The Buckeyes are consistently ranked in the top two in nearly every preseason poll and are considered a potential favorite to win the national championship because of the talent they have retained or added to the roster.

Anything less than a deep run into the College Football Playoffs would be a disappointment for Ohio State fans, so a season with this much pressure would naturally be exciting in many ways.

As Eleven Warriors As the season preview draws to a close, here are the 10 biggest questions surrounding Ohio State heading into the 2024 season.

What level of QB play will OSU expect from Will Howard?

Most reasonable people don’t expect Will Howard to suddenly turn into a second generation Dwayne Haskins, CJ Stroud or Justin Fields.

However, they expect a significant improvement over former signal-caller Kyle McCord, who left Ohio State for Syracuse after an up-and-down season in 2023. Howard is a proven college starter who played big games at Kansas State, but he’s never faced the kind of expectations he faced in Columbus.

On the other hand, he’s never had such a good supporting cast at his disposal. If Howard can simply implement the Buckeyes’ mediocre passing game and keep the defense on its toes in the red zone as a run threat, OSU will be a tough opponent for anyone. If he can elevate his game beyond what he showed at Kansas State, the Buckeyes will be truly fearsome.

Howard struggled in spring practice but quickly got into shape in fall training camp. Day said Howard has proven to be OSU’s best signal-caller this preseason, and the Buckeyes hope that will be the case all season long.

What will the workload be like in the backfield?

Any college team would jump for joy to have either Quinshon Judkins or TreVeyon Henderson on their roster. Having them both is just a tough choice.

With two No. 1 running backs on the roster, the question is, how will Ohio State divide the work between the two to keep everyone happy? And more importantly, how will everyone stay healthy?

The only really big question mark in the running back room is depth. If Judkins or Henderson are out for quite some time, the Buckeyes will rely on a true freshman to take on some of the workload, namely James Peoples or Sam Williams-Dixon. Over the last few seasons, we’ve seen Ohio State’s running backs be plagued by injuries, so that’s definitely something to keep an eye on.

Can the offensive line become a strength?

Besides quarterback play, the offensive line has been Ohio State’s biggest weakness heading into the 2023 season. The Buckeyes believe they have improved that unit with the signing of former Alabama center Seth McLaughlin, and the general consensus is that the line took a step forward in fall camp.

But that still needs to be proven on the field. Tegra Tshabola and Carson Hinzman are competing for the right guard position for OSU this season. Can the Buckeyes work better together with two new starters this time around?

How will we see Jeremiah Smith at the end of the season?

We already know what to expect from him in the preseason: He is one of the most hyped freshmen we have ever seen on campus and has lived up to his expectations in every way and then some.

But will he be able to translate his training gains onto the field once the games start? Will there be some sort of learning curve for him or will he be throwing touchdowns from day one?

Smith is already considered a sure-fire starter, but will he establish himself as the team’s second wide receiver behind Emeka Egbuka? Will he completely surpass Egbuka and become the top target in year one? Or will there be ups and downs like there are for almost every college freshman?

The expectations for the most promising player in 2024 are almost excessive in his first season at OSU, but his talent and work ethic could allow him to fulfill them all.

Will the offense look different under Chip Kelly?

Day warned that OSU’s offense will not change dramatically now that Chip Kelly is calling the plays, but there will be some new quirks.

Kelly is known for his outstanding running game concepts and considering how this roster is constructed, it’s hard not to get excited when thinking about how he can plan running routes for Judkins and Henderson. This first two-running back set with Judkins and Henderson is going to hit so hard in the best way possible. Factoring in a mobile quarterback like Howard, fans might like to see Kelly cook.

How often do Sonny Styles and CJ Hicks play at Will?

It’s probably a testament to how strong Ohio State’s defense is that the only notable position battle on that unit is that of starting linebacker Will. Styles appears to be in charge there, but both Styles and Hicks are expected to see significant action this season.

Styles and Hicks have both said they like to rotate plays and bring fresh talent to OSU to provide consistency. Hicks was one of the crown jewels of the 2022 recruiting class, and this season could be the five-star linebacker’s first opportunity to make a significant impact on the field.

Both Styles and Hicks were rated as five-star prospects in the recruiting process and possess outstanding athleticism, and if Jim Knowles and James Laurinaitis look to exploit that in blitz packages, it could wreak havoc on opposing offenses.

Can the defense eliminate the opponents on a weekly basis?

Aside from linebacker and free safety, Ohio State returns all of the defensive starters that helped make the Buckeyes one of the top two defenses in the country a year ago. OSU even added to the free safety lineup, adding arguably the best safety in the country, Caleb Downs.

In short, there aren’t many weaknesses here to exploit. Good luck running OSU’s front seven. Trying to pass against that secondary? Buyer beware. But as always, consistency and execution will be paramount to ensuring the Buckeyes reach their goals for the 2024 season. Not only does this defense have the potential to be the best unit in the country, it could lead the team to a national title if it gets going.

Are Ohio State and Oregon on a collision course for the B1G title game?

Both Oregon and Ohio State are consistently ranked in the top three in the preseason rankings and boast two of the most talented teams in the country.

Like Ohio State, Oregon has also signed an experienced and talented signal-caller in Dillon Gabriel. The Ducks are also well-staffed at virtually every other position.

OSU will face its new league mate for the first time as a Big Ten opponent on Oct. 12 in Eugene, one of the games that will define the Buckeyes’ season. Regardless of the outcome of that game, the two appear to be on a collision course with Indianapolis and a rematch in the Big Ten Championship Game.

What impact will the outcome of the Michigan game have on the program?

The Michigan game is always the most important question for Ohio State fans, that’s nothing new and will never change. But this year, the stakes seem even higher for OSU. No one can imagine losing to the Wolverines for the fourth year in a row, especially considering the roster composition and coaching staffs of both teams.

My question, though, is will this one game affect Ryan Day’s future depending on how it plays out, even if everything else goes according to plan? If OSU ends its losing streak and gives its fans a long-awaited win over its arch-rival, will Day have more leeway if OSU unexpectedly makes an early exit from the College Football Playoff?

On the other hand, if the worst comes to the worst and OSU loses to Michigan for the fourth straight year, what does Day have to do in the CFP to keep his job? Make the semifinals? Make the finals? Win it all?

If Gene Smith were still athletic director, I don’t think we’d have to ask this question, at least as long as OSU holds the CFP title. But now that Ross Bjork is in charge, it’s unclear how he would handle some very unhappy fans if Michigan doesn’t win this season and doesn’t meet championship expectations.

Can the Buckeyes win the national championship in the first 12-team playoff?

From a talent perspective, of course they can.

But a 12-team playoff means it’s never been harder to win a national championship. If OSU wins the Big Ten, it would need to win three games to be the last team standing. Should Oregon or any other team win the league, the Buckeyes would need to win four games.

Depending on how you feel about Georgia, the Buckeyes have arguably the best roster in the sport. It would be a disappointment if they weren’t at least in the finals. The last time there was a new playoff format, Ohio State won the national title. It seems like history could actually repeat itself here.