Ohio State Football: 8 Things to Expect for the 2012 Scarlet and Gray Game

The Ohio State Buckeyes are gearing up for the spring game as spring practice is coming to an end. The spring game will take place on April 21 and is a chance for every player to prove what he's capable of in a game-like atmosphere.

The Buckeyes return a total of 19 starters and are hoping a new head coach in Urban Meyer will be able to turn thins around.

Here are 10 things to expect for the Ohio State Buckeyes' spring game.

A Game-Like Atmosphere

Everybody is once again excited about college football at Ohio State, and fans should expect the closest thing, as possible, to a game-like atmosphere. A sold-out crowd is expected, and as far as the format is concerned, Meyer expects the teams to be drafted.

Many of the spring games that take place are extremely boring, but at times, you may confuse this game for a regular-season matchup. It's going to be competitive, and with the crowd, it should be a very entertaining event.

Bri’onte Dunn Continues to Impress

Ohio State isn't exactly deep at the running back position, and that's one of the reasons true freshman Bri'onte Dunn has been given every opportunity to play right away.

He's a 5-star recruit who runs with great power and has excellent size at 6'1", 220 pounds. He's also impressing Urban Meyer as spring continues to carry out.

“I don’t think he’ll redshirt. I think we’ll play him on special teams, and he’s also going to get some snaps. He’s done a very nice job. He’s a good kid, too. He’s doing all the right things off the field.” Meyer said via cantonrep.com.

Dunn should get some carries in the spring game and should give you a glimpse of what the young back is capable of.

Defensive Line to Get After It

Ohio State returns 10 starters on the defensive side of the ball, and the defensive line is looking better than it has in years. Jonathan Hankins and Johnny Simon have had a terrific spring and new defensive line coach Mike Vrabel really likes what he's seeing from this unit.

“A sign of a true, great player is that they’re going to compete,” Vrabel said via thelantern.com “And they may not win, but they’re willing to compete and we’ve got guys who are willing to compete and fight.”

And to just think that there are several other 5-star recruits on the defensive line that are arriving in the fall as well. This has the potential to be one of the best defensive lines in the country, and they should show a bit of that in the spring game.

Michael Bennett to Continue to Move on Up

Michael Bennett had a solid season as a freshman last year, finishing the year with three sacks and five tackles for loss in a backup role.

He had convinced everybody on the team that he was the real deal at defensive end, but it took Urban Meyer a little bit longer to see what the hype was about.

“Luke was much higher on him than I was through the offseason workouts and all that,” Meyer said via Scout.com “I can see it now on the field. He’s a playmaker—he’s just a good players. He’s hard to block.”

Bennett has been working with the first-team defense and will be competing for a starting position on a loaded defensive line. Considering that Meyer is always looking for playmakers, you'd think he'll stay where he's at on the depth chart.

Meyer Will Be Looking for a Playmaker

Speaking of playmakers, so far, there haven't been many offensive players who have stood out.

Urban Meyer is simply looking for playmakers on offense—something similar to a Percy Harvin type player who is a threat to take it the distance and someone to help spread the field.

Running back Jordan Hall and tight end Jake Stoneburner seem to have had the best spring practices so far, but not sure they quite fit the mold.

I'd keep an eye on wide receiver Devin Smith throughout the spring because he has the speed that Meyer certainly likes.

Now, the question is can he be consistent in catching the football?

Braxton Miller to Look Much Better

In case you didn't know how excited Urban Meyer is to coach Braxton Miller, he'll tell you again.

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I've watched him compete in the big game. And to tell you I'm excited to coach him, I'm not using the correct adjectives. And because there's mixed company around I'm not going to use the correct adjectives, how excited I am. So I think you get it, right? Really excited. Meyer said via ESPN

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Miller is the perfect quarterback for Meyer's spread offense attack and should thrive in the new system. Don't expect to see a completely different change, he's only been working with him for a couple months, but you should see a much better quarterback that's more mature than last time you saw him.

A Highly Competitive Spring Game with Fast Tempo

This is Urban Meyer we're talking about as a head coach. The guy simply knows what he's doing and wants everything done correctly. So in practice, the tempo has been sped up and they're doing everything at an extremely rapid pace.

Here are a few words from Scout.com writer Jeff Svoboda who's watched this team practice first hand.

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Each practice begins with a rapid-fire, high-energy stretching session followed by drills, and players are expected to get where they’re going quickly and get in more reps than ever before.

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You can expect the spring game to be very similar as he's trying to get this team to learn as much as they can in a short amount of time.

A Great Overall Spring Game

Ohio State has more than enough talent to be successful, and if they weren't banned from the postseason for a year, you could consider them one of the favorites to win the Big Ten.

But with that said, this should be a great spring game and step in the right direction. A new head coach always needs time to work with his players, and this will give Meyer another chance to get on the same page with his team in a game-like atmosphere.

Regardless of what happens, this game should produce a lot of positives.