Who is Ohio State Buckeyes' Biggest Test in 2024?

The Ohio State will enter next season as one of the top-ranked programs in the country, and possibly the favorite to win the Big Ten.

Ohio State will enter next season as one of the top-ranked programs in the country, and possibly the favorite to win the Big Ten.

The Buckeyes have already been named as the No. 2 team this offseason per ESPN's way-too-early rankings, and as they currently hold the No. 3 recruiting class for 2024 per On3 Industry Rankings, we shouldn't expect them to fall as the summer progresses.

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But what about for the regular season?

Bill Rabinowitz of The Columbus Dispatch thinks he knows who the biggest challenge for the Buckeyes will be in 2024.

“I happen to think it’s the most difficult game of the season for Ohio State. It’s on the road at Oregon," Rabinowitz said on 750 The Game. "They’ve never played there. It’s still going to be early in the season. It’s a tough game. Michigan is the one game they absolutely can’t lose because you figure Michigan is going to be a little down this year… but in terms of difficulty, if you asked ‘What game is Ohio State most likely to lose?’ I’d say Oregon.”

Right now, the Ducks are ranked just behind Ohio State at No. 3 in ESPN's current rankings. And as new members of the Big Ten there is an air of unfamiliarity between the two teams. That could give the Ducks the edge since they'll be playing at home.

The two teams have met just 10 times, with the Buckeyes taking the all-time series 9-1 so far. The Ducks' only win was a 35-28 victory in the last meeting in 2021 in Columbus. Prior to that, Ohio State was 9-0 including two Rose Bowl victories in 1958 and 2010, and the College Football Playoff National Championship Game in 2015, a 42-20 win.

But this season could be different. It starts a new annual rivalry for both programs, and one between two of the top teams in the country.