UCLA is just days away from joining the Big Ten. After 96 years and 123 national championships in the Pac-12, the Bruins are at the forefront of the Big Ten’s West Coast expansion. Prior to UCLA’s official move, Daily Bruin Sports will preview football, men’s basketball and other top programs of each school.

Football
2023 record: 11-2, 8-1 Big Ten
Coach: Ryan Day

It’s common for opponents to fear Ohio State.

Odds fall in Ohio State’s favor for at least 10 of its 12 season duels in 2024. Head coach Ryan Day’s arsenal trails behind only 2022 College Football Playoff national champions, Georgia, in title-winning prospects.

The Big Ten’s expansion has done little to thwart Ohio State’s dominance – if anything, the Buckeyes are projected to dethrone Michigan as 2024 conference champions.

Ohio State – ranking No. 2 post-spring and welcoming the nation’s No. 5 recruiting class – is on the heels of three successive losses to fellow Big Ten powerhouse Michigan and a demoralizing Cotton Bowl defeat to Missouri.

Despite the pressure mounted on the Buckeyes for the upcoming season, Day has proven no victim to scrutiny.

His five-year stint as head honcho boasts a 56-8 record – three to the Wolverines, the team’s archrivals who may struggle after their head coach’s departure to the NFL and 13 NFL draftees. The remaining five losses were to Missouri, Georgia, Oregon, Alabama and Clemson – each of whom posted 10 or more wins in the season it defeated Ohio State.

Day consistently revamps his staff during the offseason. Chip Kelly, who may headline that list this year, forwent his position as UCLA’s head coach to serve as Day’s offensive coordinator.

As he prepares to overhaul the running game at Ohio State, Kelly has demonstrated his offensive acumen. Prior to UCLA, Kelly called plays at Oregon – which never averaged fewer than 38.2 points per game. Under Kelly’s rule, UCLA finished top 20 in scoring offense each season from 2020-2022 – reaching No. 8 in 2022 – with arguably less talent than Ohio State.

Despite the departure of standout wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. – who ranked third nationally in receiving touchdowns in 2023 – the Buckeyes’ star-studded returning crew is highlighted by one of the conference’s top rushers in TreVeyon Henderson.

Henderson, who leads all Big Ten returners in rushing touchdowns, averaged 92.6 rushing yards per game and 5.9 yards per carry. The running back reached the end zone 11 times through 10 games and will return to Columbus with 2,745 yards and 37 touchdowns on his resume.

But Ohio State’s defining edge will be Will Howard.

The coveted veteran quarterback from Kansas State threw for 2,643 yards and 24 touchdowns last season, completing 75.8% of his passes. The No. 7 quarterback in the transfer portal, Howard could make or break Ohio State’s season as the presumptive starter.

Kelly’s weaponry will feature wide receiver Emeka Egbuka – who has NFL starting abilities – and Ole Miss transfer running back Quinshon Judkins, who is the choice after Henderson.

As newly minted Kelly takes offensive superintendence, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles returns after orchestrating a Buckeye defense that surrendered only 146 points last season – the fewest since 1998.

Ohio State’s incoming defense – ranked No. 3 in the country in 2023 – may look even more intimidating.

With the return of all four starters – each a potential NFL talent – Ohio State’s defensive line promises a formidable run-stopping force with JT Tuimoloau anchoring the front. The defensive end tallied 38 tackles, five sacks and seven tackles for loss last season.

Ohio State’s four consecutive Big Ten Championships from 2017 to 2020 were followed by Michigan’s three.

Before the Wolverines can match the Buckeyes’ streak, Ohio State could ignite a new era of ascendancy.

Men’s basketball
2023-2024 record: 22-14, 9-11 Big Ten
Coach: Jake Diebler

Ohio State men’s basketball topped then-No. 2 Purdue in a mid-February shocker.

One thing changed just four days before the milestone – former head coach Chris Holtmann was dismissed and interim head coach Jake Diebler was appointed.

A middling 2023 season cut Holtmann’s seventh season short.

The past four years featured a steady decline for the Buckeyes. Holtmann was fired after a 21-10 finish in 2021 dropped to a 14-11 mark midway through 2024, at which point interim head coach Jake Diebler took over.

Diebler was promoted to the full-time role on a five-year deal after leading the Buckeyes to a National Invitational Tournament bid. Despite his immediate impact on the program, the crowning achievement of his tenure may have been his 73-69 win over the Boilermakers in his debut game.

The Buckeyes wrapped up their 2023-2024 season with flair, reaching both the Big Ten and NIT quarterfinals.

With a 14-11 record to start their campaign, Diebler engineered an impressive 8-3 finish to the season, transforming a Big Ten overthought to an NCAA Tournament team. The groundswell of support from fans and players and the team’s relentless effort compelled athletic director Ross Bjork to remove Diebler’s interim label.

The departure of four Buckeye starters leaves a heavy mantle on last season’s top scorer, guard Bruce Thornton. Averaging nearly 16 points per game, Thornton could repeat as a member of the Big Ten All-Tournament team.

Two of Ohio State’s transfers come from the biggest brands in collegiate basketball – former top-five recruit and Kentucky center Aaron Bradshaw and Duke forward Sean Stewart. To combat Bradshaw and Stewart’s lack of experience, Diebler grabbed veteran guards Micah Parrish and Meechie Johnson Jr. from the portal.

Diebler’s first full year will be a trial by fire with a demanding slate, including road fixtures against Illinois, Minnesota, Penn State and Purdue.

Men’s tennis
2023-2024 record: 34-2, 9-0 Big Ten, NCAA semifinals appearance
Coach: Ty Tucker

A dearth of national championships doesn’t equal mediocrity.

Ohio State – the winningest program in Big Ten men’s tennis the past two seasons – boasts everything but an NCAA title to its name.

A 34-3 record and undefeated conference slate during the 2022-2023 season culminated in a loss in the NCAA finals to Virginia. During the 2023-2024 season, a 34-2 record finished in a semifinal loss to eventual national champions TCU.

Simply put, the Buckeyes have been riddled by almosts.

The departure of JJ Tracy, the 2021 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and two-time All-Big Ten First Team, will force coach Ty Tucker’s lineup to undergo revision.

But it could leap the program from impressive to phenomenal.

Tucker’s No. 1 doubles spot, occupied by Tracy and Robert Cash last year, will fall in the hands of emerging tandem Bryce Nakashima and Alexander Bernard.

Nakashima reached four professional doubles finals prior to joining the Buckeyes. As a freshman, Nakashima remained undefeated in singles play and dropped just two doubles matches. With a portfolio brimming with accolades, Nakashima’s ascent in Columbus could be meteoric.

Bernard, on the other hand, was named an ITA Singles All-American this past year after reaching the NCAA singles quarterfinal and an All-Big Ten First Team recognition after an undefeated regular season.

Although the two played just one doubles match together last season, their individual repertoires could streamline Tucker’s choices.