Scarlet Sunrise: Buckeyes set to open spring with second-best national title odds

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Ohio State has second-best national title odds entering spring

Ohio State has one of the most talented rosters in all of college football. The coaching staff is loaded up for a special run in 2024, as well. Put them together, and the oddsmakers in Las Vegas are big-time believers in the Buckeyes before spring ball even begins.

The Buckeyes have the second best odds to win the national championship next fall, according to the folks at Fanduel Sportsbook. They’re behind only Georgia, who won two straight national titles in 2021 and 2022 before falling short of that goal this season. The Bulldogs odds are +300 right now.

Ohio State isn’t far behind, though, checking in with +480 odds to bring a national title back to Columbus for the first time in a decade — just a year after arch rival Michigan won the title.

Texas (+700), Oregon (+850), and Alabama (+1200) round out the top five of the too-early odds. Interestingly, the Buckeyes will travel to Oregon for a massive Big Ten showdown against the Ducks on Oct. 12 in a game that will determine who is in the driver’s seat for the new-look, 18-team Big Ten conference race.

The oddsmakers have Oregon favored in that October showdown, but those same folks believe Ohio State has a better chance to win the national title. In fact, the Buckeyes have shorter odds than any program in the Big Ten — and all but one around the country — to win it all next season.

Ohio State could play at Wrigley Field in November

with major renovations to Ryan Field in Evanston underway, there’s no way the Buckeyes can play the Wildcats there.

According to Wildcat Report, Northwestern is expected to host Ohio State at Wrigley Field on Nov. 16 this upcoming season. It would be the Buckeyes first game at a baseball stadium.

“Northwestern is still exploring options for where the team will play next season,” Northwestern athletics told Wildcat Report in a statement. “At this time, contracts with venues are still being finalized and we will share information with you as soon as possible.”

So while it’s not finalized, it appears the Buckeyes will be playing in a baseball stadium — on Northwestern’s Homecoming Weekend.

Four Buckeyes land on too-early Heisman odds board

Ohio State is loaded for a 2024 national title run. The Buckeyes have talent at every level of their offense as part of that.

A whopping four of them are already posted on Fanduel Sportsbook with Heisman Trophy odds before spring practice even begins.

Buckeyes presumed starting quarterback Will Howard, who transferred to Ohio State after a successful career at Kansas State, is +1000 to win the Heisman Trophy before spring ball begins — despite not even winning the quarterback job yet. Howard started games in portions of four seasons for the Wildcats and led them to a Big 12 title in 2022.

Ohio State star wide receiver Emeka Egbuka is +7500 to win the Heisman Trophy. After going over the 1,000-yard receiving mark as a sophomore, Egbuka struggled through an ankle injury during his junior campaign. He passed on the NFL Draft — even as a potential first-round pick — to return to the Buckeyes for his senior season and a shot to win a national title. Then there’s the two-headed tailback tandem of Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson, who are both +12000 to win the Heisman Trophy. Henderson returned for his senior season instead of heading to the NFL Draft, even as one of the best backs in the country for the last three years, and Judkins is a former two-time All-SEC tailback who left Ole Miss and transferred to Ohio State for his third year as a college running back.

Counting Down

Buckeyes vs. Akron: 191 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 282 days

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