Tom Herman may have the H-Town Takeover in place down in Houston, but Ohio State is about to invade the House that Peyton Built.
The Buckeyes failed to win the 2015 National Championship, but a huge portion of its title-winning team from a year earlier is set to overrun Lucas Oil Stadium this week at the NFL Combine. Of the 332 players invited to the Combine, Urban Meyer's program shelled out 14 invitees (4.2 percent) to the league's biggest showcase and evaluation period of talent — more than any other team.
| TEAM | INVITES |
|---|---|
| OHIO STATE | 14 |
| MICHIGAN STATE | 7 |
| PENN STATE | 5 |
| IOWA | 4 |
| MARYLAND | 4 |
| INDIANA | 4 |
| NEBRASKA | 4 |
| ILLINOIS | 3 |
| MINNESOTA | 3 |
| WISCONSIN | 3 |
| NORTHWESTERN | 2 |
| MICHIGAN | 2 |
| RUTGERS | 2 |
| PURDUE | 1 |
The second closest to Ohio State in player invites was its opponent in the Fiesta Bowl, Notre Dame, with 10. The Buckeyes beat the Fighting Irish, 44-28, New Year's Day.
The Ohio State contingent is made up of nine guys who left college eligibility remaining in Columbus — wide receivers Michael Thomas and Jalin Marshall, quarterback Cardale Jones, linebacker Darron Lee, cornerback Eli Apple, defensive end Joey Bosa, running back Ezekiel Elliott, and safeties Vonn Bell and Tyvis Powell — to go with five seniors — offensive tackle Taylor Decker, defensive tackle Adolphus Washington, wide receiver Braxton Miller and linebacker Joshua Perry.
Skill is judged differently by analysts, general managers, scouts and fans, but you could make the argument the most talented teams in college football last year played in Arizona 10 days before the national title game.
Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide led the SEC with nine players invited, while Dabo Swinney's Clemson Tigers have eight players headed to Indy. The other two participants of the 2015 College Football Playoff — Michigan State and Oklahoma — each have seven.
The Spartans easily has the second-highest number of prospects in the Big Ten, trailing only Ohio State. The Spartans' seven players make up 19 percent of the NFL Combine invitees Ohio State faced as part of its regular season schedule. The table to the right is a breakdown of the talent Big Ten teams are sending to the NFL Combine this week. A team in bold indicates a 2015 Ohio State opponent.
The Buckeyes are going to flirt with tying the record for first round selections from one school when the draft kicks off April 28 in Chicago. The record is six, set by the Miami Hurricanes in 2004.
That same draft, Ohio State set a record for players selected from one school with 14. The safe money is that number at least getting matched this year, considering there are that exact number of Buckeyes invited to the NFL Combine.
According to the NFL Combine website, participants are determined by a Selection Committee composed of Directors of both National and BLESTO scouting services, which is comprised of scouts of 25 NFL teams (the committee personnel changes every year). Other various NFL staff are also on the committee.
"All eligible players are reviewed and voted on by the committee members," the site says. "Each athlete receiving the necessary number of votes, by position, is then extended an invitation. While it is not a perfect science, the goal of the committee is to invite every player that will be drafted in the ensuing NFL Draft."
So it makes sense to think the 14 Buckeyes in Indianapolis will hear their name called over the final weekend of April, and perhaps one or two more will also to set a new record.
Here is a breakdown of this week's festivities in Indianapolis. Running backs, offensive linemen and specialist prospects were scheduled to head to the city Tuesday for pre-combine orientation, X-rays and team interviews.
Wednesday, Feb. 24
- Running Backs, Offensive Linemen, Specialists: Measurements, Medical Examination, Media, Interviews
- Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers, Tight Ends: Head to Indianapolis, Pre-Examination, X-Rays, Orientation, Interviews
Thursday, Feb. 25
- Running Backs, Offensive Linemen, Specialists: NFLPA Meeting, Psychological Testing, PK/ST Workout, Bench Press, Interviews
- Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers, Tight Ends: Measurements, Medical Examination, Media, Interviews
- Defensive Line, Linebackers: Head to Indianapolis, Pre-Examination, X-Rays, Orientation, Interviews
Friday, Feb. 26
- Running Backs, Offensive Linemen, Specialists: On-field workouts
- Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers, Tight Ends: NFLPA Meeting, Psychological Testing, Bench Press, Interviews
- Defensive Line, Linebackers: Measurements, Medical Examination, Media, Interviews
- Defensive Backs: Head to Indianapolis, Pre-Examination, X-Rays, Orientation, Interviews
Saturday, Feb. 27
- Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers, Tight Ends: On-field workouts
- Defensive Line: NFLPA Meeting, Psychological Testing, Bench Press, Interviews
- Defensive Backs: Measurements, Medical Examination, Media, Interviews
Sunday, Feb. 28
- Defensive Line: On-field workouts
- Defensive Backs: NFLPA Meeting, Psychological Testing, Bench Press, Interviews
Monday, Feb. 29
- Defensive Backs: On-field workouts
As you can see, Ohio State is set to have at least one player involved in each one of these subsets. I will be in Indianapolis all week doing my best to be on top of any breaking news with regards to the Ohio State players. You can follow me on Twitter here.
It's a huge week for the future of these players, so expect stories, videos and anything else pertinent throughout the workouts and interview process.
NFL Network is your home for live coverage of the event, starting Friday at noon, but stick with Eleven Warriors for all things Buckeye.
