Ohio State named co-favorite to win National Title

With only two weeks left until the Ohio State take the field for the first time this 2024 season, experts and media members give their takes and predictions for the Buckeyes and their Big Ten Conference opponents.

The Athletic's Stewart Mandel was one such person, and he had high hopes for this year's Ohio State team. Not only did he have the Buckeyes going 9-0 in the Big Ten, but he also had the Bucks going undefeated outright with a 12-0 record. Mandel later went on to explain his reasoning behind Ohio State's future success:

"The Buckeyes are loaded, and there’s not a close second in the conference. An offense with TreVeyon Henderson and Ole Miss transfer Quinshon Judkins in the backfield and Emeka Egbuka, Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith on the outside seems unfair. An Oct. 12 trip to Oregon figures to be the big test, but I don’t see the two on the same level".

It was also announced earlier this week that Kansas State transfer Will Howard will be the starting quarterback for the Buckeyes. Having an elite quarterback such as Howard throwing to receivers like Egbuka, who ESPN ranks as the third best pass-catcher for 2024, will have defenses across the country on their heels.

The other top teams Mandel has following the Buckeyes are the Oregon Ducks, Iowa Hawkeyes, and Michigan Wolverines, all going 7-2 in the conference.