The expectations for the Ohio State Buckeyes are growing by the day.

Following the conclusion of spring football, the allure of Ohio State was already quite substantial, with many post-spring Top 25 rankings placing the Buckeyes at No. 1 in the nation, ahead of the likes of Georiga, Texas, Oregon, and other top contenders.

And to be fair, those projections are warranted as the Buckeyes return one of the most experienced and talented rosters in the nation.

However, according to college football analyst Richard Johnson, the Buckeyes might not just be the best team in the country heading into next season but also have a chance to be one of the best teams of the College Football Playoff era.

First of all, I think Ohio State is going to win the national championship. And I don’t think just win the national championship, I think this Ohio State team has a chance to be one of the better teams in the playoff era,” Johnson said in an episode of his podcast, Split Zone Duo. “I think we are in the time where old teams have a decided advantage over younger teams more so than you might think. … This is an old [expletive] defense, man. They are all redshirt juniors, grad transfer seniors, been there a long time. “And then, they added probably the best defensive player in college football in Caleb Downs at safety… and he is probably the best player on the team.

To Johnson’s point, the unprecedented amount of prospective NFL talent that returned to Columbus, on top of the elite recruiting class and transfer haul – highlighted by Downs – was a combination of events that has never really been seen before in college football.

On defense alone, the Buckeyes hold All-American caliber talent at nearly every position, hold perhaps the best secondary and best defensive line in the nation. In other words, the Buckeyes have a chance to field one of the best defenses we have seen in the modern era of the sport.

That said, according to Johnson, the offense nothing to sneeze at either.

Jeremiah Smith is what he is built to be as a WR1. They’re saying he looks a lot like (Marvin Harrison Jr.). So you’ve got him, Carnell Tate, and Emeka Egbuka as your slot guy coming back… This is a really, really loaded football team,” Johnson said. “I am fascinated to see what offensive coordinator Chip Kelly… remember that? What he can do in the run game? Cause remember they have TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins… The running back room was so stacked that Dallan Hayden — who’s a good player — had to leave.”

Again, all valid points from Johnson here. The Buckeyes are stacked at running back and wide receiver and have an experienced offensive line returning to the fold.

That said, as far as we see it, there is one unknown about the Buckeyes heading into 2024, and it is at the most important position on the field – quarterback.

Yes, the room is as talented as you will find in the country, with longtime Power 5 starter Will Howard likely leading the charge, backed up by two five-star freshmen in Julian Sayin and Air Noland, as well as the more experienced Devin Brown and Lincoln Kienholz.

Can the Buckeyes win the national title without that kind of quarterback play? Sure. Michigan just did it with J.J. McCarthy averaging less than 200 yards per game through the air.

However, in order to have an all-time elite-level football team at the level that Johnson is suggesting, there needs to be elite quarterback play – something that did not come even close to having last season with Kyle McCord.