan L, 30-24 GAME 12 • OHIO STATE BUCKEYES • NOV. 30 QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: Michigan leads 61-51-6 (2010 OSU win vacated) First Meeting: U-M 34, OSU 0 (Oct. 16, 1897 in Ann Arbor) Last Meeting: U-M 30, OSU 24 (Nov. 25, 2023 in Ann Arbor) Head Coach: Ryan Day, 56-8 (sixth year) at Ohio State and overall 2023 In Review: 11-2, 8-1 Big Ten (2nd East) Final 2023 Ranking: No. 10 by Associated Press and coaches Returning Starters: 15 (6 offense, 8 defense, 1 specialist) Last Bowl Appearance: 2023 (Cotton Bowl vs. Missouri, L 14-3) RETURNING LEADERS Passing: Devin Brown (217 yards, 2 TD) Rushing: TreVeyon Henderson (926 yards, 11 TD) Receiving: Emeka Egbuka (515 yards, 4 TD) Tackles: Davison Igbinosun (59) Sacks: Jack Sawyer (6.5) Interceptions: Jordan Hancock (2) Ohio State senior defensive end JT Tuimoloau has earned first- team All-Big Ten honors in each of the last two seasons. PHOTO COURTESY OHIO STATE ATHLETICS Ohio State Has A Stacked Roster But A Lot Of Questions To Answer REASONS FOR OPTIMISM • Returning production • Stellar transfer class • Stacked defense Ohio State had only four NFL Draft picks this spring, its lowest amount since having three in 2013, but not because it wasn't talented. The reason was because so much talent stayed in Columbus. Coach Ryan Day and Co. also added some top-tier talent via the portal. REASONS FOR CONCERN • Can the offense take the next step? • Getting it done in big games • QB Will Howard has a lot to prove Howard was productive at Kansas State, but so was Kyle McCord as Ohio State's signal-caller last season. It's unclear if Howard can take the team to the next level. And even if the Buckeyes are a great team again, they have to get over the hump against elite teams like Michigan and find ways to win on the road at Oregon and Penn State.