Ohio State Buckeyes Football: 3 Players Who Are Key to 2011 Season

The Ohio State Buckeyes open the 2011 season against the Akron Zips with seven players suspended for the first game and four suspended for the first five games. Nonetheless, Ohio State heads into the 2011 season ranked No. 18 in the nation.

Here are three players who will prove to be pivotal for the Buckeyes in the 2011 season. These players will need to perform at their highest level for the Buckeyes to gain ground in the national polls.

3: Nathan Williams

Last season, the Buckeyes had one of the best defensive lineman in the country in Cameron Heyward. Although his numbers didn't explode off of the stat sheet, he consistently drew double teams from opponents, which allowed his teammates to make plays. He affected the game on nearly every down he played and was selected in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

This season, Nathan Williams will be asked to step in and fill the huge shoes that Heyward left behind. Williams has shown sparks of dominance at times, both in dropping into pass coverage and getting after the opposing quarterback.

It remains to be seen if Williams' flashes of dominance were a direct result of the double teams that Heyward drew last season. For the Buckeyes to be dominant on defense during the 2011 season, Williams must play up to his full potential and make Heyward's departure seem like less of a loss than it really was.

2: Jake Stoneburner

With their most experienced and most talented wide receiver DeVier Posey suspended for the first five games of the season, and no other proven players at the position, the Buckeyes are weak on the receiving front. Tight end Jake Stoneburner might prove to be one of the most valuable players on offense during the 2011 season.

Last season, Stoneburner caught 21 passes for 222 yards and a score, which was enough to make him the third-best pass-catcher on the team. Leading the team was the now-departed Dane Sanzenbacher, followed closely by Posey.

The Buckeyes often underused their tight ends during the Jim Tressel regime. However, with limited receiving options and a new head coach, Ohio State just might turn to Stoneburner on more passing downs than in the past. If he can consistently catch the ball and make plays, he will most likely be near the top of the Buckeyes in receiving yards once again in 2011.

1: Braxton Miller

Although senior quarterback Joe Bauserman is expected to take the first snap of the season against the Akron Zips, freshman recruit Braxton Miller is likely to see playing time in the game. As he is the future of the program at quarterback, it is expected that Miller will take over starting duties sometime this season.

As a freshman, Terrelle Pryor replaced starter Todd Boeckman in the fourth game of his first season and never looked back. It can be assumed that Miller will take a similar path. Miller played high school football in a much higher division than Pryor and is further along in his development than Pryor was at the same point.

Once Miller becomes the permanent starting quarterback, his level of play will directly affect every game that the Buckeyes. If the Buckeyes expect to make any sort of impact in the Big Ten or even on the national scene, Miller must live up to his potential and be the leader and playmaker that every team wants their quarterback to be.

Hopefully, Miller will leave a better taste in the mouths of Ohio State fans than Pryor did upon his scandal-ridden departure from the school. 

Leading the team to a national title before he leaves the school would just be icing on the cake.