Ohio State Football: Depth Chart Analysis, Complete 2016 Preview and Predictions

If Columbus seems calmer than it was a year ago, that's because it is.

Make no mistake, Ohio's capital city is still as football-crazed as ever, but as opposed to the start of last season, Ohio State no longer serves as the center of the college football world.

Gone are some of the sport's biggest names: Ezekiel Elliott, Joey Bosa, Cardale Jones, Eli Apple and Darron Lee, off to the NFL as a part of an expected mass exodus of talent that first became apparent sometime during the Buckeyes' run to the 2014 national championship. In total, Ohio State finds itself replacing 16 starters and 12 NFL draft picks, including five first-rounders, leaving name recognition aside from quarterback J.T. Barrett and linebacker Raekwon McMillan harder to come by in Columbus.

But even as the names change, the expectations for Urban Meyer's team remain the same. Despite breaking in new depth charts on both sides of the ball, the Buckeyes enter the 2016 season ranked fifth in the preseason Amway Coaches Poll and and sixth in the AP Top 25 and they won't have to wait long to see where they fit into the national landscape either.

Compared to a year ago and even more so when contrasted with its rival in Ann Arbor, Ohio State has spent the past eight months enjoying a relatively quiet offseason. College football's spotlight, however, could be shining bright on the Buckeyes once again, as this team still has the talent to make another championship run.

Coaches

Title	Name	Years on Staff
Head Coach	Urban Meyer	5
Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends	Ed Warinner	5
Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks	Tim Beck	2
Running Backs	Tony Alford	2
Offensive Line	Greg Studrawa	1
Wide Receivers	Zach Smith	5
Defensive Coordinator/Safeties	Greg Schiano	1
Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers	Luke Fickell	15
Defensive Line	Larry Johnson	3
Special Teams Coordinator/Cornerbacks	Kerry Coombs	5

After maintaining the same staff for his first two seasons at Ohio State, Meyer enters the coming campaign replacing two assistants for the third consecutive year.

With former defensive coordinator Chris Ash now the head coach at Rutgers and former tight ends coach Tim Hinton taking on an administrative role within the program, Meyer has turned to two of the best in the business to fill their ensuing vacancies.

In defensive coordinator Greg Schiano, the Buckeyes now have a former NFL head coach calling plays alongside longtime coordinator Luke Fickell. Likewise, the resume of new offensive line coach Greg Studrawa, which includes previous stints at Maryland and LSU, speaks for itself.

But perhaps the biggest adjustment on the OSU staff this year comes not in the personnel, but in the alignment of the group. After doing so in just the Buckeyes' final two games of the 2015 season, Meyer has opted to keep offensive coordinator Ed Warinner in the coaching booth alongside quarterbacks coach Tim Beck, a move which allowed the OSU offense to finally play to its potential after mixed results in the last year's first 11 games.

"That's probably one of the mistakes I made a year ago," Meyer admitted of keeping Warinner—who was in his first season serving as Ohio State's offensive coordinator after the departure of Houston head coach Tom Herman—on the sideline for the Buckeyes' first 11 games.

While it has required him to give up coaching the offensive line—which is why Meyer brought on Studrawa— Warinner said there are advantages to his new view.

"You can process all the information without it being relayed to you," Warinner said. "Someone doesn't have to see it, tell it to you, then you don't have to listen to it, process it, and then make a decision. You can do all that on your own."

As a whole, no staff in college football may be facing a taller task than Ohio State's is, with 42 combined true and redshirt freshmen helping comprise this year's roster. But much like he has with his players, Meyer has consistently replaced top-end talent on his staff with without enduring much of a drop off and 2016 shouldn't be any different.

