The Ohio State football team has three matchups that will define its 2024 regular season en route to a potential College Football Playoff berth.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are no strangers to primetime games with huge implications, and the 2024 season will be no different. Ryan Day’s Scarlet and Gray are heading into the fall with big eyes, and motivation unlike any season in recent memory.

The end of the 2023 season was fuel to the fire, losing to That Team Up North followed by a very poor three-point performance and bowl loss to Missouri. With young players ready to step up and many future draft picks returning, there is unfinished business in Columbus.

The college football landscape has changed forever since the transition to bigger conferences and the expanded College Football Playoff. The Big Ten welcomed a handful of talented college football teams, and more unique matchups will happen in the new 12-team playoff format.

With only one road contest and a bye in their first six weeks, Ohio State is expected to be undefeated at 5-0 heading into arguably their hardest game all season. That being said, here are three dates to circle that will determine the Buckeyes’ season.

October 12th at Oregon

Oregon is coming off a season where they only lost to one team, and that was Washington twice. Washington was as explosive as anyone and lost to TTUN in the National Championship. The Ducks finished the season 12-2 after dismantling No. 23 Liberty 45-6 in the Fiesta Bowl.

They lost a handful of important pieces including quarterback Bo Nix to the NFL, however, they reloaded as well as anyone could. Dillon Gabriel, the hottest commodity at the position in the transfer portal, comes to Oregon with a variety of weapons at his disposal. Gabriel threw for 3,660 yards and 30 touchdowns with the Oklahoma Sooners and will be playing his sixth collegiate season.

Wide receiver Evan Stewart is also one of the best in the country and is a new addition from Texas A&M. Wide receiver Tez Johnson racked up almost 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns in the slot for the Ducks offense last season. Other dominant players include offensive lineman Josh Conerly Jr., defensive tackle Jamaree Caldwell, and cornerback Jabbar Muhammad.

The first big test for the Buckeyes will be a huge one, against one of the best teams in the nation in a very tough atmosphere. The offense will need to hang with the Ducks offense, with the new and improved Silver Bullets making some key plays. If Ohio State survives this road test, they will be 6-0 heading into their second bye with a home game the week after.

November 2nd at Penn State

Ohio State will face a familiar foe in their next notable game on the schedule to open up a stretch of five November games. The Buckeyes are always a scrappy matchup, especially on the road, but Ohio State handled their business very well in Happy Valley two years ago. In a game where the defense made big plays in the second half, that recipe would bode well yet again.

Penn State has a handful of big names across both sides of the ball. Edge Abdul Carter just made the switch to the position this season after two excellent seasons as a linebacker. He has drawn comparisons to Micah Parsons and has an excellent counterpart. Edge Dani Dennis-Sutton is a versatile defender as well who helps form a scary good defensive line.

Junior running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen will anchor the offense as junior quarterback Drew Allar continues to grow. Singleton had 752 rushing yards and eight touchdowns with 4.4 yards per carry, while Allen added 902 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 5.2 yards per carry. The team also added former Ohio State receiver Julian Fleming to the offense, which is just another storyline to add to the mix for this contest.

Just three weeks removed from the Oregon contest, the hope is Ohio State can keep its foot on the gas and improve to 8-0 heading into three easier matchups. Adding a second signature win on the road would give the Scarlet and Gray two of the best wins of anyone to date.

November 30th vs TTUN

Not much else needs to be said for the final matchup to be circled on the 2024 season calendar. This game, The Game, is a countdown that starts the moment the previous game ends, literally. A sore fact for Buckeye fans, but the Wolverines have won three straight in the series after eight straight for Ohio State.

It is no surprise that coming off a National Championship season, TTUN retains talent and will be a force, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive tackle Mason Graham is amongst the best players in the country, and brings quickness and explosion, especially against the run. Cornerback Will Johnson is another future NFL starter who is arguably one of the best players on the defensive side as well. Defensive tackle Kenneth Grant is another guy to keep an eye on.

On the offensive side, tight end Colston Loveland will receive a bunch of targets with a new quarterback. In the run game, Donovan Edwards is back and is scary to tackle whenever he has the ball in his hands.

Alright, enough talking about the rival, as usual, the Buckeyes will end the regular season against the Wolverines. The home-field advantage and motivation from the past three years will only help the guys who returned and those experiencing the rivalry for the first time. 

A win will hopefully mean Ohio State finishes the year 12-0 with a trip to Indianapolis on the horizon for the first time in a few years. With more NFL-ready players than you can count on two hands, on both sides of the ball, this is Ryan Day’s chance to finish the job and hoist the first-ever 12-team playoff national championship trophy.