Ohio State Buckeyes

Will the Ohio State Buckeyes Be Able to Retool and Remain Elite?

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Will Ohio State retool it’s football program successfully?

An unprecedented number of starters and players exited the Ohio State University football program last season, with a majority of them headed of to the NFL.

While head coach Urban Meyer has been successful in his recruiting, never before has he had to retool almost a complete roster from the ground up.

The Situation:

With only 6 starters total returning Meyer certainly has his work cut out for him!

With the program suspending quarterback turned wide receiver Torrance Gibson, it would seem that Gibson could have had a good season as a converted wide receiver (much like Braxton Miller) and was expected to play many snaps. Unfortunately, he will have to wait till next season to showcase his obvious talents. But can a few returning players and a few green freshmen really handle the play-making duties?

With the outright dismissal of running back Bri’onte Dunn, can redshirt sophomore Mike Weber assume the majority of the running duties, much as Ezekiel Elliot did when he was their tailback?

The one place where the team seems to be doing well is on the offensive line. Two returning starters anchor the O-line this season. The only question here is if junior Jamarco Jones can keep quarterback J.T. Barrett upright from the left tackle position.

Most programs that undergo this kind of turnover in one off-season are relegated to an average team at best and rarely rank in the AP top 25. However, Meyer has such an acumen for coaching talented teams that the Buckeyes are ranked sixth heading into the season.

With the storied history the Ohio State football program has, much is expected of the team this season. Elite teams never rebuild, they simply retool. This is the same thinking coach Meyer has.

The Questions:

With three very tough games (Oklahoma, Michigan State & Michigan) this season, can the Buckeyes continue their winning ways? Are the college football playoffs within reach?

The feeling in Columbus is business as usual despite the massive retooling. Ohio State’s first game of the season is this Saturday versus Bowling Green, the starting point for Meyer as a head coach in 2005.

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In his first season there, he engineered one of the greatest turnarounds in the NCAA football history, going 8–3 after the team had gone 2-9 the season prior to his hire.

If the team can manage to play well, the week 3 matchup in Oklahoma against the Sooners won’t be the most difficult game on their schedule – as it appears to be today – because of the game being played so early in the season.

With 16 plus new starters, the first week of the season will have us Buckeye fans glued to the television. We will be watching for the magic that few college coaches can muster.

We look forward to seeing with our own eyes the talent that comes from the excellent recruiting that coach Meyer has done the last three seasons. He has averaged a top 5 recruiting class in all of college football these last three seasons.

Nevertheless, the Buckeyes will be back at it at noon (Eastern time) on September 3rd, and the excitement is back. Will the Ohio State Buckeyes be able to retool successfully and retain the elite status they have worked so hard to achieve?

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