We don’t have to tell you that the Ohio State football program is at some pretty tall heights at the moment. The Buckeyes are included in just a handful of teams that seem to be in the picture for a run at the College Football Playoff almost yearly. The Buckeyes have also won four-straight Big Ten titles, so there’s that too.
However, that doesn’t always mean things will click without a little adversity, especially in a year when Ohio State loses its starting quarterback and other key members to graduation and the NFL.
ESPN released a very early look ahead to the 2021 college football season just after the national championship game and had OSU among the top four teams once again. But wait, these things change, and that’s exactly what happened with the worldwide leader’s latest, revised look at the power rankings after the completion of spring.
Instead of being in the top four, the Buckeyes have dropped. But why? What does ESPN’s Mark Schlabach say about OSU this time around, months ahead of the start of the season?
NEXT… What ESPN says about Ohio State football this fall
No. 5 – Ohio State
What Schlabach says about Ohio State
You can read all of his comments for yourself, but Schlabach believes the Buckeyes again have the talent. However, losing Justin Fields leaves a big hole, and there’s no clarity so far with the quarterback race. He also believes that the defense will have to retool and absorb the loss of Marcus Hooker, plus work through injuries suffered to Sevyn Banks and Cameron Brown. He does, however, like what freshmen TreVeyon Henderson and Jack Sawyer bring, and thinks they will both have an impact.
And in case you’re keeping track, Schlabach’s power rankings have Oklahoma (1), Alabama (2), Georgia (3), and Clemson (4) as the four teams ahead of Ohio State at the moment. Rounding out the top ten are Iowa State (6), Texas A&M (7), North Carolina (8), Cincinnati (9), and Oregon (10).
NEXT … What we say
Ohio State in 2021
What We Say
Look, if there’s a year in which Ohio State can’t just hit the gas pedal and motor on through the offseason, this is it. The wide receiving group is out of this world, but the program does have to break in a new quarterback, and that could result in a hiccup here or there.
The thought is that the offensive line and receivers will still have the offense humming, but then you have to be concerned about losing the top four linebackers and still dealing with roster management and scheme to improve a porous defensive backfield on the other side of the ball.
At the end of the day, it’s still Ohio State, and there is talent ready to keep things steady and elite, but it might take some time. The jury is out really on how quickly holes can be filled and how fast things gel. It might not be that much of a problem, but that’s why there is a little hesitancy towards the Buckeyes being among the top four teams right now.
Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion.
