Ohio State Football: 5 Reasons Why the Buckeyes Should Be Optimistic About 2016
Ohio State failed in its quest to defend its title and will have to replace eight starters on both sides of the ball in 2016, but quarterback J.T. Barrett's return and a lot of young talent should have Buckeyes fans excited about 2016.
It will be a busy offseason for Urban Meyer and the coaching staff as they work to shape their two-deep rotation. The Buckeyes will be young and face a horrendously difficult schedule next year, but there are still plenty of reasons for optimism.
As Ramzy Nasrallah of Eleven Warriors pointed out last week, the last time Ohio State had a rebuilding year, it won its first national title since 2002.
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J.T. Barrett
Barrett entered the 2015 season battling Cardale Jones in one of the most heated and closely watched position battles in college football history, but when Ohio State kicked off against Virginia Tech, it was Jones who emerged victorious.
But Barrett recaptured the lead midway through the season and showed why he's the ideal quarterback to run Meyer's spread offense. His ability to spread the ball effectively and run the read-option makes Ohio State's offense operate at a higher level.
Even more importantly, Barrett enters 2016 as the unquestioned centerpiece of the offense. He won't have to split time with Jones in spring practice or fall camp. That will allow him to build a chemistry with his new-look wide receiver corps.
A Wave of Unproven Talent
Ohio State is set to have a historic showing in the 2016 NFL draft with 16 former Buckeyes standing a chance to be drafted, but that has left a big void in the '16 roster.
Fortunately for Buckeyes fans, Meyer is one of college football's best recruiters, and he has the cupboard stocked with former blue-chip prospects who are hungry to prove themselves.
On offense, the wide receiver corps took the biggest hit with the deflection of all three starters—Michael Thomas, Jalin Marshall and Braxton Miller. But young guns such as Parris Campbell, Johnnie Dixon, James Clark and Torrance Gibson have the skills to be stars. And at running back, Mike Weber has the opportunity to be Ohio State's next superstar.
Defensively, the secondary will get a boost from safety Erick Smith and cornerback Marshon Lattimore—once teammates at Cleveland Glenville High School—who will play alongside lead cornerback Gareon Conley.
Sam Hubbard
One of the biggest holes on the 2016 roster was created by the departure of Joey Bosa, the consensus first-team All-American defensive end who set the tone for Ohio State's defense the last two seasons.
But Buckeyes fans got a glimpse into the future this year as Sam Hubbard flashed as Bosa's top backup. As a redshirt freshman reserve, Hubbard ranked second on the team with six sacks and fourth with eight tackles for loss. He set the tone for the second unit and emerged as one of Ohio State's best pass-rushers.
He'll have to make a big leap to have the kind of impact Bosa made on a weekly basis, but he's ready to step into that role.
Ohio State will feature a number of underclassmen in 2016, but Hubbard is one of the most exciting.
A Loaded Recruiting Class
The Buckeyes didn't win the College Football Playoff this year, but there's a chance they can bring home the recruiting title.
Ohio State's 2016 recruiting class, which currently stands at No. 3 in the national rankings, is headlined by 5-star defensive ends Nick Bosa and Jonathon Cooper. There's plenty of offensive firepower on the way as well with 4-star standouts Demario McCall (all-purpose back) and Austin Mack (wide receiver) in the fold.
But Meyer is still chasing a number of highly touted players. Four-star quarterback Dwayne Haskins is a potential flip from Maryland, 4-star wideouts Sam Bruce and Binjimen Victor are still in play and 4-star defensive backs Jordan Fuller and Damar Hamlin have a great chance of landing in Columbus.
If things go Meyer's way on national signing day, Ohio State could be inking the nation's No. 1 recruiting class.
Leaving 'The Grind' Behind
Ohio State has adopted team mottos under Meyer, and after posting an undefeated regular season in 2012, "The Chase" for a national title was on. When the Buckeyes ran through, over and around Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon during last year's postseason, the chase was completed, and Ohio State took on a new motto.
But "The Grind" ended up being too much for the Buckeyes to handle. Despite entering the year as the only unanimous preseason No. 1 in Associated Press poll history, Ohio State looked sluggish and uninspired to start the season. Things appeared to be clicking down the stretch, but the Buckeyes' season bottomed out in Week 12 when Michigan State derailed their title run with a 17-14 upset in Columbus.
But as soon as the pressure of staying undefeated lifted, Ohio State played fast and loose, posting its most impressive victories of the season over Michigan and Notre Dame to close out the year.
Leading up to the Fiesta Bowl, Joey Bosa admitted to the pressure getting to the team's head, according to Sam Khan Jr. of ESPN.com.
"It just seems like nothing you do is ever good enough unless you're beating teams by 50 points. You win by 20 and it was a bad week. That was definitely a struggle for us, because you never feel like you're good enough. It's hard when your own fan base is getting after you for being, what, 10-0? And they still weren't happy. We won [23] games in a row.
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But with those expectations diminished and the pressure faded, Ohio State will enter the 2016 season as the hunter rather than the hunted. And if 2014 was any indication, Meyer and the Buckeyes know how to play that role well.
Unless otherwise noted, all recruiting information via 247Sports.com.
David Regimbal is the Ohio State football lead writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @davidreg412.
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