As the old saying goes, big time college football programs don't rebuild: They reload.
Urban Meyer's proven that idea to be one fans should get used to at Ohio State, ripping through the postseason on an improbable run to the first ever College Football Playoff National Championship in 2014.
Meyer went on record to say he thought his program was one year away from truly competing among the nation's best, but a flood of motivation kept seeping in last season on a team that overcame adversity in seemingly all forms.
The Buckeyes didn't lose many players either to graduation or the NFL, so it makes sense they're a heavy favorite to repeat as champions in 2015. One spot that is of concern, though, is the defensive line.
Michael Bennett and Steve Miller played the best they had in their careers by the end of last season, causing Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon to pay attention to them and not just All-American and Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year Joey Bosa.
"Coach is right on, we’ve gotta get better, we’ve gotta improve and challenge the younger players. We’re doing that right now and the young players are starting to step up.”– Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson
They're gone now, however, trying to make it in the NFL (Bennett with Jacksonville and Miller with Carolina) so their spots need filled immediately.
Meyer said this spring he felt confident in Tommy Schutt, Sam Hubbard and Tyquan Lewis to be part of the defensive line rotation this fall.
"Tommy Schutt has had a very good spring,” Meyer said following the spring game April 18. "“(Lewis) is a guy that’s pencilled in to be in the rotation along with Sam Hubbard.”
Hubbard impressed in the Spring Game with a pair of sacks, a fumble recovery and two passes broken up. He's still young and learning a new position at defensive end, but he performed well in addition to Munger.
Schutt's battle with injuries during his career is well documented, but entering his final year of eligibility he knows he's running short on time to make his mark.
“I think I disappointed some people around here and myself,” Schutt said this spring. “I took this offseason very seriously and tried to get myself the most prepared I can to make the biggest impact that I can.”
But beyond the likely contributors of Adolphus Washington, Bosa, Schutt, Lewis and Hubbard, things get a little foggy.
"Very disappointed a year ago in the backup group. I’d like to get a rotation," Meyer said this spring. "We should have 10 guys rotating and we didn’t have it so a lot of pressure has been put on them."
Right now, there are five names the head coach is confident in from Larry Johnson's unit. Who is left to step in and round out a 10-man rotation?
Joel Hale is back for a fifth season but played offensive line a year ago before tearing his calf in spring ball. Healthy sophomores include Michael Hill, Jalyn Holmes and Tracy Sprinkle, but it's reasonable to believe the latter is lagging behind in his development due to his legal issues last summer. Freshman Dylan Thompson fractured his kneecap in fall camp and Darius Slade also dealt with some nicks in his first year on campus, but wouldn't have played anyways.
That leaves the Buckeyes to hope those guys heal and develop quicker than expected while counting on the incoming freshmen to be as advertised.
Jashon Cornell enrolled early and impressed Washington and Bosa this spring at defensive end. Tackles Josh Alabi, Robert Landers and Davon Hamilton are now on campus with the rest of the 2015 class, but obviously still young. Dre'Mont Jones continues his way back from a knee injury he suffered this past winter.
The bodies are there, but they're largely unproven.
Of the players back on the defensive line, only three (Washington Bosa and Schutt) have collegiate starts to their name, with Schutt only having one. Bennett and Miller took plenty of experience, leadership and big plays with them when they graduated, leaving huge vacancies for Johnson to fill in order to get the number of players ready for action that Meyer wants.
"Coach is right on, we’ve gotta get better, we’ve gotta improve and challenge the younger players," Johnson said. "We’re doing that right now and the young players are starting to step up.”
If there's one coach who has a proven track record of doing that, though, it is Johnson.
"I feel like we're light years ahead of where we were last spring. Last spring we were all kind of getting to know him and learning how to trust him and things like that," Washington said. "We see he knows what he's talking about and it's all about getting the young guys ready."
