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Something feels different in Columbus, Ohio this summer. Maybe it’s the excitement about the college football season or the pressure on the Ohio State Buckeyes.
The Buckeyes are feeling it.
Ohio State has high hopes this season. They’re favorites to win the Big Ten and make the College Football Playoff. Anything less than a national semifinals appearance will be a letdown.
Seth McLaughlin, Cody Simon, C.J. Hicks, and Gee Scott Jr. are all on the same page.
Cody Simon summed it up: “I know you’ve heard the notion of like it’s championship or bust, but you feel that urgency around it. Coming back is not the easiest thing. It’s tough, hard work. But I think the guys and the leaders in our group, we really know what the job is and we’ve got to get it done. So we’re excited.”
There’s no way around it. Ohio State can’t afford an early playoff exit or another loss to Michigan. They have too much talent to be anything less than a top-four team. Michigan’s pulling back under new head coach Sherrone Moore. This is Ryan Day’s moment.
Here’s a link to Eleven Warriors’ YouTube page where an Ohio State linebacker talks about pressure.
The only other team feeling similar pressure might be the Dallas Cowboys.
Ohio State players know this year is championship or bust.
I like where their heads are at. The Buckeyes can beat most teams just by showing up, but talent only goes so far. They’re in a group with Georgia, Oregon, Texas, and maybe Penn State—teams expected to make the playoff. Notre Dame is close but not quite there.
Time for Ohio State to put up or shut up. Losing to teams like Georgia, Oregon, and Texas isn’t catastrophic; they belong in that tier. But losing to Missouri, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Penn State, or Michigan again? Unacceptable. That could cost Day his job.
Right now, I pick Ohio State to win the Big Ten and secure a top-two seed nationally. They might lose to Georgia in the national championship game (again), but things can change. It’s definitely championship or bust for them this year.
Even Georgia doesn’t face as much pressure as Ohio State this season.
