Ohio State Football: Young Stars Give the Buckeyes a Bright Future

Ohio State wasn't supposed to compete for a national championship until next year.

At least, that's the outlook head coach Urban Meyer had before the 2014 season kicked off.

The Buckeyes were in the process of replacing four starters along their offensive line, their top running back, top wide receiver, a first-team All-American linebacker and a first-round NFL draft pick at cornerback. On top of that, they lost star quarterback and Heisman Trophy candidate Braxton Miller 11 days before the opener to a season-ending shoulder injury.

So it's easy to understand why Meyer was skeptical of his team's chances of making the kind of championship run it's on right now. With so much youth filling the void left by so many talented and experienced players, there was bound to be a sizable setback.

“We’re a young program, a team where if you had told me this in August, I would have said, ‘Not yet,’ ” Meyer said, according to Jim Naveau of The Lima News. “Maybe next year, but not this year because we were so young.”

Expectations for Ohio State bottomed out after it fell to a bad Virginia Tech team at home in Week 2. But Meyer got the Buckeyes to rally as they won their final 10 regular-season games by an average of 25 points. A 59-0 rout over Wisconsin propelled them into the College Football Playoff, where they beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl semifinal to advance to the national title against Oregon.

CHERYL GERBER/Associated Press

Meyer was able to do all of this with a two-deep roster that's stocked with first- and second-year players.

Sure, there are seniors such as defensive tackle Michael Bennett, linebacker Curtis Grant and tight end Jeff Heuerman who provided some much-needed leadership. But the core of this Buckeyes team is made up of underclassmen, giving Ohio State a great shot at a repeat run at the College Football Playoff next season.

“In my own heart, I said, this is what is it, this ’15 team, watch out,” Meyer said, according to Eric Seger of The-Ozone. “And then they got better and better and better and better."

So much better that they're on the brink of sparking college football's next dynasty. 

The Buckeyes are set at quarterback for at least the next two years with the combination of J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones in the fold. That more than covers for the uncertainty surrounding Miller's situation and whether he transfers to another school for his final season of eligibility. 

The offense will also retain most of its top weapons next season. Sophomore star Ezekiel Elliott will be back at running back, as will five of Ohio State's top six pass-catchers. Four of Ohio State's five offensive linemen will also return, which includes left tackle Taylor Decker.

Stud defensive players such as Joey Bosa and Vonn Bell are true sophomores. Freshmen such as Eli Apple, Darron Lee and Raekwon McMillan will also be key in Ohio State's future defenses.

And those are just the known commodities. Lee told ESPN's Brian Bennett that there are a number of players from Ohio State's most recent recruiting class who haven't had the chance to shine. 

"I can sit here and tell you that there's other guys you haven't even seen yet that are going to be really, really good football players," Lee said, via Bennett. "Guys from the '14 [recruiting class] especially. You haven't really even seen anything yet." 

And it won't stop there. Meyer is in the process of securing the Big Ten's highest-rated recruiting class for the fourth consecutive year, according to 247Sports. When he can add that to what is already returning to Columbus next year, the Buckeyes should enter the season as college football's No. 1 team.

With the talent on hand, Ohio State might settle into that top spot for a long time. 

All stats via NCAA.com and Bleacher Report research.

David Regimbal covers Ohio State football for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @davidreg412.