by Kyle Golik
A lot of people lost their minds when I wrote a column following Ohio State’s 14-3 Cotton Bowl loss to Missouri when I stated the Buckeyes are broken. I am often reminded by a good friend fan is short for fanatic. Ohio State, like many other programs, has plenty of them.
When you look back at when I wrote that column, Ohio State lost its starting quarterback, Kyle McCord, to the portal, as well as 17 other Buckeyes.
Ask any Ohio State fan or ardent supporter, there is no way Missouri at full strength should beat Ohio State at full strength. With the poor bowl performance, stacked with a third consecutive loss to Michigan, as well as the mass exodus via Transfer Portal and NFL Draft opt outs, notably from wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., the Ohio State program wasn’t “whole” to say the least and I recognized that.
What I also recognized when I closed that piece I said, “Day’s first challenge isn’t beating Michigan, it is to adapt to this new world and adjust, because if he can’t do that, he won’t be around long enough to worry about Michigan.”
Since I wrote that column, it appears Ohio State head coach Ryan Day has been not only motivated by removing the vice grip of the new world of college football that attached itself to Ohio State but also, seeing how Michigan won a national championship, Day knew he had to counter.
The transfer portal haul Day has landed has surely set a new tone for the Buckeyes.
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First, Ohio State was able to wrestle former Kansas State quarterback Will Howard from Southern California to join Ohio State.
When you compare the numbers Will Howard had at Kansas State to what McCord had last season, there isn’t much difference between the two. What is the difference between the two is the attitudes each possesses.
McCord seemingly sought assurances he would be the starter, and when Day said there wasn’t any, he hit the portal.
Howard quarterbacked Kansas State to a Big XII title but it is what he said after his commitment to Ohio State that is music to the ear of Ohio State fans, “We definitely talked about (the rivalry),” Howard said. “That game means so much. The pressure is on. Beating that Team Up North is priority No. 1 on the way to the national championship and all our other goals. That’s huge, and it’s everything when it comes to playing for Ohio State.”
This is an attitude that has been missed in Columbus for a while, a far cry from C.J. Stroud’s “I don’t think one game defines us.”
The next major haul was running back Quinshon Judkins from Ole Miss.
It is no secret the ground game at Ohio State has declined ever since Ryan Day’s first season. During Day’s first season as Ohio State’s head coach, the Buckeyes churned out 267.3 yards per game on the ground. Compared to last season, the Buckeyes averaged 138.8 yards per game.
What Judkins brings to Ohio State is he is fifth all-time in SEC history, behind Herschel Walker (Georgia), Knowshon Moreno (Georgia), Darren McFadden (Arkansas), and Leonard Fournette (LSU) in rushing yards through a running back’s freshman and sophomore seasons.
Judkins was the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2022, recording 1,567 rushing yards, the second-best season by a freshman in SEC history, trailing only Herschel Walker’s 1,616 yards at Georgia in 1980.
Ohio State not only has the 2022 SEC Freshman of the Year, it gained a commitment from the 2023 SEC Freshman of the Year and First-Team All-SEC safety Caleb Downs from Alabama.
Downs, who was seemingly the next-in-line great Alabama safety that was personified by Minkah Fitzpatrick, Landon Collins, Mark Barron, Brian Branch, and Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix, led the Crimson Tide in total tackles last season with 107.
It seemed Downs, who had crystal balls for Georgia, sent a major stunner that he would commit to the Buckeyes.
“You look at Ohio State, Jim Knowles comes in solidifies the defense and becomes a top five defense. You see what he implemented, the success and defense backs coach Tim Walton the familiarity there. Ryan Day what he’s done. Look at that program they’re right there.”
— Gary Downs, father of Caleb Downs, commenting on his son’s commitment to the Buckeyes.
Ohio State might not be done poaching former Crimson Tide players, many analysts have a crystal ball for quarterback Julian Sayin to Ohio State. If Sayin would commit to Ohio State he would secure the hat trick being the third Alabama player this cycle to commit to Ohio State joining Downs and center Seth McLaughlin.
If Ohio State were to land Sayin, Day would have the future secure in the quarterback room with another 247Sports five-star composite Class of 2024 quarterback, Air Noland.
When you begin to look at the immediate impact Howard, Judkins, and Downs give, couple that with the No. 2 recruiting class per 247Sports that is highlighted by Noland, cornerback Aaron Scott, and the No. 1 overall recruit in wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, it looks like Ryan Day not only has a great cast attempting to heal what was broken before, time will tell if it truly is, but Day seemingly has wrestled the “nutcracker” back from his foes and looking to crack every nut or challenger before him in 2024.
