OHIO STATE BUCKEYES (East Division)
Location: Columbus, OH
Stadium: Ohio Stadium (104,944)
Coach: Urban Meyer (5th year): 50-4 at OSU/154-27 overall, 35-3 v
B1G
2015 Ohio State Buckeyes
(12-1)(7-1) 2016 Ohio State Buckeyes
42 at Virginia Tech 24 S3 Bowling Green
38 Hawaii 0 S10 Tulsa
20 Northern Illinois 13 S17 at Oklahoma
38 Western Michigan 12 S24
34 at Indiana 27 O1 Rutgers
49 Maryland 28 O8 Indiana
38 Penn State 10 O15 at Wisconsin
49 at Rutgers 7 O22 at Penn State
28 Minnesota 14 O29 Northwestern
28 at Illinois 3 N5 Nebraska
14 Michigan State 17 N12 at Maryland
42 at Michigan 13 N19 at Michigan State
44 Notre Dame 28 N26 Michigan
(Fiesta Bowl)
The Ohio
State Buckeyes are 50-4 since Urban Meyer took over in 2012 and they’ve won at
least 12 games in each of those four seasons, which includes just one loss in
regular-season B1G play. For the second
straight year, Coach Meyer is replacing one of his coordinators. This time, defensive coordinator Chris Ash left
to take the head coaching job at Rutgers.
Meyer replaced him with former Tampa Bay Buccaneers (and former Rutgers
head coach) Greg Schiano. Coach Meyer
will be challenged by the task of replacing nine players who left early for the
NFL draft who were among the 16 starters overall who have left.
The good
news on the offensive side of the ball is the return of junior quarterback J.T.
Barrett who finally got the starting job mid way through last season and guided
the Buckeyes to blow out wins against Michigan and Notre Dame. Barrett’s dual-threat capabilities make him a
nightmare for opposing defenses and he has totaled 45 passing touchdowns and 22
rushing scores the last two seasons.
With a good year, Barrett will be a serious Heisman contender. With the dismissal of Bri’onte Dunn, Coach
Meyer will likely turn to redshirt freshman Mike Weber, who appears to have the
inside track to start the opener verses Bowling Green. Weber came to
Ohio State a consensus 4-star prospect who rushed for 2,268 yards and 29
touchdowns as a senior in 2014 despite missing three games for Detroit’s Cass
Tech. Right behind Weber will be true
freshman Antonio Williams, who enrolled early at OSU and participated in spring
practice. Williams comes to Columbus from
North Stanley High School in New London, NC coming off a prep career in which
he gained nearly 8000 yards and scored 81 touchdowns. The Buckeyes have more experience at the
H-back position despite the departure of Braxton Miller. Junior Curtis Samuel is the only returnee
with more than 20 catches last year, and he can also see time at the RB
position to spell Weber and Williams.
Senior Dontre Wilson is also back and should be fully recovered from
injuries. Despite losing Michael Thomas,
Jalin Marshall, and Miller, Ohio State should be in good shape at the wide out
positions, as Noah Brown is fully healthy, recovering from his season-ending
leg injury last year. Also back is
Parris Campbell whose mid-season injury limited his playing time, but he showed
he was fully recovered in the spring game, getting open on the deep
routes. Also look for true freshman
Austin Mack, who enrolled early, to make an impact as he has continued to
impress the coaching staff during pre season drills. Mack comes from Bishop Luers High School in
Fort Wayne and was a 4-star recruit who showed he can return kicks and punts,
so he may see action in that capacity as well.
Redshirt freshman Torrance Gibson has transitioned to receiver and has
dazzled with his speed and moves in the open field. Gibson was a 5-star recruit out of American
Heritage School in Plantation, FL. The
Buckeyes return senior center Pat Elflein and junior LG Billy Price to an
offensive line that must replace the three other starters. However, junior LT Jamarco Jones saw
significant playing time the last two years.
So did sophomore RT Isaiah Prince.
Jones has more experience than anyone besides Elflein and Price, having
played in 23 games over the past two seasons and played 134 offensive and 109
special teams plays. Prince saw action
in all 13 games a year ago on 34 plays from scrimmage and 80 special teams
plays. Sophomore Demetrius Knox played
mostly on special teams, but saw action at RG in five games, so he figures to
be the starter at that position.
The
defensive line has to replace Joey Bosa and Adolphus Washington, but bookends
Tyquan Lewis (junior) and Sam Hubbard (sophomore) combined for 14.5 sacks last
season. Lewis is being projected as an
All-American this year as had made the Bednarik Award watch list for national
defensive player of the year. Hubbard
was a freshman All-American in 2015 and filled in very well in the Fiesta Bowl
win over Notre Dame when Joey Bosa was ejected for targeting. Juniors Michael Hill and Donovan Munger
figure to get starting nods at the DT spots.
Hill is the most experienced of the down linemen, playing a total of 297
minutes, making his first start in the Fiesta Bowl. Also looking to contribute will be incoming
freshman Nick Bosa out of St Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort
Lauderdale. The brother of standout Joey
Bosa, Nick was a 5-star recruit and the top defensive end prospect in the
country. Team Captain junior Raekwon
McMillan, the leading tackler a year ago with 119 stops, will lead a
linebacking corps that must replace two starters. However, Dante Booker and Chris Worley saw
significant playing time last year.
Booker was in on 22 tackles and Worley chipped in 17. McMillan was a finalist for the Butkus Award
in 2015 and second-team All-American last year.
Booker had an impressive spring practice and was named to the Academic
All-B1G team, while Worley has played in 26 games the last two seasons and been
on the field for 210 snaps. Junior
Gareon Conley is the only returning starter in the secondary (CB) after contributing
49 tackles and two interceptions last year.
An interesting competition is taking place at the corner position
opposite Conley as redshirt sophomore Marshon Lattimore, true sophomore Denzel
Ward and redshirt freshman Damon Arnette are all neck-and-neck for that
starting job. Even though only one of
them will start opposite Conley, secondary coach Kerry Combs says he wants all
three to have roles on the defense. So,
the two of them who don’t start, will get to play extensively in the nickel and
dime coverages. Juniors Erick Smith and
Cam Burrows appear to have locked down the FS and SS positions on Ohio State’s
defense. Smith saw action in six games
and Burrows three games last season.
The
Buckeyes welcome back two very good specialists in kicker Sean Nuernberger (jr)
and senior punter Cameron Johnston.
Nuernberger was only 3 for 4 last year after taking over close to the
end of the season for Jack Willoughby.
For his career, he is 16 of 24.
Johnston has been one of the best punters in the nation throughout his
career, averaging 44.3 yards per punt.
Ohio
State has the best record in the nation over the last four seasons and despite
quite a few new starters, the Buckeyes can expect to be in the hunt for a
playoff spot again and unlike last year, they know who will be the man under
center. A big early-season test comes on
September 17 in Norman against Oklahoma and they will have a road trip to
Madison to play Wisconsin, which is always a tough test. The season rests on the final two weeks, as
the Buckeyes travel to Michigan State, the only conference team to win against
an Urban Meyer-coached Ohio State team.
The season finale against Michigan is at home, where the Buckeyes
haven’t lost to their rival since 2000.
Coach Meyer has, in the past, taken teams with new starters, and molded
them into championship-contending teams.
That’s why Ohio State is the slight favorite to win the B1G championship
this year.
PROJECTION: 11-1 (9-0) 1st
in B1G EAST
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