Ohio State Football: What You Should and Shouldn't Be Concerned About

With 15 starters back from last year's national title-winning team, Urban Meyer and Ohio State entered the season as the clear-cut favorite to win the 2015 College Football Playoff. 

The Buckeyes opened the season with revenge in sight as they traveled to Blacksburg, Virginia, and they came away with a resounding 42-24 victory over Virginia Tech. Five days later, they made their home debut in a sold-out Ohio Stadium and registered a shutout 38-0 victory against Hawaii.

But despite the big wins, there have been stretches where Ohio State has looked sluggish on both sides of the ball. Against Virginia Tech, the Buckeyes allowed a number of huge plays in the passing game. Against Hawaii, they looked tired and ineffective on offense, gaining just 363 yards of total offense against an overmatched Rainbow Warriors defense.

Are these legitimate issues for Buckeyes fans to be worried about, or will Meyer and Co. get things straightened out against Northern Illinois this week? 

Don't Worry About the Quarterback Situation

Steve Helber/Associated Press

The biggest storyline of the college football offseason surrounded the quarterback battle between Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett. Both had proven themselves as championship-caliber signal-callers during Ohio State's run to, and through, the College Football Playoff in 2014, and both returned this year to bring their elite skill sets to the offense. 

It was Jones who came out on top when the Buckeyes kicked off their season against Virginia Tech, but Meyer has inserted Barrett into both games in an effort to see who orchestrates the offense best.

Through two weeks, neither has blown up the stat sheet. Both are completing less than 60 percent of their passes and have failed to eclipse more than 200 passing yards in a single game. 

Ohio State fans shouldn't worry about the lack of production because the quarterback situation is still in flux. Once the offense finds a rhythm with one of its elite quarterbacks—or even finds a way to operate with both of them rotating—the passing game will blow up. 

Don't Worry About the Offensive Line

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Returning four starters to a unit that dominated down the stretch of the 2014 season, Ohio State's offensive line was expected to be one of the best in the country this year.

It looked the part against Virginia Tech, paving the way for a rushing attack that piled up 359 yards on just 36 carries. It also held up in pass protection, giving up no sacks after the Hokies tallied seven in their matchup with the Buckeyes last year.

But against Hawaii last Saturday, the offensive line struggled mightily, giving up two sacks and six tackles for loss. Ohio State's powerful running game looked pedestrian as well, averaging just 3.7 yards per carry.

If the Buckeyes hadn't bulldozed an elite Virginia Tech defense on Labor Day, that performance may have been cause for concern. But the Buckeyes only had three days to prepare for Hawaii and recover from a physically and emotionally draining game. The letdown was nearly inevitable. 

"We only had a couple days to prepare," running back Ezekiel Elliott said, according to Eric Seger of Eleven Warriors. "We just weren't ready to come out and play today."

Back on schedule with a full week to prepare, the offensive line, and the offense as a whole, will get back to form. 

Worry About Michigan State

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

After bullying Oregon in a prime-time showdown, Michigan State proved itself as a legitimate title contender last Saturday. Those Spartans will be the biggest obstacle in Ohio State's path to the College Football Playoff, and the November 21 matchup looms large. 

The Buckeyes and the Spartans have traded victories during Urban Meyer's tenure.

In 2012, Ohio State invaded East Lansing, Michigan, and escaped with a 17-13 victory. A year later, Michigan State got even with an upset 34-24 victory that broke the Buckeyes' 24-game win streak and their bid to the BCS National Championship Game. But Ohio State came back with an upset victory of its own in Spartan Stadium last year, as J.T. Barrett accounted for five touchdowns in a 49-37 win.

Is it Michigan State's turn?

Mark Dantonio and the Spartans will have to overcome a hostile environment, as this year's game will take place in the 'Shoe. But the team that pushed Oregon around on Sunday will show up in Columbus with revenge on its mind, and if Ohio State isn't at its best, it could be a long night for the Buckeyes.

Don't Worry About the Secondary

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

It was the second quarter of the Virginia Tech game when the old warts of Ohio State's defense re-emerged. 

After building a 14-0 lead early in the first quarter, the Hokies responded with big plays in the passing game. Michael Brewer connected with fullback Sam Rogers for a 51-yard score on a perfectly executed wheel route. Later in the half, the Buckeyes have up a huge 36-yard play to Isaiah Ford, who took advantage of a busted coverage to set the Hokies up for an easy score.

But Ohio State hunkered down in the second half, allowing just 53 passing yards to close out the game. And a week later against Hawaii, the secondary was absolutely flawless, giving up just eight completions in 26 pass attempts for 85 yards. They also picked off Hawaii quarterback Max Wittek twice in the shutout victory.

Cornerback Gareon Conley's emergence is a huge development for the secondary. The unit was replacing senior Doran Grant, who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers last May, but Conley has stepped up and played lights-out in his first two games as a starter. 

And as he continues to grow and dominate, so too will the Buckeyes secondary. 

Don't Worry About the Schedule

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

After the Buckeyes opened the season with their 42-24 victory over Virginia Tech, they retained the No. 1 ranking in every major college football poll. But the SEC placed a historic 10 teams in the AP Top 25, and there were some coaches from the conference who shared their thoughts on the perceived weakness of the Buckeyes' schedule. 

Former Urban Meyer assistant and current Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen went on The Paul Finebaum Show and slighted the Buckeyes, via Andrew Holleran of College Spun.

"

I look at (ESPN’s) FPI, Ohio State has a 99 percent chance to win their games. What’s interesting is how that would rank for each team in the SEC West off of (Ohio State’s) schedule – how many of those (SEC West) teams would be looked as locks for the playoff just in the West if that was the schedule that our teams had to play, and what (Ohio State’s) percentage would be if they were playing one of our schedules.

"

It wasn't just Mullen who blasted Ohio State, though. Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema also had an opinion on the Buckeyes' schedule, according to Mike Herndon of AL.com: "I spent a lot of time in that other conference. Ohio State's ranked No. 1 and they have one game remaining on their schedule that has anybody ranked right now—Michigan State. We're going to play eight straight opponents that are ranked."

But this wasn't a new trend. Another SEC coach, South Carolina's Steve Spurrier, threw shade at the Buckeyes before the season even kicked off, via Brad Crawford of Saturday Down South: "Every now and then when I listen in to your show, I know the SEC fans are a little upset at Ohio State’s schedule and rightfully so to tell you the truth. But that’s just the way it is and how it works out for all of us."

What does Urban Meyer have to say about all the schedule talk? He finds the issue comical, according to Ari Wasserman of Northeast Ohio Media Group.

"

I don't have any idea. I don't know where people have time to do that all that. I don't know anyone else's schedule. I don't care. I'm going to work on punt when I'm done here in a minute. … We have enough issues. 

I've been asked that question: 'Did you hear what this guy said?' I'm like, 'how did they say that?' I don't know.

"

Maybe those coaches should adapt Meyer's approach. While the Buckeyes spent last Saturday posting a 38-0 victory over Hawaii, Arkansas suffered an upset loss to MAC school Toledo, South Carolina gave SEC bottom-dweller Kentucky its first home victory in five years and Mississippi State fell to LSU at home. 

The only focus for College Football Playoff contenders should be winning. That's hard enough.

David Regimbal is the Ohio State football Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @davidreg412.