Urban Meyer preaches to his team—and the media—constantly that the virtue of nine units strong is what will give Ohio State its best chance to win football games. To do that, every player that sees action at any given point during a game has to play their best, especially against the top teams in the country.
Take Steve Miller for example. The defensive end entered Ohio State as a five-star recruit and never really panned out until the final two games of his college career, against Alabama in the Sugar Bowl and Oregon in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game two years ago.
Meyer speaks about Miller often as being a guy who stepped up immensely and took Ohio State's defense to a new level so the Buckeyes could win those games. His ridiculous pick-six against Alabama is one of the iconic plays from that season helped Ohio State stem the Tide. Billy Price rose the occasion as just a redshirt freshman late in that season too. So did Michael Bennett. And Curtis Grant.
That doesn't necessarily mean those guys were bad players earlier in their career or even during the 2014 season—they just brought an extra element to Ohio State's team that helped shove the Buckeyes over the edge and win the biggest games of the season.
So who does Ohio State desperately need more from as it enters the College Football Playoff on New Year's Eve against Clemson? Here are five names.
K.J. Hill, Wide Receiver
When healthy, it is clear Hill is one of the best options Ohio State has at the wide receiver position this year. He only ranks sixth on the team in catches with 17 but missed two games with a high ankle sprain and averages 14.9 yards per grab—best on the team for players with at least 10 receptions.
Hill needs to continue to be more involved.
Hill has excellent hands, runs great routes and is shifty in the open field. Outside of Curtis Samuel, the Buckeyes don't have many guys at wide receiver who can do all of that. Noah Brown is clearly one of the top options but is more of a possession-type receiver with great hands and size to overwhelm opponents in tight spaces and especially the red zone. He has done that countless times this season.
But Ohio State's offense desperately needs another playmaker to step up on the outside. Terry McLaurin and Parris Campbell are terrific blockers and make the occasional catch to help the offense, though they struggle to get separation consistently.
Hill can do that and must do that if the Buckeyes wish to make a Playoff run.
Isaiah Prince, Right Tackle
Prince is much more valuable as a run blocker but in order to beat Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl, Ohio State has to be able to throw the ball with some veracity. In order to do that, J.T. Barrett needs time in the pocket, which hasn't always been readily available this season.
Prince had an awful night in State College, Pennsylvania against Penn State, a swinging gate to a Nittany Lion defensive assault that sacked Barrett six times. That helped lead Penn State to the upset in addition to two special teams gaffes by Ohio State but Prince bounced back a week later. Against Northwestern, Pro Football Focus named him to its Team of the Week after grading him out at 84.0 percent.
Prince has played better as the calendar flipped to November but must be at his best against the Tigers, who recorded the second-most sacks in the country this season (46). Defensive linemen Carlos Watkins, Dexter Lawrence and Clelin Ferrell all have at least five sacks this season but Clemson rotates in a similar as Ohio State on its defensive line.
Prince is going to be the subject of twists and other stunts by that group, so he needs to be on his game in order to keep Barrett's jersey clean. Ohio State doesn't like to keep a tight end or running back in the backfield to chip defenders and help Prince out, so the next three weeks of practice are crucial for his development.
Damon Webb, Strong Safety
It is not a secret that opposing offense target Webb when they try to move the ball through the air. Austin Carr is one of the best receivers in not only the Big Ten but all of college football. He caught eight passes for 158 yards in Ohio Stadium—nearly all after he beat Webb in single coverage.
One of Clemson's top weapons on offense—and there are a ton of them—is tight end Jordan Leggett. As our own Kyle Jones outlined in his Film Study earlier this week, Leggett is a problem for defenses, with the size to overpower defensive backs and the speed to beat linebackers. It is smart to believe that Dabo Swinney and co-offensive coordinators Jeff Scott and Tony Elliott will try to isolate Leggett on Webb and use it that matchup to their advantage.
Deshaun Watson will see Webb as the weak link in the secondary on tape as well and while he is fifth on the team with 53 tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown against Nebraska, he must perform better. Watson is an excellent quarterback and a Heisman Trophy finalist. He will burn the Buckeyes if Webb doesn't show he can hang.
Dontre Wilson, H-back
One last rodeo for Wilson.
Wilson's foot has bothered him at different points in the season and a serious of interesting decisions as a punt returner cost him his job at that position. Still, Wilson stepped up and made some critical plays when Ohio State needed them the most this season—think of the 43-yard catch on a busted play late in the Wisconsin game to extend a drive, the late touchdown he scored against Indiana to put away the Hoosiers and even his lone catch against Michigan. It was only worth 9 yards but moved the chains on 3rd-and-8 when the Buckeyes were backed up at their own 6-yard line early in the second quarter against that stingy Wolverine defense.
The Fiesta Bowl could be Wilson's final game as a collegiate. If it isn't, the national title game will be. A once high-profile recruit the Buckeyes flipped from Oregon late in the 2013 recruiting cycle, injuries ravaged his career and depleted his production. Still, Wilson is more than serviceable and always seems to make some gutty plays when the Buckeyes need them.
He must do that for Ohio State's offense against Clemson. The Tigers are bound to key on Barrett and Samuel as they are the two biggest pieces to what the Buckeyes do on that side of the ball. Someone else needs to step up and make some plays. Will Wilson make the most of his opportunities?
Marcus Baugh, Tight End
You might think this is a bit of stretch considering Baugh is the team's fourth-leading receiver with 269 yards but that's just it—Ohio State's fourth-leading receiver doesn't even have 300 yards this season.
The Buckeyes are a running outfit and do it very well. Urban Meyer and Co. have waited for playmakers in the passing game to pop up all season long, though, and while Baugh has been a pleasant surprise he, like so many other pass catchers, needs to do more. Baugh has the potential to cause matchup problems with his size, solid hands and sneaky athleticism. But ankle sprains hampered his mobility and a shoulder injury wrecked his production as a blocker.
Should Baugh get healthy, he needs to provide a security blanket for Barrett in the short game over the middle. Whenever the Buckeyes face 3rd-and-9 or longer against Clemson, the Tigers will turn their attention to Samuel and Brown. Is Baugh going to be the guy to step up and get open and move the sticks?