What to Watch For on Offense

Position	1st String	2nd String	3rd String
QB	J.T. Barrett	Joe Burrow	Dwayne Haskins
RB	Mike Weber	Curtis Samuel	Antonio Williams
WR	Noah Brown	Austin Mack	Johnnie Dixon
WR	Parris Campbell	Corey Smith	Terry McLaurin
H-Back	Curtis Samuel	Dontre Wilson	DeMario McCall
TE	Marcus Baugh	A.J. Alexander	Jake Hausmann
LT	Jamarco Jones	Branden Bowen	Kevin Feder
LG	Billy Price	Demetrius Knox	Kyle Trout
C	Pat Elflein	Brady Taylor	Gavin Cupp
RG	Michael Jordan	Matthew Burrell	Evan Lisle
RT	Isaiah Prince	Branden Bowen	Kevin Feder
K	Sean Nuernberger	Tyler Durbin	Alex Craft
PR/KR	Dontre Wilson	Curtis Samuel	DeMario McCall

Offensively for Ohio State, it all starts with Barrett, who after a largely inconsistent sophomore season seemed to finally return to his 2014 form in the final two games of the 2015 campaign. With Jones no longer around and no more doubts about who the Buckeyes' starting signal-caller will be, look for the redshirt junior to put up big numbers both through the air and on the ground in the coming year.

"It was a little difficult," Barrett admitted of being shuffled in and out of the starting lineup a year ago. "But you just try to put yourself in the best position to play and that's all I tried to do was make sure I could focus on what I could control."

While experience elsewhere on the Ohio State offense is hard to find, the Buckeyes should benefit from an offensive line that could consist of two of the country's best at their respective positions. Although he's playing center for the first time in his college career, former guard Pat Elflein should provide stability in the middle of a unit that also includes third-year starting guard Billy Price.

As far as the tackles are concerned, the inexperience is more apparent as Jamarco Jones and Isaiah Prince are each entering their first seasons as starters. But with both being formerly highly touted prospects, the OSU offense possesses plenty of potential, even with true freshman Michael Jordan currently in line to start at right guard.

"Our talent could be as high as it's ever been," Elflein said. "We just gotta keep getting better and better and keep progressing and I think we'll be fine."

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

When it comes to skill players, the Buckeyes similarly possess both little experience and plenty of upside. No longer buried on the depth chart, junior Curtis Samuel will move between H-back and running back and Meyer has already deemed the Brooklyn native his team's top playmaker.

In the backfield, redshirt freshman Mike Weber will get the first shot at replacing Elliott, but along with Samuel and true freshman Antonio Williams, a running back-by-committee could emerge by season's end. The wide receiving corps also will be counting on a "strength in numbers" approach, but Barrett already has praised redshirt freshman Noah Brown as his go-to target.

"He has like suction cups as hands," Barrett said of the 6'2", 218-pound Brown. "You can throw it anywhere around him. Throw it around Noah and he'll go get it."

Add in the emergence of tight end Marcus Baugh and the Buckeyes offense should be in good shape this season. It may not have the names the nation knew a year ago, but it shouldn't take long for new ones to emerge in the coming campaign.

What to Watch For on Defense

Position	1st String	2nd String	3rd String
DT	Tracy Sprinkle	Dre'Mont Jones	Jashon Cornell
DT	Michael Hill	Joshua Alabi	Davon Hamilton
DE	Tyquan Lewis	Jalyn Holmes	Rashod Berry
DE	Sam Hubbard	Nick Bosa	Jonathon Cooper
OLB	Dante Booker	Keandre Jones	Nick Conner
MLB	Raekwon McMillan	Justin Hilliard	Joe Burrow
OLB	Chris Worley	Jerome Baker	Malik Harrison
CB	Gareon Conley	Damon Arnette	Eric Glover-Williams
CB	Denzel Ward	Marshon Lattimore	Joshua Norwood
S	Malik Hooker	Erick Smith	Jordan Fuller
S	Damon Webb	Erick Smith	Cameron Burrows
P	Cameron Johnston	Drue Chrisman	Sean Nuernberger

Like its offensive counterpart, what the Ohio State defense lacks in known names, it makes up for in prized prospects.

