Honestly, if you looked at the scoreboard on the afternoon of November 30th, you’d have thought the sky was falling in Columbus. 13-10. A home loss to a Michigan team that, let’s be real, had no business winning in the Horseshoe that year. The "Fire Ryan Day" chants weren't just background noise; they were a full-blown roar.
But here’s the thing: that specific moment—the rock bottom of the Ohio State Buckeyes 2024 season—is exactly what set up one of the most absurd redemption arcs in college football history.
Most people remember the 2024 season for the heart-stopping national title win in Atlanta, but they forget how close it all came to imploding. It was a year of "all-in" bets, a $20 million roster, and a freshman wideout who basically decided he didn't believe in gravity. It was also a year where the Buckeyes lost twice, missed the Big Ten Championship game entirely, and still ended up on top of the mountain.
The $20 Million Elephant in the Room
Coming into the season, the narrative was simple: Natty or bust. After three straight losses to Michigan, the collective boosters and NIL collectives basically opened the vault. They brought in Quinshon Judkins from Ole Miss to pair with TreVeyon Henderson. They snagged Caleb Downs, arguably the best safety in the country, from Alabama.
It was a professional roster playing on Saturdays.
But money doesn't buy chemistry. We saw that early. While they were blowing out teams like Akron and Western Michigan, the offensive line felt a little... shaky. Will Howard, the Kansas State transfer, was solid, but he wasn't C.J. Stroud or Justin Fields. He was a "tough yards" guy.
Then came Eugene. October 12th.
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That 32-31 loss to Oregon was a wake-up call. It was a game of inches—literally, Howard sliding a second too late as the clock hit zero. It felt like the same old story. High talent, big stage, small mistakes.
Jeremiah Smith is Not Human
If there is one thing we’ll talk about twenty years from now regarding the Ohio State Buckeyes 2024 campaign, it’s Jeremiah Smith.
Freshman aren't supposed to do what he did. 1,315 receiving yards. 15 touchdowns. He wasn't just a "good recruit"; he was the best player on the field against NFL-caliber cornerbacks. Every time the offense stalled, Howard would just chuck it into triple coverage, and Smith would somehow come down with the ball using one hand and a prayer.
He broke every freshman record Cris Carter and Marvin Harrison Jr. ever held. Honestly, watching him was the only thing keeping some fans sane during the mid-season slog where the run game felt surprisingly inconsistent.
The Michigan Disaster and the Pivot
The regular season finale was a nightmare. Michigan showed up with a game plan that basically involved "running into a wall until the wall breaks." Ohio State’s high-flying offense got stuck in the mud.
- Rushing Battle: Michigan 172 yards, Ohio State 77 yards.
- The Result: A 13-10 loss that felt like a funeral.
- The Fallout: No Big Ten Championship. Oregon and Penn State headed to Indy instead.
At that point, the Buckeyes were the #8 seed in the new 12-team playoff. Everyone was ready to write them off. They had the talent, sure, but they didn't have the "clutch gene." Or so we thought.
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Ryan Day did something different in December. He stopped coaching scared.
The Playoff Run: 31 Unanswered Points
The first-round game against Tennessee at the Shoe was the turning point. It was freezing. The "Orange Invasion" showed up thinking they could bully a demoralized Buckeye team. Instead, Day and Chip Kelly let the dogs loose.
Will Howard played the game of his life, throwing for 311 yards. They won 42-17.
Then came the gauntlet.
- The Rose Bowl (Quarterfinal): A rematch with #1 Oregon. This time, the defense didn't break. Buckeyes won 41-21.
- The Cotton Bowl (Semifinal): A slugfest against Texas. Quinshon Judkins reminded everyone why he was the top portal prize, grinding out a 28-14 win.
The Night in Atlanta
January 20, 2025. The National Championship against Notre Dame.
The Irish jumped out to a 7-0 lead after a 10-minute opening drive. It looked like the Buckeyes might fold under the pressure one last time. But then, the switch flipped.
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Ohio State rattled off 31 unanswered points.
Quinshon Judkins ripped off a 70-yard run that basically deflated the Notre Dame sideline. Will Howard finished 17-of-21. It wasn't flashy; it was surgical. When the confetti fell on the 34-23 victory, the Ohio State Buckeyes 2024 season finally made sense.
It wasn't a perfect season. It was a 14-2 season that required two losses to find its identity. Ryan Day didn't just win a trophy; he saved his job and proved that a team built through the portal and NIL could actually survive the meat grinder of the new playoff format.
What to Do Next
If you're still buzzing from the championship or looking ahead, here is how to keep the momentum going as a fan:
- Re-watch the Tennessee game. If you want to see exactly when the "soft" narrative died, it was the third quarter in Columbus against the Vols.
- Track the Draft. Watch the 2025 NFL Draft closely. This roster was historic, and seeing where guys like Emeka Egbuka and J.T. Tuimoloau land will tell you a lot about the talent gap Ohio State enjoyed.
- Get Tickets for 2025 Early. The Buckeyes open against Texas at home on August 30. After the Cotton Bowl rematch narrative, that game is going to be the toughest ticket in the country.
- Follow the QB Battle. With Will Howard gone, the Julian Sayin era is officially here. Watch the spring game clips—the kid has a cannon that might even make Jeremiah Smith look faster.
The 2024 season proved that in the new era of college football, it’s not about how you start, or even how you finish the regular season—it’s about who has the depth to survive five extra games in the winter. For the first time in a decade, that was Ohio State.