By Courtney Baumann
After losing 12 players to the NFL Draft — five in the first round alone — Ohio State has been left with a young and inexperienced team for the 2016 season.
More than half of the scholarship players on the team — 44, in fact — have not played a minute of game time. The number of underclassmen doubles the number of juniors and seniors.
Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer isn’t worried about the age of the team, though. He’s actually excited. So excited that he hopes to have every freshman on the roster see the field this season.
“I can’t recall a time where you’re talking about a very, very talented group of players who have waited their turn and are a very talented group that got there in June,” Meyer said. “My goal is to play every freshman. I know that doesn’t happen, but we want to play the freshmen as soon as we can.”
While he is excited about the talent throughout the roster, the fifth-year head coach does have his concerns as well.
Because many players have yet to experience a college football game, Meyer has been doing what he can to get them game ready. However, he is worried that the extra reps and full-speed practices could wear out or even injure players before the Buckeyes’ first game, Sept. 3 against Bowling Green.
Another thing that has weighed on Meyers’s mind is how the younger players will perform when they step out into Ohio Stadium and see 110,000 faces around them.
“How do you stay healthy yet put them in game-like situations as much as possible during training camp,” Meyer said. “… That’s what is keeping me awake a little bit right now.”
Though the number is not large, Ohio State does have experienced players returning. Those experienced players, including junior quarterback J.T. Barrett and Meyers’s proclaimed “best center in college football” Pat Elflein, have seen the biggest stage in college football — the College Football Championship. And not only have they seen it, they have won it.
The invaluable familiarity with the game both Barrett and Elflein have will play a huge role in their leadership efforts throughout the season.
Barrett, who is 15-2 as a starter for the Buckeyes, feels the need to step up even more so this year than in the past.
“My mindset is a little different, it’s more of a leadership role,” he said. “This year, I’m trying to help the young guys get up to our standards of how we play at Ohio State and make sure they understand that we’re not going to lose. The expectations won’t change because you don’t have experience.”
Elflein, who has started 29 games and appeared in 42 throughout his career, has similar feelings to Barrett.
The fifth-year player has made sure the younger guys stay focused during practice and know what is expected of them as Buckeyes.
Still, he isn’t too worried about letting down Ohio State fans.
“The expectation is insane every year. It’s to win every game you play,” Elflein said. “There’s a lot of pressure, but if you trust the coaches and trust your training, it will all work out like it has in the past.
“We’ve got a freight train rolling right now, and it will be hard to stop. The expectations aren’t changing yet.”
