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From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the numbers that will be most important for the Buckeyes this college football season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all our “Most Telling Stat” articles here.
The numbers never lie. That’s why analytics have become so popular in sports. While hitting certain numbers may not guarantee victory in every situation, reaching certain marks can greatly increase the odds of victory. Some coaches value time of possession more than other stats. For others, the number of first downs gained in a game can be a very telling stat. Then there are coaches who look at their defense and how many turnovers they are able to create as an indicator of whether their team ends up being victorious.
Today we are going to look at Ohio State’s title run during the 2024 season, which was unlike any season we have ever seen before since it was the first year with a 12-team playoff, resulting in the Buckeyes playing 16 games. Even though the added length of the season may have allowed for some stats to be inflated because Ohio State played more games than ever in a season, there are still many numbers that came out of the season that were very important and played a big role in the Buckeyes lifting the trophy in Atlanta in mid-January.
Today’s question: What was the most important stat in Ohio State’s 2024 title season?
We’d love to hear your choices. Either respond to us on Twitter at @Landgrant33 or leave your choice in the comments.
Brett’s answer: The Buckeyes allowed more than 20 points in just three games
If you need a Cliff’s Notes version on just how good the Ohio State defense was last season, just look at how many members of the defense were selected in April’s NFL Draft. Over 16 games, opponents scored just 206 points on the Buckeyes. The majority of those points came in the three games where opponents scored at least 20 points against the Buckeyes. If we are being honest, there was only one game that truly hurt Ohio State. In the first matchup with Oregon, the Ducks put up 32 points on the Buckeyes in Oregon’s one-point win over Ohio State in Eugene.
Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images
Oregon also put up 21 points on Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, but the situation was completely different from the game in Eugene since the Buckeyes already was up 34-0 before the Ducks scored their first points of the game just before halftime. Ohio State was never challenged in Pasadena, with the other two Oregon touchdowns coming with the game already well in Ohio State’s control. Notre Dame was also able to cross the 20-point mark in the title game, but the situation was similar to the Rose Bowl, as the Buckeyes were up 31-7 before two Jaden Greathouse receiving touchdowns in the second half allowed the Fighting Irish to close the gap to 31-23 in the fourth quarter.
The loss to Oregon in mid-October forced the defense to look hard at its play. Prior to the first matchup with the Ducks, the Buckeye defense allowed less than 10 points in four or five games. For the season, Ohio State didn’t allow opponents to reach double figures in six total games. Following the loss to Oregon, the defensive efforts from the Buckeyes were even more important since they were in tight games with Nebraska and Penn State in their next two contests. If Ohio State lost to either the Cornhuskers or Nittany Lions, they could have kissed their playoff hopes goodbye.
Allowing less than 20 points in a game doesn’t automatically guarantee victory, as evidenced by the 13-10 loss to Michigan. Then again, the loss to the Wolverines shouldn’t be blamed on the defense since it was obvious the unimaginative game plan from Ryan Day and Chip Kelly was to blame. Who knows how the season goes if the Buckeyes beat Michigan, since they would have played in the Big Ten Championship Game, and possibly could have had a first-round bye. While watching Ohio State fall to Michigan for the fourth straight year was tough, it was almost a blessing in disguise since it brought the team together and lit a fire under them ahead of the CFP. The offense was certainly a force in the four games following the loss to the Wolverines, but the defense and their stinginess were the backbone of the team.
Matt’s answer: Outscored opponents 145–75 in the College Football Playoff
There was something wholly mind-boggling about the way that the Buckeyes ran through the College Football Playoff. While we all knew that the team was filled with an incredible conglomeration of talent, it always felt like there was something missing from them achieving their utmost potential. Whether it was losing to Michigan again, the disappointment from fans, the questions about their head coach, the player-led meeting following the regular season, or something else entirely, whatever limiting factor had been holding the Buckeyes back before had officially been vanquished by the time the playoffs rolled around.
I know that I probably don’t have to remind you — but I’m going to, because it’s fun — that OSU absolutely came out of the gates in the CFP like the Death Star-level killing machine that we had always hoped they would be.
Ryan Day’s team went up 21-0 in the first quarter against Tennessee in the first round and took a decisive 42-17 victory over the SEC squad which was so very unafraid of the Columbus cold.
In the quarterfinals, the Buckeyes then avenged their first loss of the season by absolutely railroading the then-No. 1 team in the country, the Oregon Ducks. Ohio State went up 34-0 before the Ducklings scored a touchdown and a two-point conversion with no time left on the first-half clock. The Scarlet and Gray won that one 41-21.
While the semifinals and national championship games ended up being a bit closer down the stretch, OSU still beat both Texas and Notre Dame by double digits (28-14 and 34-23 respectively) to wrap up an historic run of domination that not only shocked many in the college football world, but propelled the team to the annuls of history.
Last season, Ohio State beat six of the top eight teams based on their rankings heading into the playoff; the two that the Buckeyes didn’t beat were themselves (No. 6) and the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs, who lost to the Irish in the Sugar Bowl. So, I guess via the transitive property, OSU not only beat UGA, but themselves, thanks to their win over Oregon.
There are countless stats that make you marvel at what the Buckeyes accomplished last season, and I could not be happier that we will have a lifetime to remember and recount them. Go Bucks!