Ohio States talent show makes it favorite in Big T

CHICAGO Ohio State lost 12 players to the NFL Draft and 16 starters from last season. It will have 44 players on itsroster whohave never played in a game.This might be a problem somewhere else, yet Ohio State coach Urban Meyer showed calm if not confidence in this years team at Big Ten Media Days on Tuesday."The i sue would be if it was a non-talented young team, Meyer said. "That's not the case at all. So it's a very young team, but talented. Probably the most critical coaching month that our staff will I'm speaking for myself that I' Abraham Almonte Jersey ve ever been through."MORE:|The talent is there. Its always going to be there. Alabama and Ohio State are the only two programs that have had top 10 cla ses in 247 Sports' team rankings each of the past six seasons. That talent is why Ohio State which is 50-4 under Meyer should still be considered the favorite in the Big Ten East.That, and ithasa better answer at quarterback than Michigan and Michigan State. Meyer said a conversation with J.T. Barrett on the way to the airport to the event affirmedall the events surrounding the yearlong quarterback controversy with Cardale Jones last season are in the past. Barrett appears ready to resume the Heisman Trophy-worthy form he showed in 2014 before a fractured ankle against Michigan ended his season."He was running No. 2,"Meyer said. "It wasn't his team like it is this year. He's more than ready to go now."COACH RANKINGS: | | | | Thats why the growing sentiment of this is the year to get Ohio State doesnt nece sarily hold up. Former Buckeyes linebacker and current Fox analyst Chris Spielman knows that narrative well."I think the mistake when you say that about Ohio State, Alabama or any of the perennial powers is that they accrue so much talent Brad Boxberger Jersey over the years that the guys that come up and replace them end up being pretty darngood players,"Spielman said.Thats something you can bank on with the Buckeyes this season, even if some of those cast members, such as Curtis Samuel, Dontre Wilson and Noah Brown, didnt see much action in the spring. Redshirt freshman Mike Weber is also in a must-produce role. The defense is built around Raekwon McMillan, but other players, such as Sam Hubbard and Malik Hooker, appear ready to step in. Freshmen, such as Austin Mack, Jonathon Cooper and Nick Bosa, are going to get a chance to play.Its only a matter of timebefore the rest of the country knows their names."I feel like the talent is still there, its just more the experience that, of course, is lacking,"Barrett said. With the lack of experience, then the confidence might not be there."MORE: If theres a silver lining to losing 16 Billy Hamilton Jersey starters, its that Meyer expects this to be the most hotlycontested training camp in his five years in Columbus. He used the term "free-for-all"more than once."I hope so, just because of the depth,"Meyer said. "Even 2014, we had some really great players step up but you didn't see the competition I'm hoping to see over the next few weeks."Thats the trick. Its not so much about the numbers, arrivals or departures. Its more about the hyper-competitive environment Meyer has created in Columbus, which mirrors that of the two-time national title powerhouse he had at Florida. Ohio State has pieced together a potential all-time recruiting cla s for 2017, and its to the point where Meyer admitted he hashad to turn down some elite players to maintain room in the cla Homer Bailey Jersey s. Roster management is complicated, he said."Thats awful,"Meyer said. "Especially if they are great kids."MORE: In other words, first-world FBS problems. Its a four-way contest among Alabama, Ohio State, Florida State and LSU for which team has the most talent.Yet there's a learning curve that comes with it. Meyer made it a point to not look past the first two games, against Bowling Green and Tulsa, but a road test at Oklahoma on Sept. 17 will be a measuring stick to see how all that talent reacts."It would be hard to take a completely green team into a game like that, Meyer said.Still, from the podium to the breakout se sion, Meyer maintained that calmandconfident manner. Unle s you mentioned the word "chill."MORE: For real, Meyer has zero chill. That word is not used around the facility. There are three reasons Meyer wants players at Ohio State, and thats why the talent will always be there.Meyer has an elite quarterback surrounded by potential NFL talent with more on the way. Since when was that not enough?"I crack up when I hear the recruits say, Hunter Dozier Jersey 'I love it there because it's really low-key,'"Meyer said. You'll never hear that at our place. 'I love it there because I want to be the best. I want to be a first-rounder. I want to win a championship.'"