Chris Ash came to Ohio State via Arkansas and Wisconsin with a directive in mind to soak up everything he could from Urban Meyer and eventually take a head coaching job.
That was in January 2014. Nearly two years and a national championship later, Ash received that opportunity on the east coast from Rutgers University. Scarlet Knights Director of Athletics Patrick Hobbs hired Ash Dec. 7, 2015, with the hope he would restore the winning traditions Ohio State's current co-defensive coordinator and associate head coach Greg Schiano established in Piscataway, New Jersey, from 2001-11.
Ash has a tall task — Kyle Flood left a mess behind him, including academic misconduct, seven of his players getting arrested on various charges and only 12 victories over the past two seasons. Following games at Washington and against Howard, New Mexico and Iowa, the pupil meets his teacher in the Ohio State's 2016 Big Ten opener. The game comes after the Buckeyes' lone bye week of the season.
Here is an early look at the Scarlet Knights.
Offense
Kyle Flood's pro-style offense didn't leave Chris Ash much to work with as he installs a power-spread attack, especially following the graduation of honorable mention All-Big Ten wide receiver Leonte Carroo.
Carroo led the Big Ten with 10 receiving touchdowns in 2015, even though he only played eight games because of injuries and a suspension for his involvement in an off-field altercation. His 39 catches and 809 yards led the Scarlet Knights, showing how vital he was for the passing game and quarterback Chris Laviano.
Laviano returns for his junior season but is more of a pocket passer/scrambler like 2015 backup Hayden Rettig. Ash and 28-year-old offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer are considering all options to lead the offense, however, even TCU graduate transfer Zach Allen. Mehringer is a Tom Herman disciple — he played quarterback for the former Ohio State quarterbacks coach at Rice and followed him to Iowa State and later Columbus as a graduate assistant.
| Head Coach | Chris Ash (1st season, 0-0 career record) |
| 2015 Record | 4-8, 1-7 (Finished last in the B1G East) |
| 2015 Postseason | None |
| Biggest Losses | WR Leonte Carroo, 3 starting linebackers |
| Biggest Returnees | DT Darius Hamilton, RBs Josh Hicks and Robert Martin |
| Summary | Chris Ash has lots to do in his first season, especially on defense |
| Matchup | Oct. 1, 2016: Rutgers at Ohio State, kickoff at noon. |
Four players return to the Rutgers offensive line but must be better for junior running backs Josh Hicks and Robert Martin. The two combined for more than 1,400 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground in 2015, but Ash will want an uptick in production while he figures out his best option at quarterback.
Like anything else with Rutgers in 2016, its offense will undergo a significant transition. Mehringer helped Herman lead an uptempo attack in Houston last season on the way to a Peach Bowl victory against Florida State, so the biggest question will be whether or not the personnel in place at Rutgers can move the ball efficiently.
Defense
Rutgers knew what it was doing when it hired Ash — he is partly responsible for the significant overhaul in the back end of Ohio State's defense that led to a national title. In 2015, Scarlet Knights defense allowed 462 yards per game, 112nd in the country and 11th in the Big Ten. Ash must fix that if he intends to do anything significant in the Big Ten East.
He is set to receive a major boost in the form of fifth-year defensive lineman Darius Hamilton, who returns after missing the majority of the 2015 season with a knee injury. Hamilton racked up 45 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks in 2014 and must be a leader for a front four that should be the strength of the unit.
The three starting linebackers will be different from those that played in 2015. Quentin Gause and Kaiwan Lewis graduated and Steve Longa elected to leave for the NFL following the Flood's firing (he signed with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent). Ash paid the most attention to that position with his first recruiting class at Rutgers by bringing in five linebackers, including three that enrolled early.
Corners Isaiah Wharton and Blessuan Austin got pressed into duty as true freshmen a year ago because of injuries and other reasons, so they should be better. New defensive coordinator Jay Niemann has depth at safety, with multiple players back and ready to compete for the starting spots.
It's clear the unit needed a facelift. It should get it with a defensive-minded head coach like Ash at the helm.
It is somewhat fitting Rutgers is scheduled to play Ohio State in Columbus during homecoming weekend. Chris Ash's return to campus for the first time as a head coach comes at high noon on the first day of October, though it is hard to see the Scarlet Knights upsetting the Buckeyes and Urban Meyer. A year ago, Ohio State routed Rutgers 49-7 at High Points Solutions Stadium.
Ohio State has depth that trumps anything Ash could put together with his first recruiting class. Regardless what happens in Norman, Oklahoma, a week of rest will have the Buckeyes in a solid position to start its Big Ten slate on the right foot.
Ash has done well to establish a new culture in Piscataway, New Jersey, but is at least a year or two away from truly being a threat in the Big Ten.
