Expectations are very high in Columbus, Ohio this fall, and for good reason. The Ohio State Buckeyes have built a stacked roster that is set to compete for the College Football Playoff in the first season for the 12-team format . Ohio State was able to get a haul of talent to return to Columbus and was very active in the transfer portal.
Oddsmakers believe the Buckeyes could end up winning somewhere around 10 to 11 games in 2024, with FanDuel setting the over/under at 10.5 wins entering the season.
The Buckeyes play two of their toughest games on the road
When taking a look at the schedule, one thing pops off and it is going to be a challenge for the Buckeyes. Oregon is No. 3 in the country in the Coaches Poll and the Buckeyes will have to travel and play them on the road in Week 7, which will be their No. 6 game. The Ducks are going to be a tough out in the Big Ten and will challenge for the conference in their first season as a part.
Three weeks later on Nov. 2, the Buckeyes will travel to take on Penn State. Anytime you go and play in State College, it is going to be a tough grind-it-out game . Playing these two games on the road will be great for Ohio State in terms of being a battle-tested team.
Ohio State is going to be favored in at least 11 regular season games
Going into the season, it is fair to assume that Oregon is the only game that the Buckeyes may not be favored in when it comes to the money line. Ohio State will likely be a touchdown favorite or so against Penn State, but that will depend on what happens in the first few weeks. The same can be said about the game against the Ducks.
Ohio State gets Michigan at home this season and that is a game that Ryan Day badly needs to get back on the winning side of. With all that the Wolverines lost, it is fair to assume that they will take at least a slight step back. The Buckeyes will play other games against Iowa, and Purdue at home.
Conclusion on projected win total for Ohio State
With the playoff, the Buckeyes have a chance to at least 10 to 12 games in 2024 at a minimum. With the expanded playoff, Ohio State would surely be in with one loss and maybe even two. Ohio State is entering the season as the No. 2 team in the Coaches Poll. If Ohio State doesn’t win at least 11 games, I believe it would be a bad season and jobs would be on the line in Columbus. After coming up short the last few seasons, the Buckeyes should cross the win total.
Related: Former Buckeye Justin Fields reveals his true feelings about Jameson Williams leaving Ohio State for Alabama
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