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2016 Ohio State Buckeyes Football Preview
Team Strengths:
Despite losing a ton of talent on the offensive side of the ball, Urban Meyer is still set at the game’s most important position: quarterback.
J.T. Barrett will enter this year as one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the country. His passing stats took a dip across the board last year due to splitting playing time with Cardale Jones, but he still ran for 682 yards (5.9 yards per carry) with 11 touchdowns. With no more competition left to weigh him down, Barrett should have all the playing time he needs to contend for a Heisman Trophy, which he is currently priced at +1,200 to win.
Meanwhile, the front seven should also be the team’s big strength, which is amazing considering all the talent they lost there in the draft. Ends Sam Hubbard and Tyquan Lewis should soften the massive blow of losing Joey Bosa and Adolphus Washington, while middle linebacker Raekwon McMillan will be a valuable holdover to provide leadership in that position.
Team Weaknesses:
There’s still a lot of talent left in the Ohio State offense, but also a lot of uncertainly outside of Barrett.
Meyer will need to replace the production of departed running back Ezekiel Elliott, who was an integral part of the team’s offense for the last two years, as well as virtually their entire receiving corps. Redshirt freshman Mike Weber looks like a solid option at running back, but Noah Brown and Corey Smith – the top two options at wideout – are both coming off injuries.
There are also some question marks on the offensive line. Pat Elflein, who is switching to center in his senior year, and guard Billy Price are the only two returning starters along the line. Jamarco Jones is penciled in at left tackle, but the other two spots are still up in the air.
But it just speaks to the overall talent at Meyer’s disposal that even with these potential weaknesses, the Buckeyes are still one of the top favorites at +700 to win the national championship this season.
2015 Team Stats:
| Category | Stat (Rank) |
|---|---|
| Points per game | 35.7 (#28) |
| Passing yards per game | 188.8 (#100) |
| Rushing yards per game | 245.3 (#11) |
| Scoring defense | 15.1 (#2) |
Writer’s Prediction
Meyer can’t quite work his magic on this Ohio State team. The Buckeyes finish 10-2 and miss out on the Big Ten title game.
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