Your Team Can Win a National Championship: Ohio State Edition

Despite top 5 recruiting finishes practically every year, Ohio State has not won a national championship since 2014. When it comes to producing NFL talent, the Buckeyes do this better than anyone in the Big 10. As much as OSU fans probably love gloating about how many of their alumni are shining on the fields every Sunday, there is definitely some angst about how they have under achieved. Whether it be the 0-4 streak they have against their rivals, Michigan, the lack of post season success, or the terrible let down losses that seem to plague them early on in the year, in their eyes, Ohio State is a blue blood, and this blue blood is in a Championship drought.

Ohio State can win a national title because of their roster. Many have deemed it, “The 20 million Dollar Team,” and whether that is actually the price that was spent on them, this roster is loaded. Not only is it littered with 4 and 5 star talent, it has experience, returning many draft eligible players, which seems to be an issue for most other teams, Ohio State has experience all across their roster. The places they don’t have experience, like WR, they counter that with one of, if not the most talented freshmen wide receivers the country has seen in Jeremiah Smith. The highest paid roster isn’t always the best, in fact, outside of the MLB the highest paid roster very rarely wins, but Ohio State has guaranteed that the reason they lose this year will not be due to a lack of talent on the field or effort from the boosters.

Ohio State can win a national title because of their defense. The Buckeyes defense has been a top 10 unit all year long, and even when Ohio State has struggled, their defense hasn’t been the problem. Caleb Downs, Jack Sawyer, and Jim Knowles are the driving forces in this defense, relying on Downs, who might be the best player in all of CFB, to use his range, athleticism, and football IQ. On the front you have future first round pick, Jack Sawyer, causing issues in both the run and pass game. Finally, they rely on Knowles and his wealth of experience, as their coordinator and leader to make sure this unit is in the right place at the right time. They are the nation’s best scoring defense and passing defense, which bodes well in the style of football they will have to play this post season.

Ohio State can win a national title because they’re hungry. Like previously mentioned, the buckeyes haven’t won their rivalry game in 4 years, they haven’t won a playoff game in 4 years, and they haven’t won any hardware in 3 years. Ryan Day and his senior class need to make a run, the senior class needs to so they can actually leave with a championship, after failing to earn any gold pants, or conference titles. Ryan Day however needs to win because he very well might be coaching for his job. This may seem insane to some people, but Ohio State doesn’t accept 4 straight losses to Michigan, nor do they accept not winning the Big 10 championship. The boosters definitely don’t accept it when they are fronting the bill to a 20-million-dollar team and they actually take a step back. Ryan Day and the Buckeyes are a desperate team, and for a majority of their players, and their head coach, there is no tomorrow. Day’s 4-year tenure can be remembered as a black mark on Ohio State’s Football Program, if they do not win this championship.

Ohio State CAN’T win a national title because they spent 20 million dollars on a roster, and they didn’t improve the most important position. Most great teams have a pairing between the head coach and quarterback that makes them elite. If both members in that equation aren’t great, then generally one of them is elite. Will Howard and Ryan Day are not a great pairing, nor are they individually elite, so what does that mean for them? Well, it means that they aren’t going to win the national championship. I actually believe that they won’t make it out of the first round. I think Tennessee is a terrible matchup for the Buckeyes. Even if I’m wrong, the Buckeyes have the hardest path to the playoff out of any hosting team, drawing Tennessee, Oregon who beat them earlier, then likely Texas, then Georgia. I don’t think Ryan Day will be fired, but his seat is going to be scalding hot after another year with no post season success, no big 10 championship, and no win versus Michigan.