SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Hey, there’s one more week left in 2019, but why not take a look ahead to 2020?

For Ohio State, the new year might bring the same results. As in, pots of gold and a lot of winning.

The current year was very kind to the Buckeyes, beginning with the end of a 13-1 football season, Rose Bowl victory, and transition from Urban Meyer to Ryan Day. The men’s basketball team overachieved, not only making the NCAA tournament, but also winning a game.

As the calendar nears January 2020, the football team has a path to the national championship, and the basketball team looks like a legitimate Final Four contender. Both teams are ranked No. 2 and ready to party like it’s 2020.

“We’ve got to stay as grounded as possible,” Ohio State men’s basketball coach Chris Holtmann said.

Here are five things to watch for in 2020 at Ohio State.

1. Another College Football Playoff run

Sure, there will be defections to the NFL. But Ohio State will return quarterback Justin Fields, wide receiver Chris Olave, and almost the entire coaching staff. When you recruit four- and five-stars, the backups aren’t too bad. The Zach Harrisons and Master Teagues will prove just as capable as the players they’re replacing. Trips to Oregon and Penn State will be challenging, but Day should have OSU back in the playoff in 2020.

2. Will Ohio State advance to the Final Four?

Not only are the Buckeyes a candidate to advance to Atlanta, their current national championship odds are 10-1. Not bad when the overwhelming preseason favorite is in the same conference. But instead of Michigan State taking the Big Ten’s torch, Ohio State has grabbed it and sprinted away. Barring injuries, Ohio State should be on the 1 or 2 line when seeding for the NCAA tournament is announced, giving them an inside track at playing games in Cleveland and Indianapolis. Kaleb Wesson, D.J. Carton, and Co. have done enough to prove they’re for real. March Madness has become a crapshoot, but Ohio State will have as good a chance as any.

3. Justin Fields’ Heisman Trophy campaign

The Buckeyes’ quarterback will begin the 2020 football season as the Heisman favorite. In Week 2, a trip to Oregon gives Fields a marquee game the entire country will watch. If he performs well, and the Buckeyes win, it could be a season-long coronation. Some of Fields’ favorite weapons will be gone next year, but Olave, Garrett Wilson, and Julian Flemming are targets that any quarterback in the country would want.

4. Urban Meyer and the constant coaching carousel

The Ohio State assistant athletic director — and former head coach — will forever be linked to open jobs as long as he’s out of coaching. Meyer has become a star on television, lifting Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff to a position where it provides a legitimate challenge to ESPN behemoth College GameDay. But will TV fill the competition void that coaching leaves? In talking to Meyer and discussing the topic with other reporters, it seems like it is — for now. The Dallas Cowboys job is almost sure to open in January. Will Meyer take it? Doubtful. Another year at Fox is likely, and then if Meyer still isn’t coaching after the 2020/2021 coaching carousel, he might be retired for good.

5. Will Kaleb Wesson return for his senior season?

The junior forward has changed his body and changed his game. Will he change his offseason, declaring for the NBA draft for a third consecutive season but this time keeping his name in? We shall see. It feels like the chances of Wesson returning are slim. Even if he isn’t a high draft pick, how much would returning for another season benefit him? If Wesson doesn’t play in the NBA, he can make plenty of money in Europe. Of course, there’s the allure of graduating and playing one final season on a team that would be loaded. With a returning Wesson, Carton, and an assortment of experience and burgeoning youth, the Buckeyes could be the 2020-21 preseason No. 1-ranked team.

First Published December 25, 2019, 5:00 p.m.