Money matters: Ohio State spent NIL funds brilliantly to help secure title

Perhaps we never should have doubted Ohio State this season.

The Buckeyes had undoubtedly the best roster in the nation - a lethal blend of top talent that decided to return to school, the most dangerous freshman wideout we've seen in years, and some high-profile transfers at key positions.

Armed with an NIL stockpile of $20 million, Ryan Day was able to build - and keep - a roster resembling some of Nick Saban's stacked squads from his Alabama days.

Retaining almost all of your top talent is a foreign concept in college football these days, as the portal has only become even more popular. Most of the Buckeyes' standout players haven't used it, though, and have been with the team since 2021 and 2022.

Sure, having $20 million to spend certainly helps, but the Buckeyes are far from the only school with a padded wallet. What separates Ohio State is not how much the team spent, but how the Buckeyes decided to spend it.

That was clear Monday against Notre Dame.

The first drive of the night was capped by the high-priced grad transfer quarterback, Will Howard, throwing to the No. 1 receiver in the class of 2024, Jeremiah Smith, on a perfect play called by former college coach of the year Chip Kelly. That quarterback-receiver duo eventually iced the game on the biggest third-down conversion in recent Buckeyes history.

Kyle McCord provided plenty of excellent moments under center for Ohio State last year, but he decided to transfer when Day wouldn't guarantee him the starting job this season. Given the wealth of talent on offense, the Buckeyes' quarterback's job seems about as stressful as the lifeguard's at the pool during the Olympics. Still, Day identified Howard as the guy to take the offense to the next level, and he delivered a performance for the ages when it mattered most.

Drive No. 2 was finished by Quinshon Judkins - a transfer running back who led the SEC in rushing two years ago - lunging in for the second touchdown of the game. During that possession, the second-ranked receiver in the class of 2021, Emeka Egbuka, broke the Ohio State record for most catches in a career.

Egbuka, like many others, opted to return to Columbus for one final season instead of heading to the NFL. He admitted at Big Ten Media Days that NIL played a role in that choice.

"The NFL is always going to be there," Egbuka said, according to Pete Nakos of On3 Sports. "That money is always going to be there. We're able to make a little bit of an earning while we're here in college, so I think it's a bonus."

On the third drive - a backbreaker heading into half - the No. 1 running back from the class of 2021, TreVeyon Henderson, carried the ball multiple times before Howard found Judkins in the end zone.

Adding Judkins from Ole Miss via transfer puzzled some, especially with Henderson returning for a final season with the program. But Day knew he could lighten Henderson's workload throughout the season and have two fresh running backs in the postseason. The results speak for themselves.

That touchdown pushed the lead to 21-7 - and we haven't even talked about the defense yet.

Jack Sawyer was among the top-ranked defensive linemen in his recruiting class while defensive linemate JT Tuimoloau was the No. 1 tackle. Safety Caleb Downs, who transferred in from Alabama after Saban's retirement, was also the top-ranked player at his position coming out of high school.

There are four-star recruits at virtually every other position, too. It's clear why Notre Dame managed just 11 yards over 16 plays on the four drives that followed the opening touchdown.

Kelly and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles combine to make over $4 million per year as assistant coaches. Add Brian Hartline's $1.6-million salary and three coaches for Ohio State rank among the nation's 20 highest-paid assistants. However, money to attract staff hires doesn't immediately guarantee wins: Eight of the other top 10 highest-paid assistants coach on teams that didn't make the postseason this year. Sure, Ohio State was willing to pay up, but it also identified the right fit in the coaching staff to elevate the program.

This Ohio State roster may be the most talented college football will see for a long time. With revenue sharing on the horizon, more programs will have money to spend on top players - which should hurt depth across the country as players spread out to maximize their earning potential. The days when Saban or Kirby Smart used to stash future NFL first-round picks on the depth chart for two years before unleashing them on the opposition are long gone.

You can't win on the field unless you first handle your business off of it. Ohio State did that better than anybody for the 2024 season - and has a trophy in Columbus to show for it.