The Ohio State Buckeyes are gearing up for another run at the national championship after falling to the eventual champions in the semifinal a season ago.
There is no C.J. Stroud, but the team is turning to former five-star signee Kyle McCord. He played minimally in 2022, but there is no shortage of talent surrounding the new starter. Marvin Harrison Jr, Emeka Egbuka, Miyan Williams and TreVeyon Henderson should lighten the load for McCord this season. But just how far could this team go?
Buy Buckeyes TicketsAccording to Brad Crawford of 247Sports, Buckeyes fans will be very pleased with how he foresees the 2023 campaign playing out.
McCord is preparing for his first year as a starter but could he do something C.J. Stroud failed to do? If the prediction holds true, he will lead Ohio State to a national championship game after defeating a team led by another former Buckeyes backup quarterback.
Rose Bowl, College Football Playoffs Semifinal vs Texas
What Crawford Says…
With a win at Alabama in Week 2, early season College Football Playoff buzz will center on Texas. Will the Longhorns handle the pressure if they take out the Crimson Tide? That’s the biggest question. Aside from the November showdown with LSU, this is Alabama’s most important game, and it happens to come early for new offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and a first-year starter at quarterback. Quinn Ewers is a potential 2024 first-round draft pick, so right now, Texas has a clear advantage at the most important position on the field, unlike like last season’s game. Meanwhile, second-seeded Ohio State needs no introduction.
These two teams haven’t met since the 2009 Fiesta Bowl, where Texas quarterback Colt McCoy led the Longhorns to a 24-21 victory. Overall, the Longhorns own the all-time series 2-1 but if Crawford’s prediction holds true the Buckeyes would even the series and move on to the national championship game for a rematch with the Georgia Bulldogs.
College Football Playoffs National Championship vs Georgia
What Crawford Says…
Three consecutive national championships for the Bulldogs? Kirby Smart’s squad has to beat the Buckeyes again to do it. These two squads are stacked and if Ohio State can get through a challenging Big Ten schedule with one loss or fewer, we expect the selection committee to put the Buckeyes back in a semifinal setting. Carson Beck against Kyle McCord in this quarterback matchup would be intriguing, along with Ryan Day trying to become the next first-time national championship-winning head coach.
Despite how the game plays out, you would have to like your chances in the national championship game against the Bulldogs. If it wasn’t for an injury to star wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr, it was likely Ohio State was going to win that game and get a shot at the TCU Horned Frogs in the title game. However, we saw the result with the clock striking midnight on the Buckeyes’ 2022 season.
In the other semifinal game, Crawford had the Bulldogs defeating that team up north to return to a third consecutive title game.