That's perhaps apparent no place more than up front, where despite replacing three starters from a year ago, the Buckeyes may have their deepest defensive line yet under Meyer. Starting defensive ends Tyquan Lewis and Sam Hubbard each played extensively in 2015, while defensive tackles Michael Hill and Tracy Sprinkle have each been penciled in as starters, with Dre'Mont Jones not far behind after having enjoyed a breakout camp.

Factor in the additions of 5-star defensive end Nick Bosa and fellow freshman Jonathon Cooper and defensive line coach Larry Johnson believes his unit could play close to 10 players a game in 2016.

"Eight-to-10 guys, is what we'd like to play," Johnson said. "Especially against a spread offense, you can stay fresh."

Paul Vernon/Associated Press

McMillan will serve as the mainstay in the Buckeyes' defense at middle linebacker, but the 2015 Butkus Award finalist will be flanked by a pair of first-year starters in Dante Booker and Chris Worley. Although both new starters possess top-end athleticism, they each have their work cut out for themselves replacing a pair of draft picks in Lee and Joshua Perry.

In case either can rise to the occasion, however, a pair of highly touted prospects from the Buckeyes' 2015 class, Jerome Baker and Justin Hilliard, should provide depth for Ohio State's linebacking corps.

Like linebacker, only one starter from a season ago returns for Ohio State in the secondary, as Gareon Conley could prove to be one of the nation's top corners by season's end. Starting opposite the redshirt junior will either be true sophomore Denzel Ward, redshirt sophomore Marshon Lattimore or redshirt freshman Damon Arnette—a group of players that, while lacking in experience, could ultimately be as deep as any cornerback room in Meyer's time in Columbus.

At safety, athleticism will be the calling card of Malik Hooker and Damon Webb, while true freshman Jordan Fuller should find himself on the field sooner rather than later in his college career. Ultimately, this group more than any may serve as a microcosm for the rest of the defense, which is hopeful its speed and raw talent will be enough to overcome its lack of previous playing time.

Injury News

Player	Injury	Expected Return Date
Darius Slade	Ruptured Achilles tendon	Out for season
Malcolm Pridgeon	Unspecified knee injury	Three months

Expected to be one of the cogs in the Buckeyes' defensive line, defensive end Darius Slade's season ended before it started due to a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in the first week of fall camp. Around the same time, JUCO transfer Malcolm Pridgeon's first season in Columbus was delayed to an unspecified knee injury, which could also keep him out for the entirety of the coming year.

"With that said, the offensive line is obviously a concern of depth," Meyer said as he announced Pridgeon's injury.

Other than that, the Buckeyes have been relatively healthy, aside from the usual nicks usually associated with the start of a season. Already lacking in experience, staying healthy could prove to be one of the biggest keys for Ohio State in 2016.

X-Factor

Last season, the Buckeyes' preseason X-factor came in the form of a quarterback-turned-receiver looking to make an impact at his new position for the first time.

And while Torrance Gibson's transformation from pass-thrower to pass-catcher has come much quicker than Braxton Miller's did in his college career, the redshirt freshman has still yet to make himself a player the OSU staff is comfortable counting on entering the coming year.

"Got a long way to go," Meyer reminded reporters of Gibson following the Buckeyes' spring game. "It's a freak—but he's got to go get the ball."

Nevertheless, the potential is apparent.

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

After all, the reason the fifth-year Ohio State head coach felt the need to pump the breaks on the Gibson hype train at the time was because the 6'4", 215-pounder had just stolen the show in Ohio State's annual exhibition, catching a team-high six passes for 50 yards and two scores in his unofficial wide receiver debut. The former 4-star athlete arrived in Columbus planning on playing his high school position of quarterback, but it took less than two weeks of practice for him to make the switch to his new role.

