3 most important Ohio State football players for this season
By Ryan Stano
The Ohio State football team is going all in this year. Buckeye fans are sick of losing to Michigan and not winning the Big Ten. It's been since 2020 that the Buckeyes have won a Big Ten championship. It's been since 2019 since the Buckeyes have beaten TTUN.
Ryan Day has reworked a lot of things this offseason. He's no longer calling the plays, he attacked the transfer portal in a way he hasn't before, and he got rid of some coaches. He's hoping that those changes will help change the fortune of the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2024.
Still, there are some players that will are going to determine how this season goes. There are three players in particular that will be the deciding factor on how far the Buckeyes are able to go. If they all play well, Ohio State can win a national championship. If they don't they might fail to even win the Big Ten.
The first player is the most obvious player on this list.
1. Will Howard
Quarterback play wasn't a strength for the Ohio State football team last year. Kyle McCord wasn't terrible, but he wasn't good either. He wasn't the biggest reason why the Buckeyes lost to TTUN, but he was a factor. He did throw two interceptions in the game.
Out goes McCord and in comes Will Howard. Howard comes in from Kansas State and has a wealth of experience. We've talked about Howard's accomplishments extensively, so I won't rehash it now. But he is the most important player for the Buckeyes in 2024.
If he gives any sort of upgrade at the quarterback position, the Buckeyes are a dangerous team. His mobility gives this offense a dimension that they didn't have with McCord. The read option is now something that is in play. Chip Kelly is gong to cook up a host of different running plays.
Howard is all in with the Buckeyes. He's talked about beating TTUN and that's this team's number-one goal. He's said all of the right things so far. We'll find out once Spring football starts next week whether or not Howard is going to be a big upgrade.
The next player on the list actually plays with Howard on the offensive side of the ball.