Ohio State Football: One last push

There is no doubt that the Ohio State football program has been one of the top programs in all of college football over the past decade. They have been winning or fighting for a national championship every year since 2013. Yet, they only have one national title in that span.

It’s not for lack of talent. The Buckeyes recruit well every year and are on track to have another great recruiting class in 2024. But they still can’t close the gap between them and the top teams. Alabama and Georgia come to mind as those top-tier programs that Ohio State is still behind.

What’s the difference between those two programs and the Ohio State football program? Very little. They all get the top talent in the country and have players who step up in big moments. What stands out to me as the most obvious difference is coaching.

Ryan Day has gotten plenty of experience being a head coach in the last four years. Yet he still has a lot of things to prove to the fan base. He’s allowed Michigan to become program-equal with the Buckeyes and could potentially lose to them for the third-straight year.

That last push over the hump has to come from the coaching staff. Those guys have to be the ones to help this team win the big games when it matters the most. Day has been the one constant since 2019 when he took over as head coach.

Of course, I’m nitpicking here. Day has made the CFP in three of his four years as head coach and has two Big Ten Championships. He’s also made a National Championship Game appearance. But when you’re a big-time program like Ohio State, expectations are extremely high.

I’m hoping to see evidence of that one last push this season.