Pete Thamel: 'Eye-popping collection of talent' infusion has Ohio State, Ryan Day riding high

With another significant head coaching decision happening in college football recently, the ripple effect it caused can be felt throughout the landscape. The most recent move was made by former Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh, who is now the head coach for the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers. And with that move, many believe that the Ohio State Buckeyes and head coach Ryan Day are in a prime position to capitalize on it.

Of those many who believe that to be true is SEC expert Paul Finebaum. And on his Thursday show, the Mouth of the South brought in ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel to read the tea leaves and lay out what it all means for the Buckeyes in 2024.

“I think there’s been an interesting confluence in Columbus,” said Thamel. “There’s some modernization with Gene Smith out the door; there’s some desperation with three straight losses to Michigan. As much as the portal guys have been impressive, Caleb Downs, Will Howard, Julian Sayin, [and] QuinShon Judkins, there’s plenty of those. What’s really the most important thing for Ohio State pushing forward is the amount of really high-end guys who returned, who, if you had asked me in mid-October, I probably would have said the NFL expects them to go.

“The NFL expected guard Donovan Jackson, wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, tailback TreVeyon Henderson, both defensive ends [Jack] Sawyer and [J.T.] Tuimolosu, as was Denzel Burke; those were draft-eligible guys the NFL was writing up as prospects. And all those guys are coming back. So they really have a significant and experienced talent war chest there.”

Ohio State might have the perfect blend of returning talent, high school recruits, and transfer portal acquisitions, with both the returning players and transfer players expected to play the biggest role in their success in 2024.

A ‘collective effort’ at Ohio State

After watching their heated rivals, Michigan, capture the 2023 college football national championship while boasting an undefeated 15-0 record, things did not sit well with plenty of Ohio State players who have the opportunity to turn pro. And instead of doing so, several of them elected to return to the program, citing ‘unfinished business.’ Couple that with the vast amount of talent the Buckeyes were able to recruit from the transfer portal, and you have the workings for a strong national championship run in 2024.

“There is an institutional and collective effort there to make sure that three-game losing streak [to Michigan] doesn’t turn into a four-game losing streak… It’s an eye-popping collection of talent down there,” said Thamel.

It’s clear to see that Ohio State has the talent to capture the 2024 national championship, but that remains to be seen. With both Nick Saban, who retired, and Harbaugh out of the picture, Day and the Buckeyes have what many believe to be an inside track to reaching the national championship game.