COLUMBUS, Ohio - As No. 2 Ohio State enters its most grueling and most important week of its preseason training camp, there's still much to be settled.
It's become clear over the first week, though, that the Buckeyes are going to have some real battles in nine practices over six days this week. There might be as much talent and as much day-to-day competition as the program has ever had. Every five-star recruit -- and there are a lot of them -- starts as a wide-eyed rookie. Some progress faster than others, and in these early stages of training camp, Ohio State coach Urban Meyer sees the makings of a deeper, faster, better team.
"The 2013 Ohio State Buckeyes will be determined by this week coming up," Meyer said Sunday.
While Meyer and his staff are still looking to replace seven defensive starters and the leadership void created by their departure, they have talented players at every position capable of doing it.
On the other side, an experienced offensive line is getting key reps for its inexperienced backups with two starters banged up, and a bunch of talented newcomers at the skill positions plus the return of senior Jordan Hall from a medical redshirt season give the Buckeyes speed they didn't have a year ago -- when they still didn't lose a game.
"Certainly on offense I feel a little jolt," Meyer said.
Freshman Dontre Wilson is the most heralded of the bunch. Meyer made clear that Wilson is a running back, though one with "a unique skill set...extremely dynamic and fast" that will allow Ohio State to line him up in different spots if necessary. Wilson could also be a home-run threat in the return game, an area Meyer said wasn't good enough last year but is much improved now.
"We have a plethora of those guys," Meyer said.
And they can all -- Wilson, Hall, freshmen Jalin Marshall and James Clark and top cornerback Bradley Roby -- really run.
The Buckeyes also have battles ongoing for spots in the defensive line rotation, in the secondary in nickel and dime packages and at cornerback as Roby's status for the season opener is uncertain with a legal issue pending and freshmen Gareon Conley, Eli Apple and Cam Burrows pushing junior and presumed first-time starter Doran Grant for playing time.
On the defensive line, Michael Bennett and Joel Hale are playing inside with the first unit but are being pushed by sophomore Tommy Schutt and freshman Michael Hill. Linebacker Mike Mitchell, who like Wilson is a Texan, is also like Wilson in that he's probably the freshman on the defensive side who's made the strongest early impression.
One week and one scrimmage in, the Buckeyes were off the practice field Sunday but participated in team photos and media day activities. Nine practices, including one organized scrimmage, await this week, and co-defensive coordinator Luke Fickell believes continued competition will make all involved better.
"I think (the competition) is as good as I've seen," Fickell said. "The most important thing that makes a great program is consistency. Those guys know that every single day, it's going to be competitive. And it's not just going to be one big play or one drill. It's going to be evaluated, it's going to be expressed and that's the way it is. Guys are going to earn it."
Meyer said some young linemen need to get stronger and often take a year or two to develop at the level the program demands. Expectations are different with skill players, though, and Meyer said Ohio State does not recruit intending to redshirt players.
"If you don't play," Meyer said, "it's because you're not good enough."
And some long-time Buckeyes see a bunch of guys who appear to be good enough. This week could separate the real contenders from their competition -- and set the tone for a run at the Big Ten title and whatever may lie beyond.
"Every day is a battle," senior safety C.J. Barnett said. "Not many jobs are set. Every day we're working and fighting and that makes the team better. Almost everybody has somebody breathing down their neck, trying to take a job, and because of that nobody can rest."
Said Hall: "We have a great quarterback, four offensive linemen back and a bunch of guys who can create big plays. This offense can do some big things."
