By Jordan Hansen
Part 11 of the Daily Iowan’s summer Big Ten football previews.
Even with a fairly major quarterback controversy running through the season, Ohio State still went 12-1 last season, ending the year with a win in the Fiesta Bowl over Notre Dame.
Quarterback J.T. Barrett is now a junior and staring down a very tough challenge. Just three offensive and three defensive starters return to the Buckeye’s roster, which will have to majorly retool. There’s certainly still a chance Ohio State could return to the national championship contender it was last season.
This, honestly, is more than anything a credit to head coach Urban Meyer’s recruiting ability. The Buckeyes have not lost a beat since he was hired as head coach in 2012 and he still has the shiny 2014 national championship trophy in his back pocket.
With he turnover, there’s little doubt this iteration of Ohio State will look different than last years. Ezekiel Elliot is gone which means the Buckeyes are out one superhuman bowling ball. He was the biggest part of the teams running game and kept things moving forward when there was inconsistent quarterback play.
This year, rushing duties will likely be handled by redshirt freshman Mike Weber and junior Bri’onte Dunn. Both are immensely talented athletes who could very well become the next in a long line of excellent Ohio State running backs.
Good offensive skill players are a byproduct of good recruiting and replacing a talented trio of receivers won’t be difficult for the coaching staff. Quarterback-turned-wideout Braxton Miller is gone, as is Michael Thomas.
However, Noah Brown and Corey Smith make their returns to the field after each suffered injuries last season. They, along with the influx of new talent, should more than make up for the losses.
Defensively, the Buckeyes lost Joey Bosa and Adolphus Washington on the line, which won’t be a minor blow. But, as is the storyline with the Ohio State program whenever one player leaves, several more similarly talented players appear.
Kind of like this:
https://youtu.be/hRNvoxxSNsY?t=1m24s
Good recruiting gives a coach tons of options, which is exactly what Meyer has at nearly every position on the defense.
They’ll need them, because Michigan is going to be a major player in the Big Ten East Division this year. Despite a lopsided rivalry game between the schools last year, the Wolverines are a threat to the Buckeye’s place at the top of the pecking order in the division.
In any event, Jim Harbaugh vs. Urban Meyer is going to be must-watch television for as long as the coaches stay at their respective schools. Michigan State will also not go quietly into that good night and should be respected in the division as well.
All told, the Buckeye’s should be in-line for a 10 or 11 win season next year, but could reach even further if things go as planned.
Follow @JordyHansen for Iowa and Big Ten football news, updates and analysis.