Ohio State adds game against Marshall, changes date of Western Michigan matchup for 2024
COLUMBUS — Ohio State’s 2024 non-conference schedule is complete. Again.
Close to three months after the Buckeyes’ home-and-home series with Washington, which saw Ohio State traveling to Seattle in 2024, was canceled, the school announced Wednesday the addition of a non-conference game and a date change to another.
The Buckeyes will host Marshall on Sept. 21, 2024. That’s when they were originally scheduled to welcome Western Michigan to the Horseshoe. Instead, Ohio State will play the Broncos two weeks earlier, on Sept. 7.
Now, all three 2024 non-conference games are on the books for the Buckeyes, who are slated to kick off the season against Southern Miss on Aug. 31.
So this is what Ohio State’s non-conference schedule looks like for next year:
- Aug. 31 vs. Southern Miss
- Sept. 7 vs. Western Michigan
- Sept. 21 vs. Marshall
The 2024 Big Ten schedule is expected to be announced in October. It will be the first year USC and UCLA will be part of the league, and it will be the first year the College Football Playoff expands to 12 teams.
Series history with Marshall
Ohio State and Marshall have faced off twice all-time. The Buckeyes won both matchups, although the second victory was vacated by the NCAA.
First, they defeated the Thundering Herd, 24-21, in 2004. Marshall gave then-No. 9 Ohio State a scare, but Buckeyes place kicker Mike Nugent delivered a game-winning, 55-yard field goal. Ohio State quarterback Justin Zwick had an up-and-down day and finished with 318 total yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Santonio Holmes starred with 10 catches for 218 yards and two scores.
The Buckeyes didn’t have to sweat out their next meeting with the Herd. Ohio State pummeled Marshall, 45-7, in 2010. In a game that preceded a much-anticipated 2002 national championship rematch with Miami — which the Buckeyes wound up winning, 36-24 — quarterback Terrelle Pryor tossed three touchdowns, and running back Brandon Saine eclipsed the century mark on the ground with two more scores. Marshall turned the ball over three times.
Series history with Western Michigan
Ohio State is 1-0 against Western Michigan all-time.
The Buckeyes blew out the Broncos, 38-12, in 2015. With the win, the Buckeyes — No. 1 ranked and the reigning national champions at the time — improved to 4-0 on the season. While Ohio State continued to navigate its quarterback dilemma, Cardale Jones showed some improvement under center. After being benched against Northern Illinois on Sept. 16, Jones bounced back to throw for 288 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ rout of Western Michigan. He was still far from great, however.
Later that season, of course, J.T. Barrett reclaimed his role as the starter.
But, back then, Ohio State’s decisive win over Western Michigan was the program’s 17th straight victory.
