Pete Thamel posted a great article today with a behind the scenes look at how OSU went from losing 16 starters to being a playoff contender.

He mentions three people who are key in helping OSU reload - Marotti (the drummer), Stamper (the cop) and Pantoni (the doctor)

The article is kicked off with a great quote by Zeke: "When you're used to competing at a high level every week, you don't have a choice to grow up fast. I mean, you grow up fast or you're left behind."

Some other tidbits from the article to highlight:

On Weber:

Weber leaned over exhausted in the weight room after enduring a punishment workout. Barrett saw Weber bent over "on the verge of giving up" and confronted him. Weber stepped into him, and the two nearly got in a fistfight. "I attacked him in the moment," Barrett says. And the quarterback delivered a clear message: "This is so much bigger than you. You want to be our running back?"

On Hooker:

For Hooker, the turning point came with building his body and his confidence. Just like Stamper back at Florida. His improved physique and footwork technique eventually led to making plays in practice. After Tyvis Powell left early for the NFL, Hooker has managed to become an upgrade at safety for the Buckeyes.

On Jordan:

On a recent November evening, Jordan marveled at how quickly the past year has flown by. He's cut his body fat by 9%, adjusted to college and won a starting job for a playoff contender. Each day as he's passed the sign with Elliott's warning about growing up or getting left behind, he's forged ahead. "I agree with that statement," he said with a chuckle, "100%."

Looks like Meyer has a process in place to make sure we can reload every year. This is definitely a great read to checkout before the game on Saturday (and a good excuse to ignore relatives you don't want to talk to). Happy Hate Week and Thanksgiving 11dubbers