Not even Urban Meyer could really figure out how to explain it.
Ohio State’s head coach thought long and hard Sunday before answering a question from a reporter about how his team, just one year removed from having 12 players selected in the NFL Draft, could make the College Football Playoff.
“I think it was a year early,” Meyer admitted. “I think as we went through two-a-days, I knew we had to stay healthy and we’re fortunate we stayed fairly healthy. And we had to develop and we did.”
“But whoever thought Malik Hooker and those guys would develop? That Marshon [Lattimore] would stay healthy? You develop Chris Worley and a guy named Jerome Baker. Mike Weber, a 1,000-yard rusher as a freshman. I could go on and on.”
Meyer’s right. Even the most diehard Ohio State fans probably didn’t see this coming.
The Buckeyes entered the 2016 season having lost 16 starters, 12 of which were selected in the first four rounds of the NFL Draft — a record. Ezekiel Elliott, Joey Bosa, Darron Lee, Michael Thomas, Vonn Bell and more were all gone.
Take into account the massive talent loss, coupled with a grueling schedule, and it was certainly reasonable to expect Ohio State to take a step backward in 2016. Yet here the Buckeyes are, playing in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31 against Clemson.
“This team, we battled through some things,” redshirt junior defensive end Tyquan Lewis said. “We know what it’s like to overcome challenges. Now, we’re just excited to get an opportunity and we’re just going to keep pushing forward.”
Expectations never truly change at Ohio State. Nor do they at Alabama, Notre Dame, Texas, Michigan and so many other bluebloods in this sport. Each and every year, you’re expected to compete for a national championship.
But for this year’s Ohio State team they probably should have at least been tempered a bit. Yes, Meyer is recruiting at an absurdly high level — rivaled only by Nick Saban over the last five years — but there was something to be said about the Buckeyes’ lack of experience. That should have mattered.
Except it really didn’t.
That was proven early, as Ohio State went on the road to Norman in Week 3 to take on Oklahoma. The Buckeyes dominated on that warm but rainy September night, coming away a 45-24 winner against the eventual Big 12 champions.
A young team grew up rather quickly.
“That game in Norman, Oklahoma,” Meyer said, “turned out to be kind of the difference in this whole situation.”
“You could just tell, like, the young guys, they were ready,” Lewis added. “That was their opportunity to shine, showcase their talents on a big stage like that.”
The journey continued with an overtime victory on the road against Wisconsin. Then, after a blown fourth-quarter lead at Penn State, Ohio State responded with a 59-point win over 10th-ranked Nebraska a few weeks later. A double-overtime victory against Michigan to end the regular-season capped off a remarkable 11-1 year.
And that’s really what it is: rather remarkable. Ohio State always had plenty of talent, but getting all of that talent ready so quickly was what was most impressive. The Buckeyes didn’t make the College Football Playoff a season ago with 12 NFL Draft picks on their roster. They’ll have plenty of guys drafted this season, too, but very few of them were projected to do so prior to this season.
Ohio State reloaded, and now it is heading to the College Football Playoff once again.
“You don’t really think that far ahead because you don’t really have time, but now I could reflect upon the season,” Meyer said. “And I’m very proud of their progress.”