Three Burning Question Ahead of Ohio State Buckeyes Spring Game

The Ohio State Buckeyes are set to hit the field for their annual spring game on Saturday. Here are three things to look out for in the game.

Mar 5, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes offensive coordinator Brian Hartline lines up / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA

The Ohio State Buckeyes have had a world of hype surrounding them this spring, thanks to a stellar recruiting class, and elite transfer haul, and a coaching staff shakeup.

Among those new additions are freshman star Jeremiah Smith and transfers Caleb Downs, Quinshon Judkins and Will Howard - each of whom is expected to have a big impact on the team next fall.

On Saturday, Ohio State fans will get their first chance to see the new-look Buckeyes, when they hit the field for their annual spring game in Columbus.

So what should fans be looking out for ahead of Saturday's kick? Here are three burning questions facing Ohio State ahead of the spring game.

Mar 5, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes offensive coordinator Brian Hartline lines up / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA

Can Will Howard Separate himself in the QB competition?

Will Howard transferred to Ohio State after the exit of last year's starter Kyle McCord, with most presuming that he would immediately separate himself take over the starting position. However, by all accounts, that has yet to happen.

Instead, it seems like the Buckeyes are locked in a competition between him, Julian Sayin, Devin Brown, Air Noland and Lincoln Kienholz.

There is no denying that each quarterback Howard is in competition with - particularly Sayin and Noland - is capable of being an impact player at the college level. Or maybe Brown takes a step forward and seizes the opportunity. That said, Howard has the big game and Power 5 experience and should have run away with the job.

If he can have a big game on Saturday, and prove that he is the guy, it will go a long way toward easing the minds of Ohio State fans.

Mar 7, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Quinshon Judkins (1) takes a hand / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA

How will the running back room play out?

There is no denying that Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson are going to form one of the best running back tandems in the nation. And in Chip Kelly's offense, they should thrive.

That said, one thing that has yet to be revealed is how their touches will be split up. Judkins, is use to being a workhorse from his days at Ole Miss, and while he did form part of a dynamic rushing attack with Jaxson Dart and Ulysses Bentley last season, he was undoubtedly the feature guy.

The same could be said for Henderson, who was been the Buckeyes No. 1 last season, and is aiming to continue that trend next season.

There is no reason to believe Kelly can't make it work in his offense. That said, it will certainly be interesting to see how he deploys both backs and gets them both involved.

Mar 5, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes offensive coordinator Chip Kelly works with / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA

What exactly will Chip Kelly's new offense look like?

One thing seems to be certain about Ohio State next season - Jim Knowles will have an elite defense led by a slew of returning starters and reinforcements in the form of safety Caleb Downs. It is a system that we have seen and know what to expect from.

On the flip side, things could look very different for the offense.

Marvin Harrison Jr., Kyle McCord and Cade Stover are gone, leaving gaping holes across the offense at key positions. Likewise, Ryan Day is no longer calling the plays, with Kelly taking over and installing his system.

How much things will actually change in terms of the concepts and rhythm of the offense will change remains to be seen. But by all accounts, Day will be giving Kelly the keys to the kingdom on that side of the ball.

In other words, it could end up being a much different-looking product by the time the season opener rolls around. Perhaps we get a glance of that this weekend, or perhaps we get a vanilla version of what will be run next fall instead.

Either way, all eyes will be on Kelly and the offense at Ohio Stadium on Saturday.