Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes finished the 2024 regular season 10-2. Their only losses were to Oregon and Michigan. With two conference losses, the Buckeyes did not make the conference championship game. Ohio State still made the playoffs as the eighth seed.
In the first round, the Buckeyes had a home playoff game and routed Tennessee, 42-17. For the quarter-finals of the college football playoffs, Ohio State had a matchup with #1 Oregon in the Rose Bowl. Freshman WR Jeremiah Smith could not be contained by the Ducks. He was voted offensive MVP for the Buckeyes. Smith had seven catches for 187 yards and two touchdowns.
