2012 Laid Out...Look Out!

Schedule
9/1 - Miami (Oh.)
9/8 - Central Florida
9/15 - California
9/22 - UAB
9/29 - @Michigan State
10/6 - Nebraska
10/13 - @Indiana
10/20 - Purdue
10/27 - @Penn State
11/3 - Illinois
11/10 - BYE
11/17 - @Wisconsin
11/24 - Michigan
12/1 - Big Ten Championship

Our Potential Starting Lineup

Offense -
RETURNING STARTERS (10)

QB - BRAXTON MILLER/Cardale Jones/Kenny Guiton

RB - CARLOS HYDE/JORDAN HALL/Jaamal Berry

FB - ZACH BOREN/Adam Homan

FLANKER - PHILLY BROWN/Chris Fields/VERLON REED

SPLIT END - EVAN SPENCER/Devin Smith/TY Williams

TE - JAKE STONEBURNER/Ried Fragel

LT - ANDREW NORWELL

LG - JACK MEWHORT

C - Brian Bobek

RG - COREY LINSLEY

RT - MARCUS HALL

Defense -
RETURNING STARTERS (10)

LT - JOHN SIMON/Adam Bellamy

NT - GARRETT GOEBEL

RT - JONATHAN HANKINS/Michael Bennett

LEO - NATHAN WILLIAMS/JT MOORE/Steve Miller

SLB - ETIENNE SABINO

MLB - STORM KLEIN/Curtis Grant

WLB - Ryan Shazier

CB - TRAVIS HOWARD/Dominic Clarke

CB - BRADLEY ROBY/Doran Grant

FS - CJ BARNETT/Zach Domicone

SS - CHRISTIAN BRYANT/ORHIAN JOHNSON

STAR - CHRISTIAN BRYANT

Special Teams -
RETURNING STARTERS (6)

K/PK - DREW BASIL

P - BEN BUCHANAN

LS - GEORGE MAKRIDIS

H - DEREK ERWIN

KR - JORDAN HALL/JAAMAL BERRY

PR - JORDAN HALL/Philly Brown


Season Outlook -

The number of returning starters will be a strong point for the Buckeyes as they look forward to a big season. A few of these players, especially on the O-line, are listed as returning starters because they started multiple positions. The only freshman I included on here is Cardale Jones, but only because Kenny Guiton hasn't proven better than Joe Bauserman this year. There will probably be some freshman to break the two deep. Maybe Boren on the OL and Perry at LB will help give us some depth, but that'll work itself out next year. Obviously, at this point there are plenty of unknowns; but it's hard to not be distracted by the future with so much promise in this youthful team. Who will be our head coach, offensive coordinator, O-line, and QB coach? How much of the staff will stay in tact? Will anybody risk a shot at the NFL?

I think our team will stay in tact, and there will be a new head coach and offensive coordinator. I'm assuming if much of the staff is replaced then that will include many of the defensive coaches which I wouldn't be too happy about. The issue is that a head coach has to make sure everyone is on the same page, and that usually means replacing the whole staff. Once again, we'll see how that works out in the future. I'm not going to make predictions as to who the coaches will be, but I do think it'll be an adjustment to what Buckeye Nation's been used to the past decade.

The schedule sets up very nicely as the Buckeyes open with 4 home games. Miami (Oh) and UAB should be gimmies. UCF will be an interesting game. Cal will lose a few players but should return many skill position players including studly WR Keenan Allen. The Golden Bears pulled off an OT win over a Colorado Buffalo team that OSU dominated in the early season. This should be OSU's only thing close to a test before they travel to East Lansing to start the Big 10. Playing at MSU could be tough, but they will also be losing a lot out of their skill positions. Cousins and Cunningham are out, and Worthy will be gone as well. Dantonio is building that program up, so this won't be a push-over; but I would expect whoever is coaching the Buckeyes to have them rolling by this point. Next up, Nebraska will come to Columbus for what could be another big game for the two teams. Martinez and Burkhead will be back. The Bucks will have a shot at redemption, and Columbus will surely be rockin'. Indiana will continue to be Indiana, so even though we play there; I won't worry about this game. We then have Purdue at home, we're at a Penn State team that might be in their own head coach transition, and Illinois at home. If the Bucks can make it through that stretch they will find themselves in the BYE week with a game at Wisconsin in front of them. Wisconsin looks like they'll be sitting toward the top of the Big 10 for awhile. This will be a crucial game for both programs in what has become quit a big rivalry. You'd think that after 10 games this team would be peaking, so this is a good scenario for OSU. The week after that the Wolverines will come to Columbus for the first time under Brady Hoke. I'm sure this game will be heated once again as Hoke looks to take this program in the right direction.

There's still much of this season left, and there's plenty reasons to be excited about what's going to happen on and off the field; but I couldn't resist a glance to the future. I hope this team continues to get better, and I really hope they make smart moves with the coaches. It will be interesting to witness this transition in the Buckeye Football program.