The 2020 Ohio State Buckeyes will be anchored by 18 seniors, many of whom are entering their fifth or even sixth seasons in the program.
Those redshirt seniors are hoping to make their last year in Columbus special. They've won three consecutive Big Ten titles, but they've also suffered a pair of first-round exits in the college football playoff thanks to Clemson.
This season is all about getting over the hump with their last shot. Guys like Tuf Borland and Luke Farrell have already established themselves as reliable contributors. But these three players in particular could mimic past redshirt seniors who broke out in their final year.
Gunnar Hoak
Ohio State fans know firsthand how important it is to have a reliable backup quarterback.
It's not just the often-recalled 2014 season in which backup quarterback J.T. Barrett was called upon after Braxton Miller went down eight days before the first game of the year. Barrett then rewrote just about every freshman passing record in 12 games before going down against Michigan and turning things over to Cardale Jones, who went on to win a national title.
But there were others, of course. Kenny Guiton saved Ohio State's undefeated season in 2012 with his heroics against Purdue, and did the same early the following year when Miller went down against San Diego State in Week 2.
Then in 2017, Barrett went down against Michigan and Dwayne Haskins came into the game trailing by seven. He helped the Buckeyes rally to a 31-21 victory.
Justin Fields returns to Ohio State this fall and is a huge reason why Ohio State's on the short list of national title contenders. If Fields gets knocked out during any stretch, they'll need Gunnar Hoak to step up like Guiton and a host of others did in recent years.
Demario McCall
The Buckeyes lost a lot of firepower with the departures of K.J. Hill, Binjimen Victor, Austin Mack and J.K. Dobbins, and they're going to need all they can get from the remaining perimeter talent.
Demario McCall came to Ohio State with sky-high expectations. Rated the No. 44 recruit in the class of 2016 and the No. 2 all-purpose back overall, McCall was supposed to be a consistent two-punch threat for the Buckeyes.
While he's flashed, McCall hasn't had the breakout year many have waited for — but he has the opportunity to capitalize this fall.
Parris Campbell had a similar story. While he made more of a contribution in his junior season (584 receiving yards), Campbell absolutely caught fire in his final season, catching 90 passes (a school record) and posting just the fifth 1,000-yard receiving season in program history.
Jonathon Cooper
The biggest hole in the Ohio State roster is the one that was made by Chase Young's departure.
The record-setting defensive end put together an astonishing junior season in which he set the single-season benchmark for sacks with 16.5 despite playing in just 12 games.
Jonathon Cooper will be asked to help fill that void as the Buckeyes turn to a deep and talented room of defensive ends.
Cooper sat out of Ohio State's Fiesta Bowl matchup against Clemson to preserve his redshirt and return this fall. He felt he had the opportunity to make a big impact last fall, but his season was spoiled by a high-ankle sprain he suffered in preseason camp.
With a full offseason to recover and prepare for 2020, the stage is set for Cooper to close strong.
Ohio State will rely on several other redshirt seniors. Defensive tackle Antwuan Jackson, linebacker Justin Hilliard and offensive guard Gavin Cupp will be in the rotation and expected to contribute in 2020.
