Ohio State Spring Game: Breaking Down the Buckeyes' Upcoming Scrimmage

What a difference a year makes. The 2012 Ohio State Buckeyes will have a much different feel about them now that coaching guru Urban Meyer is roaming the sidelines.

This time a year ago, the program was punched in the gut by the news of “Tattoo-Gate” and the Jim Tressel fallout. On April 21, the Buckeyes will kick off their first spring game under Meyer, and momentum is at an all-time high.

For one, the program knows its fate from the NCAA and can move forward. And the good news for the Buckeyes is that it has had zero affect on recruiting. The Bucks have the seventh ranked recruiting class at the moment with 10 commits, according to 247.sports. That number could increase, as there are several recruits heading to Columbus this weekend, headlined by linebacker Alex Anzalone and defensive lineman Joey Bosa.

This weekend will be exciting at the Horseshoe, where all eyes will be on quarterback Braxton Miller. Fans are anxious to see how he fits into Urban Meyer's spread offense. Many people feel that, in his sophomore year, the young QB will put it together, particularly in this scheme.

The Ohio native had a very solid freshman season and showed promise as a true dual-threat quarterback, rushing for 715 yards and seven scores. The sophomore will look to improve his passing this season in his second year as a starter, and the coaching staff are working with him on mechanics—a trait of every young quarterback.

As a freshman, he threw for 1,159 yards and 13 touchdowns, but he was not frequently asked to beat teams with his arm. Miller, even with mechanics that need polishing, is arguably the biggest weapon on the offensive side of the ball. This year, watch for his stats to rise drastically from 2011.

One area of concern is wide receiver. Last season, the receivers didn’t produce for the Buckeyes, and no player caught more than 14 passes.

The leading receiver from a year ago was Devin Smith, who had 294 yards and four touchdowns. The coaching staff will be looking for a big year from him in 2012.

Admittedly, Urban Meyer has said that the WRs have a long way to go, but one pass-catcher who is poised for a great year is tight end Jake Stoneburner. The senior tight end has a chance to be a big-time playmaker in Meyer’s offense, and he is coming off of a year in which he had seven touchdown grabs.

Perhaps no one on the roster will benefit more from the arrival of Meyer than Stoneburner. To put this in to perspective, a tight end hasn’t caught more than 30 passes in a season for Ohio State since Ben Hartsock with 33 in 2003. Plain and simple, the Bucks are not known for throwing to the tight ends. But that will change under Urban Meyer.

Running back is another position to keep an eye on in the spring game, and senior RB Jordan Hall is the clear front-runner. Hall  has the talent to have a big year for the Buckeyes. The senior tailback feels the offense is a “perfect fit” for his talents, and he has plenty of talent behind him as well. Along with Hall, Carlos Hyde, Bri’onte Dunn and Rod Smith are very capable runners.

Meyer's spread attack will have this offense rolling in 2012, and although the Buckeyes can’t play in a bowl game, morale is very high in Columbus.