Ohio State's 2024 schedule is the 'most attainable' for unbeaten season, Greg McElroy says

The 2023 season is still a few months away, but it’s never too early to look ahead to 2024. The Big Ten released conference opponents for 2024 last week, and ESPN analyst Greg McElroy broke the news down on the Always College Football podcast on Monday.

McElroy shared that he likes the way the schedule sets up for Ohio State, and he believes the Buckeyes have a chance to go undefeated in 2024.

“Ohio State’s schedule feels like the most gettable, right? It feels like the most attainable 12-0,” McElroy said. “They actually feel like they can do it. Potentially, if things go their way in ’24, it feels like the stars could align, they could find themselves back in the College Football Playoff mix with an 11-1, 12-1, 12-0, 13-0… they look like things are lining up for them really nicely.”

The Buckeyes are set to face off against Big Ten foes Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Penn State, Rutgers and UCLA in 2024.

McElroy believes it’s a manageable schedule for Ohio State, in part because the Buckeyes don’t have to play themselves.

“Want to know why [it’s a favorable schedule]? Because Ohio State isn’t on their schedule. Ohio State doesn’t play themselves,” McElroy said. “People always complain about, ‘Well, Georgia’s got such an easy pathway. Look at how easy it is. Bama’s got such an easy pathway, look at how easy it is.’ Yea, because they don’t have to play themselves.”

The Buckeyes have made regular appearances in the College Football Playoff in recent years, and McElroy believes that should continue in 2024.

“I do think the best teams, the perception is that their schedule is always going to be more manageable, because the best team isn’t on their schedule,” McElroy said. “So Ohio State I think has a somewhat favorable job. But then again, I think the Big Ten did a pretty admirable job of trying to balance it out across the board.”

Ohio State’s quarterback play will determine offensive success in 2023

Ohio State is going to look different in 2023 and the quarterback play will determine the offensive success, according to On3’s J.D. PicKell.

Kyle McCord or Devin Brown is likely to be under center and that’s quite the change from Justin Fields and C.J. Stroud from the last four seasons. Obviously, the quarterback is the most important position on the field and if it’s not up to speed, Ryan Day’s offense won’t operate correctly.

But with the amount of talent on the Buckeyes, perhaps the quarterback just has to be really great in two spots.

“Let’s be real, it’s going to be a two game season for Ohio State,” PicKell said on The Hard Count. “Outside of that Big Ten title game, it’s going to be a two game season. You have Penn State in October at home and then you go to Michigan the very last week of the year … But you’re more talented than both those rosters as good as they are. You’re more talented.

“So going back to the ‘if’ factor, does your quarterback do enough to allow this Ferrari to open it up and score how they want to score to play the kind of style of offense? The kind of game that Ohio State wants to play. Big ‘if’ factor for the good people in Columbus.”