Ohio State Football: What to Expect in Urban Meyer's First Year

For Ohio State football, the days of unheralded success with Jim Tressel at the helm are long gone.

After six consecutive and eight out of nine seasons with double-digit wins, The Ohio State Buckeyes enter a new era—and a not very friendly one at that.

They begin anew under the leadership of Urban Meyer in 2012 following a one-year stint with Luke Fickell. Fickell remains on the staff as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.

Meyer, the two-time BCS championship game winner at Florida, arrives in town with the Big Ten powerhouse under a one-year bowl ban. Sanctions encumbering the program also include a loss of scholarships and three years of probation (via the WashingtonPost.com).

These penalties stem from players accepting improper benefits and old head coach Tressel failing to report them to the NCAA.

Most disturbing for Buckeye fans is that their beloved football program cannot challenge for a Big Ten title this year.

The pertinent question then remains: What can fans expect from Meyer in his first year?

First of all, Meyer did what he does best by bringing in a top-three recruiting class, according to Rivals.com. The recruiting pundits at Rivals.com list two 5-star and 14 4-star recruits among the 25-man class.

This class, combined with Meyer’s coaching prowess, will propel Ohio State to a much-improved record over its disappointing seven-loss season of 2011.

He’ll work wonders with returning starting quarterback Braxton Miller. The incoming sophomore is an incredibly talented dual-threat player.

He excels much more as a runner, but expect Meyer to hone his passing skills as he did with Tim Tebow at Florida.

Both the defensive line and secondary retain all of the 2011 starters, as well as 19 overall for the Buckeyes. That D-line became even stronger with 5-star prospects Noah Spence and Adolphus Washington coming on board.

The 15th-ranked passing defense will not miss a beat either with Fickell still on the coaching staff and Meyer’s track record of coaching formidable defenses.

To be sure, the Buckeyes lost key receiver Devier Posey, leading running back Dan Herron, center Mike Brewster and big-time offensive tackle Mike Adams to the NFL draft.

These losses are nothing to scoff at.

Nevertheless, with the incoming class and existing talent in Miller, RB Carlos Hyde, WR Devin Smith and others on offense, Meyer will have plenty to work with at his disposal.

Both the present and future look bright for the Ohio State football program—NCAA sanctions or not.

Knowing that your team will play this season without the benefit of postseason action is certainly a tough pill to swallow.

But there are ample positives heading into the 2012 campaign.

The 2012 team is loaded with talent. And ESPN.com’s Power Rankings list the Buckeyes at No. 14 in its top 25.

With Urban Meyer leading the charge, expect his squad to maintain a similar ranking—even in the face of an extremely tough Big Ten conference.

Buckeye Nation should take pride in the fact that its team is in such good hands.

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