OHIO STATE

Meyer sees unproven Buckeyes as B1G contenders

Jon Spencer
Reporter

CHICAGO – Urban Meyer had a chance to pump the brakes on talk of his young, largely unproven Ohio State football team being a Big Ten championship contender Tuesday during Big Ten Media Days. If anything, he pressed his foot down harder on the accelerator.

"I see that potential," he said of the Buckeyes, replacing 16 starters, including a record 12 taken in the first four rounds of the NFL draft. "(The national championship season of) 2014 was the template everyone wants. J.T. Barrett was buried on the depth chart ... Darron Lee, Eli Apple, Zeke Elliott, Mike Thomas, those were no-names and then they became very good throughout the course of 2014. Another guy (playoff hero) Cardale Jones, was buried (on the depth chart).

"I would say going into it that this is as talented a group, top to bottom, that we've had. Now, how do we get them ready?"

Nobody on that first College Football Playoff title team in 2014 left early for the pros because, frankly, they hadn't been at Ohio State long enough to be eligible for the draft. So, maybe, just maybe, when you look at a roster with 44 scholarship players who have never played in a game, it's not as daunting as it seems.

Funny thing: Ohio State captains are not alike

The three players who accompanied Meyer to Chicago this week — Barrett, the unchallenged starter at quarterback; center Pat Elflein and middle linebacker Raekwon McMillan — were named captains after last season, presumably to get a head start on providing leadership the revamped Buckeyes are going to need.

"A guy who has Zeke Elliott in front of him might not have the urgency he has now that he sees he's 'the show,'" Meyer said. "I see that completely throughout the program, where guys have been waiting for the opportunity. Now that opportunity is there."

On the subject of Elliott and his likely replacement at tailback, it appears to be Mike Weber's job to lose in training camp. Meyer said "I think so" when asked if the redshirt freshman out of Detroit Cass Tech is the starter, while also saying there is no chance that Bri'onte Dunn will be returning to the team.

Dunn, a fifth-year senior, was considered a contender at tailback until getting released for violating a team rule last week. The violation was not disclosed, but it's believed linked to a domestic violence issue involving his girlfriend.

"(Weber's) issue is that he has to stay healthy. I love where he's at as far as physical conditioning," said Meyer, who mentioned Curtis Samuel and Dontre Wilson as next in line at tailback. "Depth, and how we manage practice, because that's a physical position, is a concern. How many times we let Mike Weber and Curtis Samuel get hit through training is something we'll watch closely.

"How do you let them experience third-and-six, at full speed, at full reps, and still have a healthy team by the time you get to September?"

For that matter, how do you get through September, when your third game is at Oklahoma, a 2015 playoff participant led by Heisman Trophy-contending quarterback Baker Mayfield?

Meyer was asked if he embraces that challenge with his new-look Buckeyes.

"To say I like it, I'm not sure I like that," he said. "I've never been there. I've watched them on film, have great respect for coach (Bob) Stoops. It's there; I know it's coming. I"m glad we'll have two games under our belt. It would be hard to take a completely green team into that."

Meyer looks for that green to turn into gold, sooner than later. He pointed to how strength coach Mickey Marotti marvels at the speed and athleticism of the squad as maybe the best he's seen. But there's still that bit of fear over the unknown.

"Just their reaction to games, running out into the 'Shoe in front of 110,000 people," Meyer said of his biggest concern when it comes to the relatively faceless players filling the roster. "The good thing is we had 100,000 at the spring game, but just the experience factor ... How do you stay healthy (when) you have to put them in game-like situations as much as possible during training camp? That's what's keeping me awake a little bit right now."

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Ohio State coach Urban Meyer reacts to some of the action in this year's spring game inside Ohio Stadium. His Buckeyes will be replacing 16 starters this season.