When Ohio State closes fall camp and eyes its season opener against the Indiana Hoosiers, expectations and anxiety will be at an all-time high.
The Buckeyes lost six underclassmen early to the 2017 NFL Draft, the best center in the country (Pat Elflein) and the best punter in the Big Ten (Cameron Johnston) from a team that made the College Football Playoff. That squad was also considered the youngest in the nation, so Urban Meyer's group somewhat overachieved — even though he has only lost six games in five seasons as Ohio State's head coach.
An offseason of transition continued with the exits of Tim Beck and Ed Warinner from Meyer's offensive brain trust. He replaced them with Ryan Day as quarterbacks coach and former Indiana head coach Kevin Wilson as offensive coordinator. An emphasis on the deep passing game, pass protection and finishing plays in an effort to create more explosion on that side of the ball served as the focus this spring.
Luke Fickell also took the head coaching job at the University of Cincinnati. Meyer added Billy Davis as his new linebackers coach to give the Buckeyes three new names on their coaching staff.
What follows on this list are five players those new coaches mentioned above and the others on staff all will have to prepare for at some point this upcoming season. And, all will be problematic in their own way. These are the five most dangerous players Ohio State is scheduled to lock horns with in 2017.
Our list includes a Heisman Trophy finalist, a Silver Football winner and a Michigan defender who is a terror up front.
5. Rashan Gary, Michigan Defensive Lineman
Gary only recorded one tackle against Ohio State last season as a freshman but his potential is off the charts. There is a reason he was the top-ranked recruit in the country in the 2016 class. He fits the mold of someone who can change a game defensively.
Gary ended his first season at Michigan with 24 total tackles (five for loss) and a sack. He played all over the defensive line and at 6-foot-5 and 287 pounds, will likely do so again in 2017. Easily the top defensive performer in spring combine workouts at Michigan according to Jim Harbaugh's Twitter account, Gary ran the 40-yard dash in 4.57 (!) seconds, leaped 31 inches on the vertical jump and posted a 9-foot, 6-inch broad jump.
Rashan Gary showcased dominance and great effort while earning top performer honors for this morning's conditioning session. Video evidence: pic.twitter.com/YqlbE08xd7
— Coach Harbaugh (@CoachJim4UM) February 23, 2017
Yeah, he's terrifying.
Michigan must replace virtually everyone on its defense ahead of next season but Gary is slated for a much larger role. Expect him to take a huge jump in Year 2 and to wreak havoc on offenses in 2017.
4. L.J. Scott, Michigan State Running Back
Scott makes this list for two reasons. He single-handedly almost beat Ohio State in East Lansing last November, with 236 total yards on 21 touches to go with a pair of touchdowns in a game the Buckeyes won 17-16 after two late interceptions of Spartans quarterback Tyler O'Connor.
The other reason is because of what Scott did against Ohio State in 2015 as a true freshman. His numbers were not eye-popping — only 13 carries for 58 yards — but nine of those came in the final quarter of Michigan State's stunning 17-14 upset of the Buckeyes. In arguably the oddest game of Meyer's Ohio State tenure, Michigan State churned out the clock with multiple short yardage first downs late and kicked a game-winning field goal as time expired. Scott ran six times on the final drive for two first downs as time slowly trickled away on Ohio State's perfect season. Scott was fresh when it mattered most and the Buckeyes couldn't stop him when they absolutely had to.
Couple that with what he did on a windy and cold day in East Lansing last fall and Ohio State fans are undoubtedly anxious for the Hubbard, Ohio, native to move on from Spartan green and white.
3. Trace McSorley, Penn State Quarterback
McSorley has an excellent case to be higher on this list, mainly because he is 1-0 against Ohio State in his career and has a Big Ten Championship to his name. He only completed eight passes against the Buckeyes last season but they went for 154 yards and a touchdown. He also ran 19 times for 63 yards and a score in Penn State's 24-21 upset of Ohio State in Happy Valley.
McSorley really came on at the end of the season too, throwing bombs all over the field in the second half of the Big Ten Championship Game against Wisconsin to lead a comeback victory. He also spearheaded a 49-point effort against USC in the Rose Bowl, only to see the Nittany Lions lose by three on a last-second field goal.
McSorley threw four touchdown passes each in his final three games of the 2016 season and also ended the year with seven rushing scores. He is extremely dangerous and has solid receivers and an excellent tight end to throw the ball to this fall. Not to mention the guy who is next on this list lining up next to him in the backfield every play.
2. Saquon Barkley, Penn State Running Back
Barkley won a share of the 2016 Silver Football as Big Ten Most Valuable Player with Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett. As a sophomore, the electric talent ran for 1,496 yards and 18 touchdowns, while tallying 5.5 yards per carry. He also posted 402 receiving yards and four touchdowns through the air from McSorely.
Barkley is the real deal. Had he been eligible, he would have been in the discussion for the top running back in the 2017 NFL Draft. Now, most of the talk surrounding him is if he should sit out this upcoming season to avoid major injury before heading to the league next year.
In any event, Barkley rushed for 194 yards in Ohio Stadium two years ago and 99 more last year in State College as Penn State beat the Buckeyes. He is a problem for opposing defenses and has a strong case to be the top player on this list.
1. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma Quarterback
Mayfield announced on Dec. 3 he intended to return for another season in Norman, in the hope of leading the Sooners to a third-straight Big 12 crown. He also has a date with the Buckeyes in Ohio Stadium on Sept. 9.
A 2016 Heisman Trophy finalist (he finished third), Mayfield also finished fourth in the 2015 voting. He possesses brilliant feet and playmaking ability outside the pocket, a strong arm and the penchant for making huge plays when the Sooners need them the most. Ohio State whipped Oklahoma 45-24 at Gaylord-Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium last fall, a game in which Mayfield threw for 226 yards and a pair of scores, but only completed 53 percent of his passes. He also threw a pair of interceptions, one of which Jerome Baker returned 68 yards to the house.
Arkansas police arrested the quarterback in late February for public intoxication, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Sooners head coach Bob Stoops said in March he doesn't plan to discipline his star player until after the legal process runs its course but one thing can be sure: Mayfield will be under center Week 2 at Ohio State. He might miss some or all of the season opener against UTEP but Stoops knows he needs Mayfield to have a prayer at beating the Buckeyes in their backyard.
With that in mind, Mayfield tops our list as the most dangerous player the Buckeyes face in 2017 because he led the Sooners to 10 straight wins to close out last season, finished in the top-5 of the Heisman voting each of the last two years and plays the most important position on the field. If he gets hot in the Horseshoe against a young secondary, Ohio State could be in for a long night.
