After Cotton Bowl loss, what's next for Ohio State in 2024?
ARLINGTON, Texas (WCMH) -- Ohio State football fans will ring in the new year after a bowl loss for the second straight year, and they are left with a lot of questions about the state of the team.
A 14-3 loss to Missouri on Friday night in the Cotton Bowl was one of the most lackluster bowls for Ohio State, coupled with the weakest offensive performance since losing 31-0 to Clemson in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl.
After backup quarterback Devin Brown -- starting in place of Kyle McCord, who transferred to Syracuse after the regular season -- left the game injured in the second quarter, third-stringer Lincoln Kienholz stepped in and was unable to lead the Buckeyes to a touchdown. It left little clarity as to who will be the starter in 2024, while an elite defense goes through changes and special teams is in need of adjustments.
Questions on offense start at QB
Entering the new year, no one could tell you who will be the starting quarterback when Ohio State opens the 2024 season on Aug. 31 against Akron. It's likely that mystery will remain until the week before kickoff.
The two QBs that played in the Cotton Bowl, Brown and Kienholz, will be in the conversation, with Brown likely to have an edge with his experience in coach Ryan Day's program. At least one newcomer will join the fray, four-star recruit Air Noland, and a transfer could come the Buckeyes' way.
The offense around the quarterback will go through big changes, too, as a new crop of talented receivers enter, led by Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith, and Dallan Hayden looks poised to be the top running back if TreVeyon Henderson leaves for the NFL.
The changes could even stretch to the coaching staff, with Day responding to that question on Friday saying he "will look at everything."
Defense sets new high bar but changes coming
Ohio State's defense was a shining unit all season, but changes are coming. Despite allowing more than 20 points only once, in a 30-24 loss to Michigan, the defense's biggest area for improvement is closing out games.
The defense gave up 17 points to the Wolverines in the second half, allowing a score on each of the Wolverines' two drives, and it conceded two scoring 90-yard scoring drives to Missouri in the fourth quarter. Developing that stamina might be difficult with so many stars expected to leave, including end J.T. Tuimoloau, linebacker Tommy Eichenberg and cornerback Denzel Burke.
Among potential leaders in 2024 are tackle Ty Hamilton, linebacker C.J. Hicks, cornerback Jordan Hancock, and safety Sonny Styles. Another question mark is at coordinator, with Jim Knowles' impressive performance likely making him a head coaching candidate.
And special teams is in need of adjustments. In the Cotton Bowl, Ohio State's punt team was called for multiple penalties to add to a list of mistakes made by the unit. The punt coverage unit ranked last in the Big Ten and 114th in the country, and its punt return unit ranked 111th.
What's at stake in 2024
It's a vastly new college football world in 2024 with the Big Ten welcoming Oregon, Washington, USC, and UCLA. Additionally, eight more teams will make the College Football Playoff, bringing the total to 12.
With the expansion of the playoff, Ohio State likely would still be able to make it with just one loss or two, but with the massive roster changes coming and some excellent West Coast teams coming to the Midwest's conference, the Buckeyes' playoff place is not a guarantee.
After its worst bowl loss in seven years, the pressure will be on to try to turn things around, even with a roster full of questions. Expectations and leadership will also shift with Ted Carter becoming university president on Monday and Gene Smith retiring as athletic director midyear.
The next eight months will likely include some tough decisions to help break streaks such as no wins against Michigan since 2019, no national titles since 2014, and no bowl wins over SEC teams since 2014.
"Everything is going to get looked at," Day said. "If it's what helps Ohio State go reach our goals and win these games, then we will make those changes."