Ohio State was supposed to be one year away.
With key offensive losses like running back Carlos Hyde, wide receiver Philly Brown and four starting linemen to go along with first-round NFL Draft picks in linebacker Ryan Shazier and cornerback Bradley Roby on defense, the Buckeyes seemed to be in for somewhat of a rebuilding year in Braxton Miller’s final season as quarterback. There were just going to be too many holes to fill.
Then, the unthinkable happened. Miller went down 12 days before the season-opener and Ohio State was dealt another huge loss — this one perhaps greater than any of the others.
But fast-forward to December and the Buckeyes sit at 12-1. They are the champions of the Big Ten for the first time under head coach Urban Meyer and have qualified for the first-ever College Football Playoff. Ohio State will take on Alabama in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.
So, exactly how did the Buckeyes do it? How did they overcome all of those losses and get to this point?
“This is the most improved team I've every been around," Meyer said recently.
But make no mistake about it, the talent was there, too.
And in particular, a large amount of that talent came from Ohio State’s 2013 recruiting class. Most of it entered this season unproven on the field, but over the course of a season filled with adversity it proved itself in the biggest of ways.
Eli Apple
In his first year as a starting cornerback, Apple has shown significant progress from the season's beginning to end.
A redshirt freshman from Voorhees, N.J., Apple has recorded 41 tackles, two interceptions and scored one touchdown on a fumble recovery. But perhaps most impressive are Apple's 5.5 tackles for loss. He's been vital to the Buckeyes in run support and is a solid tackler in the open field.
He's taken his share of lumps along the way, but is now playing the best football of his career and has provided solid support lining up across from All-Big Ten cornerback Doran Grant.
J.T. Barrett
It'd be hard to argue there was a more valuable player in this class or on this Ohio State team this season than Barrett.
After Miller went down it was Barrett who was called upon to be the Buckeyes' starter and boy did he deliver. The redshirt freshman from Wichita Falls, Texas threw for 2,834 yards, ran for 938 and was responsible for a Big Ten single-season record 45 touchdowns. Barrett's breakout season resulted in him finishing fifth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy.
Barrett's season may be over after he suffered a fractured ankle on the first play in the fourth quarter against Michigan. But while he won't play again for Ohio State this season, the Buckeyes wouldn't be playing Alabama without him.
Vonn Bell
Bell was the highest-rated prospect in Ohio State's 2013 class according to 247 Sports.
A five-star safety coming out of high school, Bell didn't see much playing time during his first year as he sat behind Corey "Pittsburgh" Brown. Many thought he should have been given an opportunity to play as a true freshman, but he really didn't get that chance until the Orange Bowl where he had an interception.
But Bell waited and he's been another standout for the Buckeyes as a sophomore. He's tied for the team lead with five interceptions and is second on the team with 78 tackles.
Joey Bosa
After having such a big impact last year as a true freshman, it was pretty clear Bosa was going to become a special player at Ohio State. That certainly rang true this season.
Bosa was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Defensive Lineman of the Year in a standout sophomore campaign which saw him lead the conference in sacks (13.5) and tackles for loss (20). Those numbers each rank fifth in the country, respectively.
Bosa's performance this year also allowed him to be named to three different All-American lists thus far and he was a finalist for both the Lombardi and Bednarik Awards.
Ezekiel Elliott
Hyde was Ohio State's workhorse last year and it was going to be extremely difficult for the Buckeyes to replace a player of his caliber, but Elliott has stepped in and done a more-than-admirable job.
The sophomore from St. Louis became Meyer's second-consecutive 1,000-yard running back as he has rushed for 1,402 yards and 12 touchdowns this season, while also adding 208 receiving yards out of the backfield.
Often overlooked because of the bevy of talented running backs in the Big Ten, Elliott somewhat quietly had an outstanding season for the Buckeyes.
Darron Lee has been huge in the resurgence of Ohio State's defense.
Darron Lee
Lee came to Ohio State without a true position, which has made his breakout season even more eye-opening.
After redshirting last year as a true freshman, the former high school quarterback has found a home at outside linebacker for the Buckeyes. He's second on Ohio State's defense in tackles for loss (13.5) and third in tackles (66) and sacks (5.5).
The speed for which he plays the outside linebacker spot has become a huge asset for the Buckeyes' much-improved defense.
Jalin Marshall
Marshall is without a doubt one of Ohio State's most gifted offensive players.
Like Lee, he was a high school quarterback, but can also run and catch the ball from nearly any position on offense. He's the perfect fit for the H-back position in Meyer's offense and even allows the Buckeyes to run some Wildcat formation. Without Miller and Barrett, Marshall is actually Ohio State's backup quarterback heading into the Sugar Bowl behind Cardale Jones.
So far this year, the redshirt freshman is third on the team with 28 catches for 392 yards and six touchdowns. He's also carried the ball 20 times for 135 yards and a score. Marshall also serves as the Buckeyes' punt returner, averaging 12.7 yards per return and has one touchdown that way, as well. His standout performance was his four-touchdown day against Indiana.
Billy Price
Concern No. 1 for Meyer entering this season was the offensive line. It was a struggle at first, too, as the Buckeyes looked out of sync against Navy and surrendered seven sacks in their Week 2 loss to Virginia Tech.
But since then, Ohio State has figured it out up front and the offensive line has been a strength of the team. A big part of that is the play of Price, a redshirt freshman who came to Columbus as a defensive lineman. He's started every game at guard for the Buckeyes and was named to ESPN's Big Ten All-Freshman team.
Dontre Wilson
Much like his H-back counterpart, Wilson is one of Ohio State's most naturally gifted players.
Despite breaking his foot against Michigan State and not playing since, Wilson has been a key cog to the Buckeyes' offense, totaling 300 receiving yards and 112 rushing yards on the year. He also scored three touchdowns.
Ohio State expects to have Wilson back for its game against Alabama and if he's able to go, the Buckeyes will have another offensive weapon at their disposal.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about all of the players listed above is they are either sophomores or redshirt freshman, meaning the future at Ohio State is quite bright.
But as the Buckeyes prep for No. 1 Alabama, the present doesn't seem so bad, either.