If the spring game was any indication, Gibson seems to have made the right move. At this point, the Buckeyes' staff has still yet to hand him a guaranteed role for the 2016 season—let alone a starting spot—but from the little we've seen of him on the field thus far, the Sunshine State product looks like the real deal.

On a team lacking when it comes to proven players, don't be surprised if Gibson gets his shot sooner rather than later. And all indications are that if he does, the second-year wideout will make the most of his opportunity.

2016 Schedule

Date	Opponent	Location
Sept. 3	Bowling Green	Columbus, OH
Sept. 10	Tulsa	Columbus, OH
Sept. 17	Oklahoma	Norman, OK
Sept. 24	BYE
Oct. 1	Rutgers	Columbus, OH
Oct. 8	Indiana	Columbus, OH
Oct. 15	Wisconsin	Madison, WI
Oct. 22	Penn State	University Park, PA
Oct. 29	Northwestern	Columbus, OH
Nov. 5	Nebraska	Columbus, OH
Nov. 12	Maryland	College Park, MD
Nov. 19	Michigan State	East Lansing, MI
Nov. 26	Michigan	Columbus, OH

Make-or-Break Games

As opposed to last year's backloaded schedule, it won't take long for this year's Ohio State team to see what it's made of.

Following relative cupcakes to start the season in home games against Bowling Green and Tulsa, the Buckeyes will hit the road in the third week of the season for what is currently slated to be a top-five matchup against Oklahoma. A playoff participant a season ago, the Sooners lay claim to one of college football's top quarterbacks in Baker Mayfield and in one way or another will mark a turning point for this young Ohio State team.

"I don't really have a choice," Meyer said of taking his team to Norman so early in the season. "I wouldn't say I like it."

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

After their outing with Oklahoma, the Buckeyes' outlook won't get much brighter. Ohio State's Big Ten slate includes a pair of back-to-back road games in tough environments against Wisconsin and Penn State, as well as a trip to East Lansing to take on a Michigan State team that's become one of the Buckeyes' primary rivals in the second-to-last week of the regular season.

"It's huge and we've got a lot of respect obviously for the way they go about their business," Meyer said of MSU. "It's a real rivalry. It will be again this year. We've got the main rival and everybody knows who that is, that won't ever change."

Speaking of that main rival, if the Buckeyes' showdown with the Spartans doesn't decide the Big Ten East title this season, then their game against Michigan the following week likely will. All things considered, this could very well be the toughest schedule Ohio State has faced since Meyer first arrived in Columbus four years ago.

Prediction 

Meyer has often said he prefers to coach an "angry" team.

And while the mentality of this year's Buckeyes squad has yet to be determined, the makeup already appears to match that of Meyer's 2006 Florida team and 2014 Ohio State squad.

Both overlooked as they appeared to be building for the future instead of the present, those two teams went on to win unlikely national titles, hitting their strides at the end of their respective seasons. Much like this year's Buckeyes, both entered their campaigns with question marks across their roster, but emerged from dramatic title runs with newborn stars.

I expect this year's Ohio State team to follow a similar path, as at a certain point, Meyer's stellar recruiting has earned him the benefit of the doubt. I also see an underdog Buckeyes team knocking off Oklahoma, putting themselves in the playoff picture sooner rather than later in the coming year.

Even with a potential trip-up against Penn State, where Ohio State struggled in its last trip to Happy Valley two years ago, the Buckeyes will have time to recover and clinch the Big Ten East with wins over Michigan State and Michigan to close the regular season, before punching their playoff ticket with a win over Iowa in the Big Ten title game.

Unfortunately for Ohio State, I don't see the talent on this team being advanced enough to make a championship run once arriving in the final four. But for a team facing so much uncertainty at the moment, just appearing in the playoff should certainly be considered a successful 2016 season.

Regular season record: 11-1

Overall record: 12-2 (loss in playoff semifinal)

Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Big Ten lead writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand. Recruiting and class ratings courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings.