Ohio State’s spring game at Ohio Stadium on Saturday is just a glorified scrimmage, though in front of a crowd most college football programs would envy for games in the fall.

But to Fox Sports football analyst Joel Klatt, the Buckeyes’ intrasquad scrimmage represents a step in football’s evolution as this will be the first time any broadcast network has aired a spring game.

“Over the years, like the NFL, college football has become more of a year-round sport,” Klatt told The Dispatch on Thursday. “That’s only increased with the modernization of the transfer portal and the new rosters year in and year out. Interest in the sport doesn’t stop like maybe it did 15 or 20 years ago in the offseason.”

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“As the sport changes and evolves, I think Fox has to change and evolve in the way we cover the sport. This is a natural next step for us, to be more involved on more of a year-round basis.”

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Klatt will serve in his normal color analyst role, but his usual play-by-play partner Gus Johnson is on vacation after broadcasting basketball during the winter. Besides, Johnson’s signature enthusiasm might be overkill for a scrimmage.

Jason Benetti will do play-by-play, with Brady Quinn and former Buckeye coach Urban Meyer as analysts along with reporter Jenny Taft.

A spring game can’t have the drama of a real game, so Fox is modifying its coverage.

“If I was to try to define it, this is going to be kind of a celebration of college football,” Klatt said. “We’re going to get more access than we normally get in the fall. It’s going to be built more like a studio show. Our topics will be planned out – less reaction to the action on the field – and we’ll talk through topics.”

Klatt said Ohio State presents no shortage of storylines. He watched the Buckeyes’ practice on Thursday and was highly impressed. Klatt believes Ohio State and Georgia, in no particular order, will be the top two contenders for that national title in 2024.

“I might lean toward Ohio State in the preseason, but a lot will be determined on what I see Saturday,” he said.

Much of the focus in the spring game will be on Ohio State’s quarterbacks. Kansas State grad transfer Will Howard entered the spring as the clear front-runner, but junior Devin Brown has been impressive. Freshman Julian Sayin also has created a buzz with his play.

Klatt broadcast a few of Howard’s games at Kansas State, including last year’s near-upset of Texas.

“Will's an incredible competitor,” he said. “He's tough and he's incredibly smart. I think that he is underrated as a passer. I also think that his experience is not easy to measure during practice or even preseason or a spring game.

“But once we get into the season, I am banking on the fact that his experience will pay huge dividends as basically the only guy in the room with what I would consider a depth of experience.

“I really like Will. The part of his game that goes overlooked most is his ability to run, and it’s based on his (6-4, 237-pound) size. He’s a big kid and I think he’s a really good player.”

Howard isn’t the only significant transfer who’ll be playing in the Horseshoe for the first time. Safety Caleb Downs (Alabama), running back Quinshon Judkins (Mississippi) and center Seth McLaughlin (Alabama) will also make their Ohio Stadium debuts.

“To see a guy like Caleb Downs or Quinshon Judkins,” Klatt said, “those two guys could carry a storyline for a spring game – to see what they’re going to look like and the talent level they bring to the team.”

Klatt is also curious about the impact new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly will have as coach Ryan Day cedes play-calling to his mentor.

“What does the offense look like?” Klatt said. “Does it look exactly the same? What are the little differences that we notice or feel in the run game? I’m incredibly interested in that.”

He also looks forward to watching freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who has wowed this spring. He made a strong impression on Klatt in Thursday’s practice.

“I would say he's as impressive as I've seen at that age,” Klatt said.

Add in the return of so many upperclassmen who could have entered the NFL draft and the lingering questions about the offensive line, and Klatt and his partners will have plenty to discuss.

“I think this team specifically has four or five storylines that could generate enough interest to carry a spring game,” he said.

As of Thursday afternoon, Ohio State had sold 56,000 tickets, according to senior associate athletic director Brett Scarbrough. The expectation is that about 78,000 tickets will be sold. Children under 6 and OSU students are admitted without charge, so attendance could be considerably higher.

Day said on Wednesday that the scrimmage would be mostly full-contact, though “thuds” might replace tackling when seasoned veterans are on the field. Day wants to give all his quarterbacks ample snaps.

“Someone like (senior running back) TreVeyon Henderson doesn't need to get tackled on Saturday,” Day said. “But it's going to be competitive. We're going to get after it and give the quarterbacks opportunities, even with the (starters) in there, to make plays. We’ll try to create some situations for all those guys to get reps. We'll try to give guys as many reps as they possibly can.”

Day said the Fox broadcast will add to the scrimmage.

“An opportunity to be the first-ever spring game televised nationally on Fox, it’s so exciting for our guys and for Buckeye Nation and the program,” he said. “The guys want to put on a good show and have some fun with it.”

Editor's note: This story was changed to reflect the fact that this is the first time a broadcast network has aired a spring game, as ESPN has broadcast spring games in the past.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: FOX broadcast of Ohio State football spring game 'a natural next step'