LGHL Notable games on the 2024 NFL schedule featuring former Ohio State players
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Notable games on the 2024 NFL schedule featuring former Ohio State players
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images
Find out which games on the 2024 NFL schedule stand out when it comes to watching former Buckeyes.
On Wednesday night the NFL released their schedule for the 2024 season. With the unveiling of this year’s slate, football fans can now know when and where their favorite teams and players will be playing this season as 32 teams vie to make it to the Super Bowl in February. Schedules for all of this year’s regular season primetime games are now known, as well as the league’s specialty showcase games, such as those played on holidays and international soil.
With this year’s schedule release, we also know where all the former Buckeyes in the NFL will be playing during the regular season. While there are too many Ohio State alums currently in the league to give each player’s schedule for this season, we are going to highlight some of the most interesting regular season games for those who used to wear the scarlet and gray.
After being the highest Buckeye taken in the 2024 NFL Draft, Marvin Harrison Jr. will play his first NFL game in one of the craziest environments in the league. Then again, after playing in three games against Michigan, I’m sure seeing a bunch of table-smashing Buffalo fans won’t rattle the talented wide receiver. Even though Harrison will be playing in his first professional game, he will be the top target for Kyler Murray in a Cardinals offense that is rebuilding.
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Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK
Along with Harrison, Arizona’s first-round pick from last season will be trying to protect Murray and anchor the offensive line of the Cardinals. Lining up at left tackle will be Paris Johnson Jr., the sixth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. While there are questions about whether Murray is part of Arizona’s long-term plans, there’s no question that Johnson and Harrison are building blocks for the organization.
On the other side of the football, Curtis Samuel will be making his debut for Buffalo after being signed from Washington in the offseason. After the Bills traded Stefon Diggs to Houston in early April, Samuel is the team’s most reliable receiver heading into the season and should become Josh Allen’s most reliable target.
One move during the offseason that surprised everybody was the Dallas Cowboys bringing back running back Ezekiel Elliott. After spending his first seven seasons in the NFL with the Cowboys, Elliott played with the New England Patriots in 2023, rushing for 642 yards and three touchdowns. In his return to Dallas, Elliott will have to try and find holes against a Cleveland defense that was one of the best. in the NFL last season.
The most intriguing battle in the season opener for the Browns will be between former Buckeye cornerback Denzel Ward and CeeDee Lamb. The Cowboys wide receiver is coming off his best season as a professional and will be counted on even more this season. Ward will be looking to replicate his performance in 2020 at AT&T Stadium when he picked off a pass in a wild Cleveland victory.
Do you want to see Nick Bosa make life miserable for J.J. McCarthy? I know I would tune in. Then again it all depends on how quickly Kevin O’Connell and the Minnesota brass want to throw McCarthy to the wolves. There’s a possibility Sam Darnold could start the game if the Vikings don’t think McCarthy is ready, but with the way teams push first-round quarterbacks into starting roles, they’ll likely do all they can to start McCarthy as early as possible. Bosa already has to be licking his chops at the thought of slamming a Michigan Man into the turf.
Speaking of a hated Michigan Man, Jim Harbaugh is now the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. Ohio State fans are likely hoping this game can end in a tie so neither Harbaugh nor the Pittsburgh Steelers can win. What would make this game a lot more interesting is if Justin Fields was the starting quarterback for the Steelers, which would mean he would be tasked with trying to stay upright against Joey Bosa. Unfortunately for Fields fans, he’ll likely be on the sidelines for this game since the Steelers also acquired Russell Wilson during the offseason. Also in this game will be defensive tackle Cam Heyward, who has been playing at a high level in the NFL for 472 years.
The Commanders also play Cleveland and Denzel Ward a couple of weeks later, but I figured this would be a better game to highlight since it is a Monday Night Football game, and is being played in Cincinnati. About the only reason to watch Washington this year is to see how Terry McLaurin does with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Expect McLaurin to be targeted early and often by the Heisman Trophy winner.
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Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
Of course, the reason most Ohio State fans will tune in is to see a Buckeye that transferred to LSU. Joe Burrow will be looking to rebound in 2024 after his 2023 season was shortened by a hand injury. One former Ohio Stater who is back with Cincinnati is Vonn Bell, who resigned with the Bengals after spending last season with Carolina. Since it is a primetime game, Sam Hubbard will probably make a huge play that will send Bengals fans into a frenzy.
