With the 2024 faculty soccer season now about 5 weeks away, the Ohio State Buckeyes are primed to take the soccer world by storm and do one thing they haven’t accomplished in a decade.
The workforce is loaded with expertise, gleaming with confidence and has put themselves in a incredible place to win now. For the Buckeyes, this season is not nearly competing at a excessive degree—it is nationwide championship or bust. Right here’s why the stakes are increased than ever for Ohio State soccer in 2024.
Ohio State boasts probably the most gifted rosters in faculty soccer and has gone all in on making it higher throughout the newest portal window. The workforce is stacked with five-star recruits, Heisman hopefuls, and future NFL stars. The offense, led by the previous Kansas State Quarterback Will Howard, is ranked as top-of-the-line within the nation.
In addition they added former Ole Miss RB Quinshon Judkins to play alongside TreyVeon Henderson within the backfield. This unit may even be below famend offensive mastermind Chip Kelly, who has not too long ago been employed because the workforce’s new offensive coordinator.
Like Kelly, head coach Ryan Day has confirmed himself as one of many prime minds in faculty soccer. Since taking the helm, he has maintained Ohio State’s standing as a perennial powerhouse. The teaching workers, full of skilled and progressive minds, has the experience to information this workforce to the head of faculty soccer.
Key gamers, most notably Henderson and Emeka Egbuka, have returned to OSU for a fifth yr and one other shot at profitable the natty. Nevertheless, after this season, these two, together with many others, can have no selection however to go away the workforce and declare for the NFL Draft.
The faculty soccer playoff has now additionally been expanded from 4 groups to 12, so there’s barely extra room for trial and error with the Buckeyes early on within the season.
Ohio State soccer is synonymous with excellence, and the fanbase’s expectations are sky-high. The Buckeyes have come shut in recent times, however falling in need of a nationwide championship has solely intensified the starvation for a title.
This system’s wealthy historical past and custom of success add one other layer of strain. Gamers and coaches alike perceive that at Ohio State, success is measured in championships, and something much less is deemed a failure.
The time for the Buckeyes to behave is now.