Ohio State Football: Predicting the Buckeyes' Starting Lineup in 2012

Alright, I know this may be a little early to start thinking about which Buckeyes will be gearing up to play on Saturdays in 2012.

Fine, it's really early.

But I'm literally jumping out of my shoes (I'm more of a sandals kind of guy) with excitement for what's to come next season.

Yes, despite the poor play in 2011 and the one-year bowl ban, I cannot wait until those in scarlet and gray kick off their next collegiate campaign.

It's an argument waiting to happen, I'm sure, but I truly believe Ohio State can come away with outstanding achievements this year, including a possible 10-plus win season in Urban Meyer's first term.

That said, I've come up with a rough draft for the starting lineup. The defense is listed first, with special teams and the offense following.

Cornerbacks

Cornerbacks Travis Howard and Bradley Roby will return to the team next year, and both should win the starting jobs again.

Although neither had an exceptional season, the secondary was solid. Roby was just a freshman and saw a lot of experience, while Howard will look to end his senior year with a bang.

Junior Dominic Clarke and sophomore Doran Grant will see plenty of action of the field, too.

Safeties

Safeties C.J. Barnett and Christian Bryant return for their junior seasons and will be given the nod by Luke Fickell to continue starting on game day.

Ohio State ranked 15th against the pass in 2011, so it's hard to think major changes will be made in the secondary.

Linebackers

The linebackers were the weakest unit on the Buckeyes' defense last season, but most of it was due to inexperienced players and an unhealthy Andrew Sweat.

Etienne Sabino is expected to continue filling the left linebacker role. The upcoming senior had 62 tackles and two sacks for Ohio State in 2011.

Soon-to-be senior Storm Klein will retain his position as middle 'backer. He'll have a lot to prove after having trouble finding a rhythm on the field last year, tallying just 45 tackles and a sack.

Ryan Shazier was a bright spot on the Buckeye's defense when filling in for Sweat. As a freshman, he recorded 56 tackles and three sacks in limited playing time, including 15- and 10-tackle performances against Penn State and Florida, respectively.

Luke Fickell will also be taking care of the linebackers as Mike Vrabel makes the transition to defensive line.

Defensive Line

The entire defensive line is set to come back for the Buckeyes, including the monstrous Johnathan Hankins at tackle. At 6'3", 335 pounds, the upcoming junior finished third on the team with 66 tackles.

Garrett Goebel and Adam Bellamy will complement Hankins and are expected to receive much more playing time as starters. The massive John Simon returns for his senior year after recording seven sacks in 2011.

Kicker/Punter

Place kicker Drew Basil will be back for his junior season after successfully making 16-of-19 (84.2 percent) field goal attempts in 2011. He also made 36-of-37 (97.3 percent) extra points, with the only miss being a block against Purdue.

Punter Ben Buchanan returns as a senior. He's had 118 career punts go for an average of 41.0 yards, with a career-long of 60.

Offensive Line

Offensive tackle J.B. Shugarts, All-American tackle Mike Adams and team captain center Mike Brewster will all more than likely be selected in this year's NFL draft.

Therefore, there are some big shoes to fill.

Guards Marcus Hall and Jack Mewhort will retain their positions.

Junior Andrew Norwell has some experience at left tackle from Mike Adams' five-game suspension, and will take over the same spot this year.

Sophomore Brian Bobek learned from Brewster as a freshman and will hopefully continue carrying the torch of outstanding Ohio State centers.

Tight end Reid Fragel, pictured above, is expected to make the transition to right tackle over the offseason. He has remarkable blocking abilities, but will need to gain 15-20 pounds during the offseason.

The offensive line may be the most questionable unit for Ohio State in 2012, but new OL coach Ed Warriner will have his troops ready for battle.

Tight End

Jake Stoneburner is quickly making a household name for himself with Ohio State fans and history books.

And he isn't done yet.

The upcoming senior caught just 14 balls in 2011, but seven of them went for touchdowns. He has 37 receptions for 445 yards and nine touchdowns in two years as a starter.

His numbers should (and will) increase this season as Urban Meyer implements his famous spread option offense.

Wide Receivers

The Buckeyes' new offense will consist of three, four and sometimes five-receiver sets. In other words, we'll no longer watch in agony as two receivers run around, trying to get open as Braxton Miller gets sacked.

I believe that Corey Brown, Verlon Reed and Devin Smith will be the starting wideouts in Meyer's spread option offense. The three combined for 37 receptions, 631 yards and five touchdowns last season.

We'll see a lot of Chris Fields and Evan Spencer, too—in those certain packages that require more receivers on the field.

T.Y. Williams, an upcoming sophomore, is a long shot for playing time but possesses a ton of raw potential. He struggles to run crisp routes and has feet for hands, but at 6'5", he's a sleeper.

Running Backs/Full Back

Take a deep breath, because this one requires some thought.

In the new offense brought by Urban Meyer, Jordan Hall will be the starter. The spread is used to, well, spread the field out and make plays out in the open. Hall's talents best fit this offense, as his speed, agility and ability to catch the ball are better than any other tailback on the roster.

However, Meyer stated that he wants to use a power run formation, too. In this case, Carlos Hyde would be the go-to-guy. At 6'1", 240 pounds, he's built to bruise the defense, and has already averaged 5.4 yards per carry. Zach Boren would only be needed in these situations, as the spread doesn't require a full back.

Freshman Brionte Dunn would more than likely see the most action from the bench, as Jaamal Berry and Rod Smith seem to have played their way out of time on the gridiron in 2011.

Quarterback

As a true freshman, Braxton Miller threw for 1,159 yards, 13 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He completed over 54 percent of his passes and compiled a 138.4 quarterback rating, ranking him fifth in the Big Ten.

Miller also led the team with 715 yards rushing off 159 carries (4.5 ypc) and seven touchdowns.

There were plenty of growing pains with the young gunslinger, but there were even more moments of awe. He's a born playmaker and will thrive under Meyer's new offense, just as Tim Tebow did.