Ohio State Buckeyes Take Over No. 1 Spot in Post Spring Top 25

The Ohio State Buckeyes are in great shape heading into next fall.

April 13, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) waves to fans / Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch /

The Ohio State Buckeyes were on the cusp of being a college football playoff contender last season before ultimately falling short thanks to their loss to Michigan to close out the regular season.

And while on paper things looked bleak at first considering the losses of Kyle McCord and Marvin Harrison Jr., the Buckeyes rebounded quickly, securing arguably the best transfer haul in the country.

On top of that, they also had an unprecedented amount of prospective NFL talent return to Columbus for another run, which, in combination with the transfer haul and an elite recruiting class, gives the Buckeyes arguably the best roster in college football heading into the fall.

The expectations are so high for Ohio State in fact, that 247 Sports has ranked them No. 1 in their post-spring top 25 poll, leapfrogging the previous top-ranked team, the Georgia Bulldogs.

April 13, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Devin Brown (33) hands off to / Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch /

"No elite program made more power moves in terms of talent accumulation this spring than the Buckeyes," 247Sports wrote. "Ohio State went from a College Football Playoff threat to one of the national title favorites given the roster and coaching staff additions accomplished by Ryan Day. On top of securing one of the nation's top transfer classes with Alabama All-American safety Caleb Down, Ole Miss standout ballcarrier Quinshon Judkins and multi-year Kansas State starting quarterback Will Howard, the Buckeyes also quickly replaced newly-hired offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien with UCLA head coach Chip Kelly."

Of course, it is impossible to tell whether or not things will end up in the way that the experts predict. After all, the last preseason AP No. 1 team to run the gauntlet and win the national title was Alabama in 2017.

That said, that's not to say the Buckeyes can't do it.

Not only will they enter the year with the best defense and one of the top running back tandems in the nation, but they will also have what many believe to be a substantial upgrade at the quarterback spot, and Chip Kelly will take the reigns of the offense from Ryan Day.

The only real question so far is: how will it all mesh together?

Based on what we saw this spring, however, the Buckeyes have a chance to do something special in 2024.