The Eleven Warriors Web Report comes to you weekly from the Spectrum Sports studios in downtown Columbus, featuring our own Beau Bishop, Dan Hope and former Buckeye wide receiver Evan Spencer.
With the 2017 Ohio State football season now wrapped up following the Buckeyes' 24-7 win over USC in last week's Cotton Bowl, our panel attempted to put the year that was in perspective.
Spencer said he will remember the 2017 Buckeyes "as a team that's resilient."
"I will remember it as a team that showed its youth at times," Spencer said, "but somebody that could get punched in the mouth and turn around and figure out ways to win for each other."
Hope, however, acknowledged that while the Buckeyes had a largely successful season – winning 12 games, including a sixth straight win over Michigan and a Big Ten championship, to go along with the season-ending Cotton Bowl victory – there is still a higher standard of expectation for Ohio State football that was not met this year.
"That standard is competing for national championships," Hope said. "I don't think it's a bad season by Ohio State by any means. I think it continues an incredible run of consistency to start Urban Meyer's career at Ohio State, but it still leaves people wanting more."
Bishop agreed that the 2017 season can be considered both a good season and a disappointment, but said the expectation that makes it less fulfilling is still a good thing for Ohio State.
"You wouldn't change it for anything," Bishop said. "Do you want to be Michigan? Of course you don't. So you take your 12-2, you're disappointed with it because you wish were playing on Monday night for the national championship because that is the standard that you've come to accept."
After looking back on the season that just concluded, the panel took a first look ahead to the 2018 season, with Bishop expressing that he expects the impending quarterback change, following J.T. Barrett's departure, to re-energize the program because it will force Ohio State to rebuild its offense around either Dwayne Haskins, Tate Martell or Joe Burrow.
The panel also agreed, though, that the Buckeyes will need new team leaders to emerge to fill an "enormous leadership void" that could be created by the departure of a highly respected senior class that includes Barrett, Billy Price, Tyquan Lewis and others.
The Eleven Warriors Report airs at 7 p.m. Tuesday on Spectrum Sports Mid-Ohio.
