Ezekiel Elliott is gone from the Ohio State Buckeyes and now the team has to look for a replacement for him going into the 2016 season. “That’s not the case at all”.
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“So, I have been answering a lot of questions about a young team”. I have great respect for Coach [Bob] Stoops.
The talent is there.
No team in the country has what Ohio State has in anchors on each side of the ball.
Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer said at Big Ten media days today that both redshirt freshman tailback Mike Weber from Detroit Cass Tech and freshman offensive lineman Michael Jordan of Plymouth could start.
Last season, The Ohio State felt the weight of trying to repeat as national champion.
One of the experienced hands returning is junior quarterback J.T. Barrett, who split the position last season with Cardale Jones but now has it all to himself.
In 2014, he was fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting after leading the Buckeyes to an 11-1 mark before breaking his ankle against MI.
As for other spots, Meyer said that he expects wide receiver Noah Brown, who missed last season with a broken leg, to be a starter. “He’s more than ready to go now”. Former Buckeyes linebacker and current Fox analyst Chris Spielman knows that narrative well.
Meyer has two years to make his college decision, but if there’s a spot on the roster for him at Ohio State, it’s hard to imagine him going anywhere else.
Among the returning players, Durkin will be counting on senior cornerback Will Likely, who will be on the field as much as any Terp this season. Redshirt freshman Mike Weber is also in a must-produce role.
“It’s a constant rotation of people getting drafted and bringing in highly recruited guys”, said OSU linebacker Raekwon McMillan, once a five-star recruit. Freshmen, such as Austin Mack, Jonathon Cooper and Nick Bosa, are going to get a chance to play. Over half the scholarship players remaining (44) have never played a game. “With the lack of experience, then the confidence might not be there”.
MORE: Big Ten coach rankings: Where’s Meyer?
Barrett had plenty to say to reporters this week, though he found his place in that scene to be more than a little surreal.
“I hope so, just because of the depth”, Meyer said. It’s more about the hyper-competitive environment Meyer has created in Columbus, which mirrors that of the two-time national title powerhouse he had at Florida.
Since Meyer took the Ohio State job in November, 2011, the Buckeyes have landed the Big Ten’s top-rated recruiting class five times in a row and finished no worse than seventh nationally in 247Sports’ rankings.
Meyer said, “Absolutely not”. “Especially if they are great kids”.
In other words, first-world FBS problems.
The game, which has already been announced as a prime-time showdown that will be nationally broadcasted, will be a huge test for a young Buckeyes squad that should be hitting its stride midway through the season. In 23 games, he has completed 296-of-461 passes (64.2 percent) for 3,826 yards, 45 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions while also running for 1,620 yards and 22 touchdowns on 286 carries.
Still, from the podium to the breakout session, Meyer maintained that calm and confident manner.
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“Talent, speed and athleticism will not be an issue; it’s how they perform”, Meyer said.
