The start to the 2015 college football season is officially inside of 100 days and Ohio State's season-opener Sept. 7 in Blacksburg, Va. against Virginia Tech — the only team to beat the Buckeyes in 2014 — will be here before you know it.
Ohio State is the defending national champion and returns a wide range of talent to its 2015 season. The Buckeyes will take on the Hokies, Hawaii, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan in the non-conference slate before going through the Big Ten season yet again.
The pre-season favorites to repeat as national champions will go up against a good amount of talent throughout the regular-season. Here are the top-10 individual players Ohio State will face in 2015.
10. Jabrill Peppers, Defensive Back, Michigan
This is a pick based solely on potential because Peppers has the chance to be one of the Big Ten's best players if he can stay healthy.
A former five-star prospect, Peppers appeared in just three games last year as a true freshman for the Wolverines due to injury. If he's back to 100 percent this year, Peppers could flourish in his first year under new head coach Jim Harbaugh.
9. Leonte Carroo, Wide Receiver, Rutgers
The Scarlet Knights don't have anything near the most talented Big Ten roster, but the honorable mention all-conference selection in 2014 is the closest thing they have to a star player.
Last year, the 6-foot-1 wideout was one of three Big Ten receivers to top the 1,000-yard mark (1,086) yards and recorded 55 catches and 10 touchdowns. Carroo is one player on the Rutgers roster who can break a game open.
8. William Likely, Defensive Back, Maryland
Standing just 5-foot-7, Likely isn't your prototypical Big Ten defensive back. But what he lacks in size he makes up for in skill.
Likely was a first-team All-Big Ten selection last season as a sophomore when he recorded six interceptions and 83 tackles — two of those interceptions were returned for scores. Likely is also a special-teams standout as he led the Big Ten in kickoff return average at 31 yards per return.
7. Anthony Zettel, Defensive Line, Penn State
A mainstay on one of the top defensive fronts in the Big Ten, Zettel was crucial to Penn State's powerful defense in 2014, recording four sacks and six tackles for loss.
The senior-to-be was named first-team All-Big Ten on the defensive line last season and is a candidate for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2015.
6. Jack Allen, Offensive Line, Michigan State
A center? Yes, a center. That's how good Allen is for the Spartans.
Allen has made 35 starts for Michigan State in his three years on the playing field thus far. He was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2014 and a third-team All-American by the Associated Press.
5. Christian Hackenberg, Quarterback, Penn State
Hackenberg has all of the physical tools to be one of the nation's best quarterbacks, but it hasn't exactly clicked for the junior signal caller in his first two seasons in Happy Valley.
Still, he's viewed by many as a first-round NFL Draft pick. Last year as a sophomore, playing behind a dismal offensive line, Hackenberg threw for 2,977 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was sacked 44 times and threw 15 interceptions.
4. Jack Conklin, Offensive Line, Michigan State
Allen provides Michigan State with stability on the interior of its offensive line, but Conklin may be the most talented lineman of the Spartans' bunch up front.
A second-team All-Big Ten selection a year ago, Conklin and Ohio State's Taylor Decker are widely viewed as the two best offensive tackles in the conference.
3. Connor Cook, Quarterback, Michigan State
Cook surprised a few people when he announced he was returning to Michigan State for his senior season, but the Spartans couldn't be happier to have their talented quarterback back for another year.
Last year as a junior, Cook threw for 3,214 yards and 24 touchdowns (against just eight interceptions) and was a second-team All-Big Ten selection behind Ohio State's J.T. Barrett.
2. Kendall Fuller, Defensive Back, Virginia Tech
The only non-Big Ten player on our list is the talented cornerback for the Hokies, Fuller.
The 6-foot, 197-pound Fuller was a first-team All-ACC selection last year for Virginia Tech and was also named a third-team All-American as one of the top shutdown corners in all of college football.
1. Shilique Calhoun, Defensive Line, Michigan State
Like Cook, Calhoun raised a few eyebrows when he elected to return to East Lansing, Mich. for his senior season.
Widely viewed as a first-round NFL Draft pick, Calhoun was a first-team All-Big Ten performer on the defensive line last year for the Spartans, recording eight sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss.
