NEW ORLEANS -- Ohio State entered the 2014 season needing to replace four offensive linemen and a power back who helped form its identity last season. The Buckeyes also lost two NFL first-round picks from a defense that at the end of 2013 wasn't good enough to stop quality competition.
Then, in August, two-time Big Ten Player of the Year Braxton Miller got injured, leaving a void at the game's most important position. On the first weekend of September, a green Ohio State team came up empty in a home loss to Virginia Tech. And on Nov. 29, the Buckeyes were forced to turn to their third quarterback this season.
Still, they are in New Orleans, set to play No. 1 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl as part of the first-ever College Football Playoff and ...
Maybe the best is yet to come?
"I don't view it as being ahead of schedule," redshirt freshman linebacker Darron Lee said. "I view it like we knew if we did our jobs, this goal was what we worked for. Winning the whole thing is what we always hoped for.
"We don't play like young guys."
Depending on the week, generally 11 of Ohio State's listed starting 22 are freshmen or sophomores. Barrett stepped in for Miller as a redshirt freshman and broke the Big Ten's single-season touchdown record. When Barrett went down, sophomore Cardale Jones stepped in and threw three touchdown passes in a 59-0 win in the Big Ten Championship Game.
Sophomore speedster Dontre Wilson was injured in Ohio State's biggest regular season win, Nov. 8 at Michigan State. Redshirt freshman utility man Jalin Marshall has blossomed in Wilson's absence. The leading rusher and receiver, Ezekiel Elliott and Michael Thomas, are sophomores. Ohio State had the nation's fifth highest-scoring offense.
Meyer has always recruited well, and his three Ohio State classes have ranked highly by any measure.
"We're a young program," Meyer said.
Meyer admits that, even after the Buckeyes had shaken the hangover from Virginia Tech, he thought he had a team that was at least a year away from the playoff and chances at really big prizes.
By late October, though, Meyer was talking about liking his team's makeup and confidence. It showed in his actions. The defense made obvious strides, and sophomore defensive lineman Joey Bosa ended up as Ohio State's 27th consensus All-American.
"We're closer than we've ever been before," Bosa said.
Six Buckeyes earned some form of a Freshman All-American honor. Bosa is already a star, and players like sophomore safety Vonn Bell and Lee look to be well on their way to similar status.
"They're all talented players," Ohio State co-defensive coordinator Chris Ash said of his second-year players. "Once those guys really learned our system and what we were asking them to do, the game slowed down for them. They all started to show huge improvement. That'll continue. They're not where they need to be yet, but they've made drastic improvement throughout the course of the season and they'll continue to do so. The sky's the limit for those guys."
Said Lee: "Me personally, I have a ton of work to do. I have a lot of things to accomplish in the offseason and in future seasons. But we've earned our way here now, and I think there's a really high ceiling for all of us."
Meyer said he never intended to redshirt players like Lee and cornerback Eli Apple, but he did last year and both came back more prepared this season.
"To us, we don't care what people on the outside think or how many young guys we have to put on the field," Apple said. "We are where we wanted to be. You come to Ohio State to play for national championships. We have the talent, and that's been our plan all along."
The defense has four seniors listed as starters and is getting contributions from up and down the depth chart. Bell is tied with senior Doran Grant for the team lead in interceptions; six of the seven other players to record an interception this season are freshmen or sophomores. Bosa enters the Sugar Bowl with 13.5 sacks and 20 tackles for loss.
Maybe the best is yet to come. Or, maybe these kids are ready to extend this season by another game with an upset of Alabama.
"We're here right on time," linebacker Josh Perry said. "The great thing about our young guys is they care. They don't play for themselves.
"We're here for a reason. Our young talent, I think, is really special. And the older guys have helped. We have really important seniors on this team. We have a good team. We've shown that."
