Will 100,000 fans show up? Who will be this year's Michael Thomas, Ray Small or Bam Childress? How much will J.T. Barrett or the other presumed starters play?
We are all set to find answers to these questions and more in a few short hours.
Urban Meyer and Ohio State are scheduled to host their annual scarlet and gray scrimmage Saturday at approximately 1:30 p.m., or shortly after the completion of the men's lacrosse match between the Buckeyes and Michigan. That begins at 11 a.m.
Rosters for the day can be found over here. Below are storylines we'll be watching upon kickoff. You can see all past coverage from Eleven Warriors this spring here.
*Note: Ohio State is set to wear a helmet decal honoring the late Will Smith and hold a moment of silence after the former defensive end lost his life a week ago Saturday night.
Crowd Watch
Meyer wants attendance figures to blip into the six-figure range in order to create the necessary noise and chaos he wants to see how his young roster responds.
"There's nothing like performing in front of 100,000 people," Meyer said Monday. "For me to watch that, I watch that."
The Buckeyes narrowly missed hitting 100,000 people at the scrimmage a year ago, instead pulling in a national record 99,391 on a picture-perfect April day at Ohio Stadium. It also helped the Buckeyes were coming off the first-ever College Football Playoff National Championship and essentially the entire team returned.
The high number last year marked the first time in six years the crowd increased from its previous high in 2009:
Ohio State's Top Spring Game Crowds:
— Jerry Emig (@BuckeyeNotes) April 13, 2016
2016-???,???
2015-99,391 (collegiate record)
2009-95,722
2012-81,112
2008-76,346
2007-75,301
TV Schedule
Can't make it to Columbus to see the game live? Big Ten Network has you covered.
The network broadcast begins at 1:30 p.m., with Kevin Kugler and former Buckeye linebackers Glen Mason and Bobby Carpenter on the call. You can even watch online with BTN2Go.
Dave Revsine, Gerry DiNardo, and Howard Griffith are set to break down all the action Saturday at 9 p.m. on the B1G Spring Football Report. An hour later, a replay of the game hits the airwaves, with seven more to follow into next week.
Unable to catch Saturday's Spring Game live? Here's the replay schedule on the @BigTenNetwork. pic.twitter.com/KyrR5YHbEr
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) April 13, 2016
Things To Watch For
Ohio State entered spring practice with more questions than answers and with an absurdly young roster readying for 16 practices. A stunning 45 players have four years of eligibility remaining.
As a result, position battles littered spring practice. Who is going to step in and produce in place of Joey Bosa and Adolphus Washington on the defensive line? What about Taylor Decker, Chase Farris and Jacoby Boren on the other side of the ball? Not to mention Ohio State's top-eight pass catchers didn't practice at full capacity over the past month either because they're onto the NFL or recovering from injuries.
Here are some other players and positions to keep a close eye on Saturday, whether you're at the stadium or watching from home:
Running Back: Mike Weber and Bri'onte Dunn separated themselves from true freshman and early enrollee Antonio Williams this spring. That is hardly a surprise, considering Williams should be preparing for his high school prom right now.
We won't know who Meyer names the starter after Saturday, either. He said Thursday the competition will continue into fall camp. Does Dunn's seniority hold some weight over a redshirt freshman? Meyer wants the fifth-year senior to take the first snap Sept. 3 against Bowling Green, but he is going to go with who is better. Saturday provides a glimpse for fans and media to make their own assessments in the fight to replace Silver Football winner Ezekiel Elliott.
Chris Worley, Young Linebackers: Yes, not having Joey Bosa, Adolphus Washington and other seniors Tommy Schutt and Joel Hale on the defensive line is a huge loss for Ohio State's defense. But let's not forget the man slotted to replace Darron Lee at outside linebacker, Chris Worley.
Lee is a difference maker and rose above Worley on the depth chart as a redshirt freshman two years ago and never looked back. He'll be a first round NFL Draft pick later this month. Can Worley perform at or near the same level? Saturday will be a good indicator if he can, or if young pups like Jerome Baker are better. Justin Hilliard and Nick Conner would be included here too, but they're rehabbing bicep and knee injuries.
Austin Mack: Buckeye fans are searching for the next big thing on the outside after the departure of Braxton Miller, Jalin Marshall and Michael Thomas. Mack might be it.
Mack became the first freshman to ever lose his black stripe in spring practice under Meyer at Ohio State and is someone the head coach believes will play for Ohio State this fall. Noah Brown and Corey Smith are recovering from broken legs, Curtis Samuel had foot surgery in January and Dontre Wilson's own foot problems won't go away. Will Mack overshadow older receivers like Terry McLaurin, Parris Campbell, Johnnie Dixon and James Clark on Saturday? Torrance Gibson is sure to be hot name as well.
Quarterbacks, Quarterbacks, Quarterbacks: Joe Burrow is Ohio State's backup to J.T. Barrett at the most important position on the field, but Tim Beck likes what he's seen from Stephen Collier this spring. How much Barrett plays Saturday is up in the air, but the smart money is on not very much. With his injury history, how Meyer feels the backups perform is a noteworthy storyline.
All three ran for their lives during student appreciation practice as they worked behind a developing offensive line, which is sure to be the case again Saturday (the chances Billy Price and Pat Elflein play are essentially zero). Barrett will wear his black, non-contact jersey, but Burrow and Collier probably will not. Who can make more plays?
Pleasant Weather Expected
Weekend forecasts for Columbus fluttered around just about perfect all week.
Nice.
Will this help fans grant Meyer's wish to get 100,000 people in Ohio Stadium for a scrimmage between a roster that holds a host of unknowns?
It certainly won't hurt.
