Urban Meyer Already Setting Ohio State Up for Success in 2016

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Following Ohio State's third spring practice of 2015—and the Buckeyes' first since returning from last week's spring break—Urban Meyer made no bones about how he felt about his team's most recent performance.

"It wasn't a great day," Meyer said. "Today was not a pleasant one."

In both the long and short term, the Buckeyes' bad day is nothing to worry about. Tuesday was just one of 15 Ohio State practice sessions scheduled for the spring, and Meyer seems to have developed a habit of downplaying his team's performance on the practice field to the media since arriving in Columbus three years ago.

Oh, and it's probably worth noting that several of the Buckeyes' key players weren't even on the field on Tuesday and likely won't be for extended periods of spring practice moving forward.

In an attempt to get a head start on Ohio State's upcoming national title defense, Meyer has implemented a system to preserve the health of some of his more experienced players. Deemed the "2,000 club," players who have already received 2,000 combined competitive reps in both games and practice won't see significant playing time this spring, as the risk of having them on the field far outweighs the reward.

"I think we're on the cutting edge of just being smart about the wear and tear that the student-athlete goes through," Meyer said. "I love it."

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Based on Meyer's definition of reps, most players who have started or seen significant playing time for two or more seasons in their respective careers appear to qualify. Left tackle Taylor Decker, guard Pat Elflein, tight end Nick Vannett, linebacker Joshua Perry, safety Tyvis Powell and defensive end Joey Bosa were all players mentioned by Meyer who will see their playing time limited this spring out of pure caution.

Throw in the injuries that are keeping running back Ezekiel Elliott, center Jacoby Boren and H-Back Dontre Wilson out of spring practice, and Meyer may have nowhere to look but the mirror when it comes to placing blame on Tuesday's sloppiness. That doesn't mean the reps that would have otherwise been going to starters for the 2015 season are going to waste, however, as it's opened the door for some younger players to see increased playing time this spring.

Specifically on the Ohio State offensive line, where the current absence of three starters and departure of right tackle Darryl Baldwin have allowed some of the more inexperienced Buckeyes to get on the field. None of Jamarco Jones, Brady Taylor, Evan Lisle or Marcelys Jones have seen significant playing time in their respective careers and will each have eligibility remaining in the 2016 season and beyond.

That's both good news and bad news for Meyer, as players in need of reps are receiving them, even though at times it's led to an ugly product on the field. On the offensive line, especially, the fourth-year Ohio State head coach places an emphasis on cohesiveness, which he has found tough to develop through this spring's first three practices.

"You're losing a little bit of chemistry in the unit," Meyer admitted. "You hear stories about the 'cohesive offensive line.' When you hear that story, that's absolutely correct. We were a great example the last three years ... You're losing that completely because you're sticking some guys in there that aren't quite ready yet."

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Make no mistake, fall camp should be plenty of time for the Buckeyes to get that back, especially with four starters returning from last season's national title team. And come this time next year, the sloppiness Meyer is currently bemoaning could ultimately pay off in the long run.

The same could be said on the defensive side of the ball, where there's no shortage of young linebackers to play in the absence of Perry, who is entering his third season as a starting outside linebacker. Dante Booker, Chris Worley and early enrollee Nick Conner each arrived at Columbus highly regarded and could find themselves vying for starting roles as soon as 2016.

At least one young Buckeyes linebacker won't have to wait that long to contribute, though, as Raekwon McMillan is sliding into the middle linebacker void left by Curtis Grant. After seeing plenty of playing time as a true freshman, McMillan's role will only increase entering his sophomore season, though Meyer would like to see more from the 6'2", 240-pounder than he did on Tuesday.

"Today wasn't his best day," Meyer said. "He's got some big shoes to fill. That guy he's replacing, Curtis Grant, maybe didn't have a stellar career, but he had a stellar senior year, though ... He's replacing a middle linebacker who was actually a coach on the field for us last year."

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Other young Buckeyes seeing expanded reps for the first time in their college careers this spring include, but aren't limited to, defensive end Sam Hubbard, tight end Marcus Baugh, cornerback Damon Webb, defensive end Tyquan Lewis, defensive end Jalyn Holmes, safety Erick Smith, wide receiver Johnnie Dixon and wide receiver/running back Parris Campbell.

With only so many open spots in the starting lineup next season, not all of their springs will translate into playing time for the fall, but each could ultimately help build a foundation that leads to sustained success at Ohio State. Because as opposed to 2015, when the Buckeyes will return 14 starters from a season ago, Ohio State could conceivably lose as many as 13 first-team players the following year, depending on who decides to declare early for the 2016 NFL draft.

That will only increase the importance for the more inexperienced Buckeyes to not only make the most of next year's spring, but this one as well. And as far as the struggles at practice that have come as a result of the number of veterans sitting out, Meyer's willing to tolerate them—for now.

"We're not going to blame coaches or players yet," Meyer said. "That's coming, though, if we don't get better."

Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Big Ten Lead Writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes were obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of CFBStats.com. Recruiting rankings courtesy of 247Sports.