Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1524108
A U G U S T 2 0 2 4 9 1 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M It says something about the level of expectation at Ohio State that Ryan Day has won 87.5 percent of his games in five-plus seasons leading the Buckeyes' program yet is listed ninth in CoachesHotSeat.com's ranking of college football's most endan- gered mentors heading into the 2024 season. The problem: Since 2021, Day has won 0 percent of his games against Michigan. Ohio State has dropped three in a row to its great historic rival, and it has gotten physically manhandled in two of those games. If the Buck- eyes lose this year's matchup in Columbus on Nov. 30, it will be their longest skid in The Game since dropping four consecutive contests from 1988-91. O h i o S t a te 's s u p p o r te rs have stepped up to ensure that doesn't happen. They helped build an overflowing NIL war chest, and Ohio State used it during the offseason to bring in proven playmakers while also keeping would-be NFL Draft entrants on campus for one more year. Most of the team's big transfer ac- quisitions were on offense, with senior quarterback Will Howard, junior run- ning back Quinshon Judkins and senior center Seth McLaughlin all arriving in the spring. Howard was a true dual- threat QB during his four seasons at Kansas State, totaling 5,786 passing yards and 921 rushing yards. Judkins rushed for 2,725 yards in two seasons at Ole Miss, while McLaughlin started 24 games in his three years at Alabama. Judkins chose the Buckeyes even though he'll be splitting carries with All-Big Ten running back TreVeyon Henderson, who has rushed for 2,745 yards and 32 touchdowns in his three-year tenure in Columbus. Ohio State also retained an elite receiver in Emeka Egbuka and will be adding a potential high-impact freshman in Jer- emiah Smith, the nation's No. 1 overall prospect, per the On3 Industry Ranking. And just in case the personnel upgrades weren't enough, the Buckeyes also hired veteran head coach Chip Kelly away from UCLA to oversee their offense. Even with All-America wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. off to the NFL, Ohio State figures to handily top last year's average of 30.5 points per game. Not that Day's team is likely to need an avalanche of points. The Buckeyes surrendered only 11.2 points per game to rank second in the nation in scoring defense a year ago, and they retained eight starters from that unit. Senior de- fensive ends Jack Sawyer and JT Tui- moloau could have left for the draft. Senior cornerback Denzel Burke could have departed, too. Instead, all three are back, and they're joined by former Alabama safety Caleb Downs, a second- team All-American and winner of the Shawn Alexander Freshman of the Year Award during his lone season with the Crimson Tide. The Buckeyes still have some ques- tions to answer on their offensive line and in the kicking game, but this is a team built to win championships. As Burke told reporters during spring prac- tice, "It's definitely natty or bust." — Matt Herb N O V . 2 | T I M E T B A | T V T B A | B E A V E R S T A D I U M | S T A T E C O L L E G E , P A . GAME 8 OHIO STATE 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 QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: Ohio State leads 24-14 Last Meeting: The Buckeyes held Penn State to 240 yards of total offense in a 20-12 victory in Columbus on Oct. 21, 2023 Head Coach: Ryan Day (56-8 in five full sea- sons and one partial season at Ohio State; career coaching record: same) 2023 Record: 11-2, 8-1 Big Ten Returning Starters: 15 (6 offense, 8 defense, 1 specialist) RETURNING LEADERS Rushing: RB TreVeyon Henderson (926 yards, 11 TD) Passing: QB Devin Brown (217 yards, 2 TD) Receiving: WR Emeka Egbuka (515 yards, 4 TD) Tackles: CB Davison Igbinosun (59) Sacks: DE Jack Sawyer (6.5) Interceptions: CB Jordan Hancock (2) BEST-CASE SCENARIO Big Ten and national championships, and an end to the Buckeyes' three-game losing streak to Michigan. WORST-CASE SCENARIO Anything less. Ryan Day has gone 39-3 against Big Ten opponents during his tenure at Ohio State, but all three losses are to archrival Michigan. The Buckeyes haven't beaten the Wolverines since 2019, Day's first full season as head coach. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL