Honestly, looking back at the Ohio State football schedule 2024, it’s kind of wild how much people have already rewritten the history of that season. If you just look at the final trophy case, it looks like a steamroller of a year. But if you actually lived through it Saturday by Saturday? It was a total heart-attack-inducing rollercoaster that almost fell off the rails twice.
Most folks see the "National Champions" tag and assume it was smooth sailing. It wasn't. This was the year the Big Ten stopped making sense. Divisions were gone. Oregon and Washington were suddenly in the mix. The Buckeyes had to navigate a minefield that felt more like an NFL schedule than a traditional college slate.
They finished 14-2. That’s the "official" version. But the story of the Ohio State football schedule 2024 is really about how they survived a brutal mid-season trip to Eugene and a soul-crushing loss to Michigan only to pull off the greatest "second life" in the history of the sport.
The Soft Launch and the Autzen Ambush
The year started easy. Maybe too easy? Ohio State opened with a three-game homestand that felt more like a series of expensive practices.
- August 31: Akron (W, 52-6)
- September 7: Western Michigan (W, 56-0)
- September 21: Marshall (W, 49-14)
Will Howard looked comfortable. Jeremiah Smith, the freshman sensation, was basically a human highlight reel from the first snap. But then the schedule actually started. After a 38-7 road win at Michigan State and a 35-7 dismantling of Iowa in Columbus, the Buckeyes hit their first real wall.
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October 12th in Eugene. That’s the date most fans want to forget. It was the first "New Big Ten" mega-matchup. Oregon was loud, fast, and relentless. In a game that featured multiple lead changes, the Buckeyes fell 32-31. It was a weird, gut-punch loss where Howard ran out of time on the final drive. Suddenly, the "invincible" Buckeyes looked human.
The Grind: Penn State and the Indiana Scare
One thing the Ohio State football schedule 2024 didn't do was give them a break. After a narrow 21-17 escape against Nebraska—a game that was way closer than anyone expected—they had to go to Happy Valley.
Beating Penn State 20-13 on November 2nd was probably the turning point for the defense. Jim Knowles’ unit absolutely suffocated the Nittany Lions. It wasn't "pretty" football. It was ugly, Big Ten trench warfare. But it proved this team could win when the offense wasn't clicking.
Then came the Indiana game on November 23rd. People forget that Indiana was a Top 5 team at the time. Curt Cignetti had the Hoosiers playing out of their minds. For a half, it looked like an upset was brewing. Ohio State eventually pulled away for a 38-15 win, but the physical toll of that game was obvious. They were beat up. And the worst was yet to come.
The "End" That Wasn't: The Michigan Disaster
November 30, 2024. The Game.
You’ve gotta be kidding me, right? For the fourth year in a row, Ohio State found a way to lose to Michigan. This one was arguably the worst. Michigan wasn't even ranked at the time. They were struggling through a "rebuilding" year with QB issues, yet they walked into the Shoe and won 13-10.
It felt like the season was over. The Buckeyes didn't even make the Big Ten Championship Game. Oregon and Penn State played for the title instead. Most of the fanbase was ready to pack it in. Honestly, the vibes in Columbus were at an all-time low. But the 12-team playoff changed everything.
How the 12-Team Playoff Saved the Season
Because of the new format, a two-loss Ohio State team wasn't dead. They were the #8 seed. They didn't get a bye. They had to earn it the long way, playing four extra games against the best teams in the country.
- First Round: They hosted Tennessee in a snowy Ohio Stadium on December 21. Total blowout. 42-17.
- Quarterfinal (Rose Bowl): A rematch with Oregon. This time, the Buckeyes didn't blink. They won 41-21, finally exorcising the demons of that October night.
- Semifinal (Cotton Bowl): They drew Texas. In a game dominated by the defensive line, OSU won 28-14.
- National Championship: January 20, 2025, in Atlanta. The final hurdle was Notre Dame.
The 34-23 victory over the Irish sealed the deal. Ryan Day finally got his ring, and the Ohio State football schedule 2024 went from a potential tragedy to a legendary redemption arc.
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Key Takeaways from the 2024 Campaign
If you're trying to make sense of how this all happened, you have to look at the roster construction. This wasn't just luck.
- The "All-In" Roster: Bringing in Quinshon Judkins from Ole Miss and Caleb Downs from Alabama proved to be the difference. When the schedule got heavy in December and January, those "pro-ready" transfers didn't wear down.
- Freshman Impact: Jeremiah Smith finishing with 1,227 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns is unheard of. He was the safety valve Will Howard needed when things got tight against Penn State and Texas.
- The Defense: They finished the year as the #1 scoring defense in the nation, allowing only 12.9 points per game. You can lose a game 13-10 to Michigan, but you don't win a title without that kind of consistency.
What to Do With This Info
If you're a fan looking forward to next season or just trying to win an argument at the bar, here’s the deal: stop saying Ohio State "choked" because of the Michigan game. The 2024 schedule was designed to test depth, and the Buckeyes proved that being the "best" team doesn't mean being perfect in November. It means being the last team standing in January.
To really get the full picture, you should check out the official Ohio State Athletics archive for the specific box scores. Also, keep an eye on how the Big Ten continues to tweak the schedule—the 2024 season was a blueprint for the "new normal" of 16+ game seasons.
Go back and re-watch that Rose Bowl rematch against Oregon. It’s basically a masterclass in how a coaching staff makes adjustments after a mid-season loss. That game, more than the championship itself, is why this team is now in the history books.