• Follow us on Twitter @buckeyeplanet and @bp_recruiting, like us on Facebook! Enjoy a post or article, recommend it to others! BP is only as strong as its community, and we only promote by word of mouth, so share away!
  • Consider registering! Fewer and higher quality ads, no emails you don't want, access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Even if you just want to lurk, there are a lot of good reasons to register!
THE BIGGEST QUESTIONS FOR OHIO STATE FOOTBALL ENTERING THE 2021 OFFSEASON

Just sayin': The 2 biggest questions for 2021:

WHO WILL BE THE NEXT STARTING QUARTERBACK?
It’s unlikely any question about the 2021 Ohio State football team will be discussed more between now and the team’s scheduled Sept. 2 season opener than this one, and there’s good reason for that. There’s usually a strong correlation between the teams who have the best quarterbacks and the teams who make the College Football Playoff, and the Buckeyes might not have a single quarterback on the 2021 roster who has ever thrown a collegiate pass.

Assuming Fields enters the 2021 NFL draft, Ohio State is set to have a three-way competition for the starting quarterback job between redshirt freshmen C.J. Stroud and Jack Miller and true freshman Kyle McCord – all of whom have the talent to be great quarterbacks for the Buckeyes, but are also completely unproven.

While Stroud and Miller were supposed to get some valuable game reps as backups this past season, they ended up only playing very sparingly – Stroud appeared in three games and Miller appeared in two games, but neither attempted a pass – because Ohio State played only five regular-season games with zero non-conference games.

HOW MUCH ROSTER TURNOVER IS COMING?
Ohio State always has to deal with the reality of losing star players early to the NFL draft, and this year will be no exception. While none of Ohio State’s juniors had officially announced plans to enter the NFL draft at the time this article was published, it’s expected that Fields, Wyatt Davis and Chris Olave will all go pro while Josh Myers and Shaun Wade are likely candidates to join them, and there are other juniors like Tyreke Smith, Tommy Togiai and Jeremy Ruckert who could also consider making the jump to the league.

The NFL’s deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft is Monday, so we should know soon what each of those players decide.

On the other hand, Ohio State could potentially get a few of its seniors back for an additional year thanks to the NCAA giving all players a free year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Marcus Williamson is the only senior who’s announced so far that he will be back, but the NFL is giving those players until March 1 to withdraw from the draft, so there’s still time for other players to choose to stay as well.

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...io-state-football-entering-the-2021-offseason
 
Upvote 0
Completely... and I also can't be convinced that our guys finished the season on New Years day. IMO we've seen it two years in a row with OSU/Clemson getting to the title after playing very physical and emotional games and then having nothing left in the final. #1 has a big advantage provided the #4 is not Clemson/OSU/Alabama.

I had exactly this conversation before the semi-finals with a friend who is South African and a Clemson fan. The final four of last year's Rugby World Cup went the same way and I projected tOSU as playing the role of England in the RWC. South Africa (Alabama) had the relatively easy route to the final playing Wales (ND) while England played perhaps its best match in years and destroyed nemesis and rugby titan New Zealand (Clemson). South Africa then handed England its ass 32-12 (and it wasn't even as close as the score would indicate) in the final. Maybe not in other sports, but in football and rugby, #1 clearly has an advantage in the semi, but often (and certainly in these two examples) also in the final. I'd even suggest that had 2014 been reversed and we'd caught Oregon in the semi it would've been tougher to beat Alabama in the final.
 
Upvote 0
I had exactly this conversation before the semi-finals with a friend who is South African and a Clemson fan. The final four of last year's Rugby World Cup went the same way and I projected tOSU as playing the role of England in the RWC. South Africa (Alabama) had the relatively easy route to the final playing Wales (ND) while England played perhaps its best match in years and destroyed nemesis and rugby titan New Zealand (Clemson). South Africa then handed England its ass 32-12 (and it wasn't even as close as the score would indicate) in the final. Maybe not in other sports, but in football and rugby, #1 clearly has an advantage in the semi, but often (and certainly in these two examples) also in the final. I'd even suggest that had 2014 been reversed and we'd caught Oregon in the semi it would've been tougher to beat Alabama in the final.
Yes... you are better off playing the best in round 1 or being #1 and playing a so so #4 team.

Perhaps being 100% and knowing Clemson is waiting wouldve been enough to keep it close and potentially eek one out. Probably not though but who knows.
 
Upvote 0
This could've gone in several threads, but I decided 2021 is best. Having worked through the stages of grief, here's where I wind up: was it worth losing to Alabama like that to beat Clownson? Fucking A, it was. That was the national tv monkey that we absolutely had to get off of our backs. Yes, the goal was to win the whole thing, but if that wasn't possible (and, clearly, it wasn't), this was an ok result that allows us momentum carrying into the 2021 season. There are issues (perceived and actual), but this team will be young and talented.
Reminds me of 2018. That ass whipping the Buckeyes put on Michigan was absolutely worth the Purdue debacle. Especially silencing that “Revenge game” nonsense. Losing to Bama the way we did was sobering but it wasn’t like we got pummeled by a .500 team. Shutting Dabo’s stupid ass mouth was a hell of a consolation prize.
 