Want a game featuring a bunch of Buckeyes, as well as a NFL team from Ohio? This is the game for you. New Orleans has stockpiled players from Ohio State over the years. Chris Olave, Michael Thomas, Marshon Lattimore, Pete Werner, and their newest signing Chase Young will be hosting Denzel Ward, Dawand Jones, and the rest of the Cleveland Browns. Even though they’ll want their Brownies to win, I’m sure Cleveland fans wouldn’t shed a tear if Chase Young got to Deshaun Watson a couple times.
The first day of the final month of 2024 will see a battle between two young former Buckeye receivers in New Jersey. Garrett Wilson will be hoping to have quarterback Aaron Rodgers on the field for more than four plays this year, while Jaxon Smith-Njigba will try and build off a rookie season where he caught 63 passes. Other former Buckeyes who are currently rostered by the two teams include Dre’Mont Jones, Jerome Baker, Jeremy Ruckert, and Jalyn Holmes.
To be the man, you have to beat the man. C.J. Stroud had a phenomenal rookie season for the Houston Texans, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and leading the Texans to the playoffs. Now Stroud and Houston will try and take the next step. The Texans made a huge move in the offseason, bringing in Stefon Diggs from Buffalo to team with Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Noah Brown, and the rest of the Houston passing attack.
Stroud will be battling Patrick Mahomes, who has led the Kansas City Chiefs to three Super Bowl titles in the last four seasons. Not only is this game four days before Christmas, it will be going up against a College Football Playoff game. Better get to a spot where there are multiple televisions, or hope Santa Claus brings you a two-TV setup if you don’t already have one.
There are certainly many more interesting games featuring Ohio State players on the schedule this season, these are just the ones that stood out on an initial look at this year’s schedule. If you have any games you are looking forward to that former Buckeyes will be playing in, feel free to tweet us or respond in the comments. Go Bucks!
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images
Find out which games on the 2024 NFL schedule stand out when it comes to watching former Buckeyes.
On Wednesday night the NFL released their schedule for the 2024 season. With the unveiling of this year’s slate, football fans can now know when and where their favorite teams and players will be playing this season as 32 teams vie to make it to the Super Bowl in February. Schedules for all of this year’s regular season primetime games are now known, as well as the league’s specialty showcase games, such as those played on holidays and international soil.
With this year’s schedule release, we also know where all the former Buckeyes in the NFL will be playing during the regular season. While there are too many Ohio State alums currently in the league to give each player’s schedule for this season, we are going to highlight some of the most interesting regular season games for those who used to wear the scarlet and gray.
Arizona v. Buffalo - Sept. 8, 1 p.m. ET - CBS
After being the highest Buckeye taken in the 2024 NFL Draft, Marvin Harrison Jr. will play his first NFL game in one of the craziest environments in the league. Then again, after playing in three games against Michigan, I’m sure seeing a bunch of table-smashing Buffalo fans won’t rattle the talented wide receiver. Even though Harrison will be playing in his first professional game, he will be the top target for Kyler Murray in a Cardinals offense that is rebuilding.
Along with Harrison, Arizona’s first-round pick from last season will be trying to protect Murray and anchor the offensive line of the Cardinals. Lining up at left tackle will be Paris Johnson Jr., the sixth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. While there are questions about whether Murray is part of Arizona’s long-term plans, there’s no question that Johnson and Harrison are building blocks for the organization.
On the other side of the football, Curtis Samuel will be making his debut for Buffalo after being signed from Washington in the offseason. After the Bills traded Stefon Diggs to Houston in early April, Samuel is the team’s most reliable receiver heading into the season and should become Josh Allen’s most reliable target.
Cleveland v. Dallas - Sept. 8, 4:25 p.m. ET - FOX
One move during the offseason that surprised everybody was the Dallas Cowboys bringing back running back Ezekiel Elliott. After spending his first seven seasons in the NFL with the Cowboys, Elliott played with the New England Patriots in 2023, rushing for 642 yards and three touchdowns. In his return to Dallas, Elliott will have to try and find holes against a Cleveland defense that was one of the best. in the NFL last season.
The most intriguing battle in the season opener for the Browns will be between former Buckeye cornerback Denzel Ward and CeeDee Lamb. The Cowboys wide receiver is coming off his best season as a professional and will be counted on even more this season. Ward will be looking to replicate his performance in 2020 at AT&T Stadium when he picked off a pass in a wild Cleveland victory.
