Ohio State Buckeyes Fans Will Be Fired Up Over This Massive Ranking

The Ohio State Buckeyes faithful will love the praise their team has gotten in these rankings.

Aug 1, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) laughs with quarterback Devin Brown (33) during football camp at the Woody Hayes Athletic Complex. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Ohio State Buckeyes may very well be the most talented team in the country heading into 2024, but they will be facing some stiff competition.

The Georgia Bulldogs are the top-ranked team in the AP poll going into the season, and teams like Texas, Alabama and Oregon will also be vying for the No. 1 spot.

However, Sports Illustrated's staff has ranked Ohio State the No. 1 squad in the country, citing the Buckeyes' upgrade under center with Kansas State transfer Will Howard.

The staff goes on to say that Oregon will be the team most likely to battle with Ohio State for the Big Ten title and noted that the Buckeyes' Oct. 12 matchup with the Ducks will be one to circle on your calendar.

Ohio State absolutely has a chance to win its first national championship in a decade, which is why there seems to be more buzz in Columbus now than in recent years (and that's truly saying something given how rabid the Buckeyes' fan base is in general).

Of course, with heavy expectations also comes added pressure.

A handful of Ohio State players opted to forego the NFL Draft and return for their senior campaigns in order to make one more run at a title, which places a whole lot of burden on the shoulders of head coach Ryan Day.

The Buckeyes have also lost three straight meetings to archival Michigan, which is something that certainly needs to change this season.

We'll see if Ohio State can live up to its lofty expectations in 2024.