High expectations and hopes to win another Big Ten championship highlight another season for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Ohio State had a successful offseason, acquiring Ole Miss RB Quinshon Judkins and Alabama safety Caleb Downs from the transfer portal while also retaining RB TreyVeyon Henderson and WR Emeka Egbuka. This poses the question, is talent really the Buckeyes’ problem?
Former Michigan tight end and Big Ten Network analyst Jake Butt said that the key to Ohio State’s success this season is all mental.
“Talent has not been the issue for the Buckeyes these past few years,” Butt said Thursday afternoon on B1G Today. “You can not tell me these past three years that it was a lack of talent for why {Ohio State} didn’t reach their goals. So the mindset is an interesting piece, and you can start to look at some of these Q’s.”
Ohio State has no shortage of talent.
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) August 8, 2024
For @Jbooty88, it all comes down to the Buckeyes' mindset in 2024.#B1GToday x #B1GFootball pic.twitter.com/rpU0wwW8N0
The 2016 John Mackey Award winner compared the mindset between last year’s QB, Kyle McCord, and this year’s leader, Kansas State transfer Will Howard.
Before the Ohio State-Michigan game last year, McCord said, “Win or lose, at the end of the day, it’s just a game.” In a recent interview, Howard emphasized that he wants this Buckeye team to be known for its toughness and physicality.
A team’s mindset is very much dependent on their coach’s impact. If Ryan Day can’t beat his rival for the fourth year in a row, with arguably the most talented roster in the country, his seat will become scorching hot.
