College football's newfound parity has been a major talking point through the 2024 season. For a multitude of perfectly sensible reasons, the good teams aren't as good at the power conference level, and some of the bad teams aren't as bad. We saw multiple high-profile upsets from double-digit underdogs and embraced the chaos -- a year without a true "monster" in college football.
But in reality, there was a monster among us all along. Ohio State just hadn't figured everything out yet. Now, as we prepare for the semifinal round of the College Football Playoff, the Buckeyes are every bit the monster that many projected when looking at this talent-laden roster coming into the season. The (8) Buckeyes may be the lowest-ranked team by seed, but oddsmakers have picked Ohio State as the favorite to win it all. With back-to-back blowout wins against Tennessee and Oregon, the Buckeyes have put together their most impressive and efficient performances of the season when the lights have been the brightest.
The return on investment of an alleged "$20 million roster" may have been questioned at times this year, but the CFP version of Ohio State looks like it was worth every penny.
There's more to the picture than "preseason title favorite finally becomes the favorite". So let's get into a few of the biggest reasons why the Buckeyes can win the final two games of the year and claim their ninth national championship.
1. Ohio State has the best player left in the bracket
College football's heavyweight fights are decided at the margins by special players making special plays, and freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is the best player still competing in the CFP. Smith has tallied 13 catches for 290 yards and four touchdowns across the two playoff wins, emerging as the go-to receiver for key third downs and the top option for an explosive play.
It is not uncommon to see freshmen take a bit of a leap in the postseason, using the time off and bowl practices to further refine their fundamentals. However, Smith has taken that progression to a whole new level. The 6-3, 215-pound receiver is a matchup nightmare who affects the game even when he's not recording receptions.
2. Quarterback and Offensive Coordinator are totally in sync
When you take a step back, it shouldn't shock anyone that Ohio State's offense wasn't breathing fire early in the year. This was a unit with a new offensive coordinator, a new starting quarterback, a new center and a uniquely gifted running back added to an already loaded skill position group. Throw in the offensive line injury issues throughout the season, and the ups and downs of the Buckeyes' offense are much more understandable.
The full program autopsy in the wake of the Michigan loss -- where the Buckeyes mustered just 252 yards of offense and 10 points -- included a renewed emphasis on putting Ohio State's high-end talent in the best position to succeed. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly took ownership of the shortcomings, and clearly, his work in the playoff prep period has paid off with 83 total points through the first two rounds.
Will Howard has looked comfortable at quarterback. The last two games -- against arguably two of the five best defenses Ohio State faced all season -- were two of his best passing performances of the year. Howard had the ball on a rope as he completed 82.8% of his passes for 311 yards against Tennessee and racked up 319 yards and three touchdowns at 12.3 yards per attempt against Oregon. When every pass attempt averages a first down, the offense is going to be close to unstoppable.
Howard and Kelly getting on the same page has been bad news for opposing defenses.
3. An experienced and talented defense
Ohio State's defense has been among the nation's leaders throughout the season. No team other than Oregon scored more than 17 points on this defense, and the Buckeyes have allowed multiple touchdowns in just three regular season games. So unlike the offense, the defense has been humming along at an elite pace all season.
But there's an intangible quailty at play right now. It's evident that the Buckeyes have played with a little extra juice in wins over Tennessee and Oregon. Groups that play with that kind of edge are often heavy on senior leadership and the Buckeyes have that in spades.
Jack Sawyer, Tyleik Williams, JT Tuimoloau, Lathan Ransom, Cody Simon, Ty Hamilton, Denzel Burke and Jordan Hancock are all seniors, and many of those players had an option to pursue the NFL Draft at the conclusion of last season. Their collective choice to return for another year were as impactful as Ohio State's splashy portal additions, And all of those players have shown up
The pain in the eyes of those seniors in the chaotic wake of the loss to Michigan has been transformed into vengeful fire that burns here in what will be their 15th, and possibly, 16th game of the season. It's the time of year where coaches are asking players to pour out whatever they have left, and for many of those Ohio State seniors are squeezing out every ounce left in the tank of their college careers. That's a powerful edge that the Buckeyes are bringing right now, raising the level of what was already one of the best defenses in the country.
