Ohio State has three games that will 'shape' the 2024 season (2024)

The trip to Eugene in mid-October will mark just the 11th time the Buckeyes and the Ducks have faced each other. The Scarlet and Gray were undefeated against Oregon before the Ducks came into Ohio Stadium in 2021 and won 35-28.

Now a part of the Big Ten, Ohio State and Oregon will meet more regularly and the first conference matchup between the two teams should be a battle of top-four sides.

Here is what Klatt said about the game:

You talk about a massive game. Ryan Day travels with a team that a lot of people think could be No. 1 or No. 2 in the preseason. I think I'm probably going to put them at No. 1. I think it's a toss-up. But man, you look at what they kept. When you look at the value of veteran players, and particularly on the defense, I think Ohio State could have the best defense in college football. And you look at the value of veteran players like what we saw at Michigan a year ago. This team is going to be incredible.

And now they've got to travel to face an Oregon team that I would also hold in regard of a top-four team in college football. I think there are four great teams in college football. Maybe some more. And listen, I want to leave myself open for that because, obviously, it's very early. Georgia and Ohio State, Texas and Oregon. I think those four teams right now are pretty clearly the four best teams in college football, at least right now. Okay. And obviously, things can change. But Oregon gets their first measuring stick in their new conference. Ohio State is the standard in a lot of ways in the Big Ten: them and Michigan. Now Michigan is replacing their coach, they're replacing almost their entire roster and Ohio State is still there. So in order to win the Big Ten, you know you've got to beat one of those two teams, or both of those teams, Michigan and Ohio State. Oregon's going to have a chance to do both of those. They're going to travel to the Big House later in the season, but this is their first measuring stick. "What are we in the Big Ten? Are we going to compete at the highest level in the Big Ten?"

Now, you know how I feel about Dan Lanning. I have said this, and I will continue to say it. If I had to buy stock in a young coach right now in college football, it's Dan Lanning. I love what he does. I love his energy. He has recruited very well. They've got the resources. That's a tough place to play. You think about these teams that are going to need to get themselves in a position to maybe get the bye in the Playoff, to win the conference in the SEC or the Big Ten. In order to get to that game, you've probably got to win this game.

Because of the way the schedules are going to be imbalanced in these conferences, it's not going to shock me if a team like Penn State or a team like Missouri can kind of get themselves into that second position with all the tiebreakers that are going to happen in these kind of open formats. It's not going to surprise if teams like that can kind of, I don't want to say sneak, but get themselves in position to get into the conference championship game.

Now. we all think that Oregon or Ohio State are the odds-on favorite to be in that (conference championship) game. We think Texas and Georgia are the odds-on favorite to be in that game in the SEC. But, without a win in those head-to-heads, it's not a guarantee. So that's why those games in the regular season are going to be so important. And we're going to get to see Ohio State with a new quarterback, with a new offensive coordinator, and really what I would deem as their first real test of the season.

One of the changes in the expanded Big Ten is no division any longer, which means Ohio State and Penn State are not guaranteed to play every season after doing so for every year since 1993. But the Buckeyes and the Nittany Lions will extend that streak in 2024 when the Scarlet and Gray make the trip to Beaver Stadium.

As is often the case when these two play, a lot is likely to be on the line in early November, both in the Big Ten and in the national college football landscape.

Here is what Klatt said about the matchup:

This is a similar game to what I just talked about with Missouri and Alabama. This has been the hurdle for Penn State is trying to beat Ohio State, and Michigan, to be fair. By the way, they don't play Michigan this year. So now they've got Ohio State. They've got them at home. I think it's one of the great home environments in all of college football. I really do.

A win in Happy Valley over Ohio State would put Penn State in that absolute prime spot to go play for the Big Ten title. The 2022 class, they're all now juniors. That is Drew Allar, Nick Singleton, Kaytron Allen, Abdul-Carter. Like, we've pointed at this class, this is a really talented class. This is a good football team.Andy Kotelnicki comes in as their offensive coordinator. Tom Allen, the former head coach at Indiana, he's now the defensive coordinator. Their schedule at Penn State is manageable. Maybe not quite as easy, I don't want to say as easy as Missouri's, but Missouri's is the one, you look at their schedule and you're like, "Wow. That's crazy," and you can see the path. Penn State is similar, although not quite as smooth...

And by the way, if Ohio State is just rolling through, if they're able to beat Oregon on the road, if they're able to beat Penn State on the road, then it's like, "Yep, that's a national title contender. That is a national contender and maybe favorite" at that point.

Of course, the biggest game on every Ohio State schedule is the rivalry game with Michigan at the end of the season. The Buckeyes dominated this series for most of this century, but the Wolverines have flipped the script, winning the last three games and establishing themselves as the best team in the Big Ten. Oh, and the Maize and Blue are the defending national champions.

While the Scarlet and Gray brought back most of their talent from last year, Michigan will be in a full rebuild with a new head coach and plenty of new faces. That won't change the intensity of this game, but it may allow Ohio State to again gain control of the series.

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Here is what Klatt said about The Game:

You just think of the ramifications. And this is the one that's similar to like Georgia and Alabama. This game, in so many ways, is going to shape the sport for the foreseeable future. Like Alabama now trying to measure themselves against Georgia and Kirby Smart, now all of a sudden, Ohio State is having to measure up against Michigan. Michigan is the one who has won the national championship and been 15-0. Michigan is the one that is 3-0 in the last three years against Ohio State. Michigan is the one that is the three-time defending Big Ten champion.

Ryan Day and the Buckeyes have to win this game. They're hosting this game, they've lost three straight and they need it. They need it badly. And I think that their activity this offseason signals that. Ryan Day gave up play calling duties. He brings in Chip Kelly. He goes out, raises an incredible amount of money and they retain a veteran roster, particularly on defense and great players on the offensive side. Emeka Egbuka is back, TreVeyon Henderson is back, J.T. Tuimoloau is back, Jack Sawyer is back. I mean, you go down the list. They get premium transfers. Quinshon Judkins is now a running back for them. Caleb Downs is now a safety for them. The roster is incredible. The defense is incredible. There's an insane amount of pressure on the coaching staff in Columbus right now. There just is.

This could be a rematch for the following week in Indianapolis, and Ohio State could be looking to spoil a potential Playoff berth for Michigan. Michigan's got a really tough schedule. They've got to play USC. They've got to play Texas. They've got to play Ohio State. They've got to play Oregon. You're not getting into the Playoff with four losses. And so, depending on how quickly Sherrone Moore gets all these new players going, Ohio State could be playing to knock Michigan out of the Playoff. You talk about shaping the season, that game is about as important as any game in college football this year.