The Ohio State football team is on par academically with Harvard

The Ohio State football team is one of the favorites to win the national championship this season. The roster that they have put together is extremely talented. Ryan Day knows that this is a national championship or bust kind of year. He also knows that if he can't beat Michigan this year, he might be gone.

All of the talent on the football field is impressive, but what's even more impressive is their success in the classroom. The Buckeyes have done a really good job of keeping their grades up. In fact, only one other Division I program is on par with what they've done academically.

That other program? Harvard. That's right. Of the Ivy League. The Ohio State football program and Harvard are the only two programs to receive a perfect multi-year APR. So not only are the Buckeyes talented, but they are very smart too. Other fanbases can't use academic jokes with them.

According to the NCAA's Division I progress report, the Buckeyes had a cross-sport APR of 989. Ohio State in general has been trending upward in terms of its academic prestige. That has held across the athletic department as well. It's a university that has a degree that means something.

Day has been steadfast with his group of guys that a degree means something for the future. Football doesn't last forever. Even for the guys that do make the NFL, their careers will likely be short. The average career length in the NFL is just over three years.

I like that the Buckeyes are as locked in on earning their degrees as they are about beating every team on their schedule. How much that continues once players are able to be paid directly by schools remains to be seen. I think we'll start seeing players from all programs slack off on their academics.

Good for Ohio State!