Upvote 0


Austin Ward: Justin Fields will return to Ohio State
Birm: Ohio State will be deeper than expected on offensive line
Spencer Holbrook: Buckeyes stay stout at defensive tackle
Tim May: Vaccines pave way for normal spring camp
Will Crall: Miyan Williams stakes claim to Ohio State tailback job

Just sayin': While the other 4 predictions are plausible, Austin Ward's prediction is a "pipe dream'.
 
Upvote 0




Just sayin': While the other 4 predictions are plausible, Austin Ward's prediction is a "pipe dream'.

Even with the recent negative draft talk around Fields, I don’t see a reason in him coming back. McShay has Fields possibly falling to the Patriots, and that still the freaking 15th pick! And he could easily go #1 to the Jags and Urban, that’s not out of the realm of possibility. If BakerMayfield can go #1, then Fields is realistic to a coach at his former school
 
Upvote 0
Bukipower, can't argue with you, but in 2014, tOSU spanked Bama in what (for me anyway) was a draining emotional experience, given the Buckeyes woeful record against the SEC. Papers said it was emotional for the players/coaches as well, and cannot argue that either. However, against an Oregon team that featured the Heisman winner (and whalloped Florida State by what, 28 points?), tOSU overcame 4 turnovers to double the Ducks score by 42-20. It can be done, Meyer proved it, and we've gotta remember that Day isn't a polished coach yet. Further along than any second year coach I've seen, but there's still room for him to grow. In fear of repeating myself, it's a great time to be a Buckeye. I'm anxious to see how well he and his assistants 'handle' all of these elite players and spread the minutes so everyone is, if not happy, content. Go Buckeyes!
 
Upvote 0
Even with the recent negative draft talk around Fields, I don’t see a reason in him coming back. McShay has Fields possibly falling to the Patriots, and that still the freaking 15th pick! And he could easily go #1 to the Jags and Urban, that’s not out of the realm of possibility.


Yes, yes it is. Might as well call it out of the realm now. I'm not Lawrence fan, but he has the better body of work over a greater length of time. It would be a job-threatening gamble by Urban. Which is already a fire you play with as a GM & HC.
 
Upvote 0
Personally, I am/was of the opinion that tOSU had closed the talent gap a bit more than was exhibited against Bama. That being said, I can see our WRs doing the same thing that the Bama WR did, so maybe tOSU was simply outcoached? Disappointed that the D didn't make their usual adjustments to stop what was working, OR why Wade was giving away so much ground so often. Also, the way the back and forth of the Bama WR worked, Wade was giving away an extra 10 yards going behind the DBs. Pretty hard to make up that distance, methinks. Guess should have switched to a zone, especially after Wade had been torched several times. Hope he comes back for next year to prove himself. Go Bucks!
We were missing arguably our two best D-line starters.
 
Upvote 0
Yes, yes it is. Might as well call it out of the realm now. I'm not Lawrence fan, but he has the better body of work over a greater length of time. It would be a job-threatening gamble by Urban. Which is already a fire you play with as a GM & HC.
For his draft position and initial contract there is absolutely no reason for him to come back.

For his long-term prospects in the NFL and chance at a large second contract? More college snaps would probably be helpful.
Urban has said you need at least 30 starts in college to be a good NFL qb... Justin as 20ish ... Trevor has over 30 ....
 
Upvote 0
Bukipower, can't argue with you, but in 2014, tOSU spanked Bama in what (for me anyway) was a draining emotional experience, given the Buckeyes woeful record against the SEC. Papers said it was emotional for the players/coaches as well, and cannot argue that either. However, against an Oregon team that featured the Heisman winner (and whalloped Florida State by what, 28 points?), tOSU overcame 4 turnovers to double the Ducks score by 42-20. It can be done, Meyer proved it, and we've gotta remember that Day isn't a polished coach yet. Further along than any second year coach I've seen, but there's still room for him to grow. In fear of repeating myself, it's a great time to be a Buckeye. I'm anxious to see how well he and his assistants 'handle' all of these elite players and spread the minutes so everyone is, if not happy, content. Go Buckeyes!
That Oregon team didn't have close to the amount of talent that Bama had this year. OSU played a team with 3 players on offense that were Heisman finalists, and arguably the best OL in the country, not to mention the best CB, and one of the best front 7s. Bama could have 7-10 guys go in the first 2 rounds of this draft, Oregon had 3 drafted that year. And it could be argued that OSU and Bama were easily the 2 best teams in 2014, and either would've beaten Oregon. This years Bama team is easily one of the best ever for their program and in CFB
 
Upvote 0
Back
Top