San Francisco v. Minnesota - Sept. 15, 1 p.m. ET - CBS
Do you want to see Nick Bosa make life miserable for J.J. McCarthy? I know I would tune in. Then again it all depends on how quickly Kevin O’Connell and the Minnesota brass want to throw McCarthy to the wolves. There’s a possibility Sam Darnold could start the game if the Vikings don’t think McCarthy is ready, but with the way teams push first-round quarterbacks into starting roles, they’ll likely do all they can to start McCarthy as early as possible. Bosa already has to be licking his chops at the thought of slamming a Michigan Man into the turf.
Los Angeles Chargers v. Pittsburgh - Sept. 22, 1 p.m. ET - CBS
Speaking of a hated Michigan Man, Jim Harbaugh is now the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. Ohio State fans are likely hoping this game can end in a tie so neither Harbaugh nor the Pittsburgh Steelers can win. What would make this game a lot more interesting is if Justin Fields was the starting quarterback for the Steelers, which would mean he would be tasked with trying to stay upright against Joey Bosa. Unfortunately for Fields fans, he’ll likely be on the sidelines for this game since the Steelers also acquired Russell Wilson during the offseason. Also in this game will be defensive tackle Cam Heyward, who has been playing at a high level in the NFL for 472 years.
Washington v. Cincinnati - Sept. 23, 8:15 p.m. ET - ABC
The Commanders also play Cleveland and Denzel Ward a couple of weeks later, but I figured this would be a better game to highlight since it is a Monday Night Football game, and is being played in Cincinnati. About the only reason to watch Washington this year is to see how Terry McLaurin does with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Expect McLaurin to be targeted early and often by the Heisman Trophy winner.
Of course, the reason most Ohio State fans will tune in is to see a Buckeye that transferred to LSU. Joe Burrow will be looking to rebound in 2024 after his 2023 season was shortened by a hand injury. One former Ohio Stater who is back with Cincinnati is Vonn Bell, who resigned with the Bengals after spending last season with Carolina. Since it is a primetime game, Sam Hubbard will probably make a huge play that will send Bengals fans into a frenzy.
Cleveland v. New Orleans - November 17, 1:00 p.m. ET - FOX
Want a game featuring a bunch of Buckeyes, as well as a NFL team from Ohio? This is the game for you. New Orleans has stockpiled players from Ohio State over the years. Chris Olave, Michael Thomas, Marshon Lattimore, Pete Werner, and their newest signing Chase Young will be hosting Denzel Ward, Dawand Jones, and the rest of the Cleveland Browns. Even though they’ll want their Brownies to win, I’m sure Cleveland fans wouldn’t shed a tear if Chase Young got to Deshaun Watson a couple times.
Seattle v. New York Jets - Dec. 1, 1 p.m. ET - FOX
The first day of the final month of 2024 will see a battle between two young former Buckeye receivers in New Jersey. Garrett Wilson will be hoping to have quarterback Aaron Rodgers on the field for more than four plays this year, while Jaxon Smith-Njigba will try and build off a rookie season where he caught 63 passes. Other former Buckeyes who are currently rostered by the two teams include Dre’Mont Jones, Jerome Baker, Jeremy Ruckert, and Jalyn Holmes.
Houston v. Kansas City - Dec. 21, 1 p.m. ET - NBC
To be the man, you have to beat the man. C.J. Stroud had a phenomenal rookie season for the Houston Texans, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and leading the Texans to the playoffs. Now Stroud and Houston will try and take the next step. The Texans made a huge move in the offseason, bringing in Stefon Diggs from Buffalo to team with Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Noah Brown, and the rest of the Houston passing attack.
Stroud will be battling Patrick Mahomes, who has led the Kansas City Chiefs to three Super Bowl titles in the last four seasons. Not only is this game four days before Christmas, it will be going up against a College Football Playoff game. Better get to a spot where there are multiple televisions, or hope Santa Claus brings you a two-TV setup if you don’t already have one.
There are certainly many more interesting games featuring Ohio State players on the schedule this season, these are just the ones that stood out on an initial look at this year’s schedule. If you have any games you are looking forward to that former Buckeyes will be playing in, feel free to tweet us or respond in the comments. Go Bucks!
Continue reading...
