Does Ohio State have a chance at the No. 1 2024 recruiting class vs. Georgia?

Ohio State has one of the best 2024 recruiting classes in the country. With 18 commitments, including five-star wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Mylan Graham, five-star defensive lineman Justin Scott and five-star quarterback Air Noland, the Buckeyes own the No. 2 class behind Georgia. For Ohio State, the No. 2 spot is nothing new. The Buckeyes have not ever finished with the top recruiting class in the country, according to 247Sports' composite rankings, but Ohio State has finished in second place four times since 2000: 2013, 2017, 2018 and 2021. How close is Ohio State to Georgia for the No. 1 class in 2024? The margin between Georgia and Ohio State in the 2024 class is sizable. But the battle for the top spot is not done yet. Georgia has 26 commitments in its 2024 recruiting class, including five-star quarterback and former Ohio State commit Dylan Raiola, five-star cornerback Ellis Robinson IV and five-star linebacker Demarcus Riddick. But Ohio State remains close behind the Bulldogs in average player rating, sitting at 93.34 compared to Georgia's 93.48. The Buckeyes and Bulldogs continue to battle for five-star safety KJ Bolden, who has both schools as finalists ahead of his Aug. 5 commitment along with Alabama, Auburn and Florida State. The Buckeyes also remain a consensus favorite to land five-star defensive end Dylan Stewart, five-star defensive lineman Eddrick Houston, 4-star cornerback Aaron Scott and 4-star wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan. Ohio State remains in the running for players like five-star offensive tackle Brandon Baker and 4-star linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa as well. How close has Ohio State been to securing the No. 1 recruiting class? The gap separating Ohio State from first place has been shrinking. In 2013, Ohio State was 16.15 points behind Alabama, which brought in six five-star commitments — linebacker Reuben Foster, running back Derrick Henry, linebacker Jonathan Allen, tight end O.J. Howard, wide receiver Robert Foster and defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson — compared to Ohio State's one five-star, safety Vonn Bell. Alabama also finished ahead of the Buckeyes in 2017, but its advantage over OSU was 11.73 points. The Crimson Tide had six five-star commitments. Ohio State had five five-star players: defensive end Chase Young, cornerback Jeff Okudah, linebacker Baron Browning, cornerback Shaun Wade and guard Wyatt Davis; and the Buckeyes had a better average player rating than Alabama. When Georgia grabbed the No. 1 class in 2018, the margin between the top team and the Buckeyes was even smaller. Securing offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere, defensive tackle Taron Vincent and tight end Jeremy Ruckert, Ohio State finished 6.25 points behind Georgia and posted a better average player rating in the class than the Bulldogs. Alabama returned to the top in 2021 and kept Ohio State at arm's length with seven five-star commits, 18 4-star commits and two 3-stars, but held only a 6.02-point advantage over the Buckeyes.