With a little over a month before the season kicks off for a reinvigorated Ohio State football team, it’s time to start the march toward the first official game. There is some work to do and in that month, and the Buckeyes have some things to figure out.
A good place to start is with who will show up and who will opt-out. With Wyatt Davis reportedly wanting to come back, the next big question is what cornerback Shaun Wade will do.
However, beyond those two key players, there are some outlying questions surrounding the Buckeyes for 2020. I think we can all guess who the starting quarterback is, what the scheme on both sides will look like, and who is coaching. However, it gets murky in some spots. With a shortened preparation time, replacing some of the losses from last year will be paramount.
Next … Starting with the defense
Ohio State defensive depth
We know that Chase Young is in the NFL, and that Jonathon Cooper is the next man up, and while this defensive line, on paper, looks better in regards to depth, without Young we have no idea how they will truly look. Taron Vincent and his health will be huge for the depth and potential starting defensive tackles.
The linebackers will be headed by Baron Browning and Tuf Borland and Pete Werner. Justin Hilliard will also factor in, but there will need to be some others step up to become a cohesive unit. The unit starters should be fine, but depth potentially needed in the year of a pandemic is a must.
The biggest questions on defense are in the secondary. Cornerback Cameron Brown and all his speed could be a huge surprise, and if Shaun Wade does come back, the outside corners could be really good. However, this is where the questions start. With Wade moving outside (if he returns), the top three will be good. It’s everything behind them that has more questions than answers.
Shaun Wade ‘undecided’ on potential return to Ohio State https://t.co/4fbmRN1PPN
— Buckeyes Wire (@BuckeyesWire) September 16, 2020
Safety has Josh Proctor as the likely starter who should be really good. Marcus Hooker is another option there, but where does the staff go from there?
Will Tyreke Johnson finally live up to his five-star billing? Is Marcus Williamson ready to grab the spotlight? Can either of those two factor into the defensive backfield?
The defense might take a small step back, but the pieces are still there — especially if there is good news on Wade.
Next … The offensive side of the ball
Ohio State depth on offense
On offense the questions are much fewer. Justin Fields is potentially set to have one whale of a year behind a stout and talented offensive line, and the weapons at his disposal on the outside should make this a bunch that is as explosive as ever.
The receivers should actually be slightly better, even with Hill no longer here. Hill’s replacement (from one of the best wide receiver classes ever at Ohio State) might have more speed and agility and could actually help in ways Hill couldn’t. Factor Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson coming back and there aren’t two better first options in the Big Ten. Now it’s just a matter of guys like speedster Jameson Williams, and that incoming freshman class that has the likes of top 2020 receiving prospect Julian Fleming in the mix.
Big Ten could test the College Football Playoff’s ‘four best teams’ standard https://t.co/VBkD1OZiaY
— Buckeyes Wire (@BuckeyesWire) September 16, 2020
The tight ends might be some of the most underrated in the country with Luke Farrell and Jeremy Ruckert coming back. Neither option is going to burn down the field, but both are the do-it-all type of tight ends that can still punish teams in the passing game as well as block in the running game. Of all the offensive position groups outside of QB, this might be the most secure.
The last group is running backs. While the Buckeyes may not have a “bell cow” type right now, Master Teague and Trey Sermon should be able to be better as a committee than last season. Health is a concern for Teague (though there are reports he’s full go) but this duo should be able to be everything the Buckeyes will need out of the position. Demario McCall could also be in the mix there as well.
All-in-all the Buckeyes could be better than last season. The biggest questions will be on the defensive side of the ball. Using the next month to figure out some of the spots will help, but they need to get to work sooner rather than later.
