Ohio State Football: 3 Storylines heading into the Spring Game
The Ohio State football team will be hosting the annual Spring game this Saturday at Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes come in loaded with talent as they look to gear up to make a run for a national title in 2024.
But with so many new additions to the coaching staff and personnel alike, how will this team look when it takes the field? Last year, the offensive line and quarterback play were extremely underwhelming in the Spring game, and that translated into the 2023 season. What storyline could we be looking forward to in this year's edition?
Here are three storylines for the Spring game.
No. 1) How do the quarterbacks perform?
The Ohio State football team might be the most talented team on paper. But they will probably go as far as their starting quarterback will take them. Will Howard was brought in from Kansas State to be a one-year stopgap and to lead this team without making many mistakes.
Does Howard have the arm talent to get the ball downfield to these super-talented receivers? Can he make the correct decisions when facing pressure? These are all things that I will be looking at come Saturday afternoon.
Also, does Devin Brown and dare I say true freshman Julian Sayin have a chance at dethroning Howard as the Buckeyes starting QB? We should see some answers start to emerge.
No. 2) Does Jeremiah Smith look the part?
Usually, higher-end problems such as offensive line play, or a positional battle would be at this spot on the list. But true freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith is making waves that have been unheard of before for a freshman in Columbus.
Losing his black stripe faster than anyone in program history, making crazy one-handed catches, and having Ryan Day say that he could be a starter are all signs of greatness for Smith that's soon to come.
But I would love to see it translate to the field in front of 60,000 Buckeye fans in Ohio Stadium. If he puts on a show and looks like the real deal, the Buckeyes might just have to start a true freshman at wide receiver for the 2024 season.
No. 3) All eyes on the right side of the offensive line
Ok, now we get to the positional battle that could make a huge impact on the 2024 season. Ohio State needs to figure out the right side of this offensive line. If they don't, I believe it could be the one thing that dampers national title hopes.
Second-year player and former top-100 national recruit Luke Montgomery appears to have the inside track on the right guard spot. He is in a battle with Tegra Tshabola and Enokk Vihami for the starting spot.
Next. Next story. Three Ohio State football players with the most to gain in the Spring Game. dark
Right tackle Josh Fryar appears to have locked down that spot as the coaching staff have been raving about him all offseason. Let's see the right side of this line perform well on Saturday to hopefully squash all of our worries about the offensive line.