Buckeyes: Better Off With Braxton Hurt?

Entering a new season, a team's expectations are built mostly on last year's performance and the quality of the returning players. For example, following an undefeated 2012 campaign, expectations for Ohio State in 2013 were national championship or bust. While the 2012 Buckeyes weren't exactly dominant, the team returned the entire offense minus one offensive lineman and a wide receiver. While the defense suffered heavy losses to the line and the linebackers, the depth of the line and the return of star LB Ryan Shazier seemed to be enough to keep the ship steady. However, despite this wealth of talent and experience, the defense fizzled down the stretch and the season ended in supremely disappointing fashion.

The end of the 2013 season saw the departure of
Our star senior running back, Carlos Hyde
4 of 5 OL starters
Our ultra-dependable backup QB, Kenny Guiton
Reliable WR Philly Brown
The only excellent linebacker in a crew of scrubs, Ryan Shazier
3 of 4 DB starters
Our 4-year starting kicker, Drew Basil

All that remained was the excellent defensive line, a mediocre squad of receivers, and our record-setting QB Braxton Miller, who the coaches repeatedly described as a vastly improved passer. Championship expectations remained high, especially given the transition from a two-team to four-team championship playoff, but the optimism was a bit more cautious.

You know what happened next. Bye bye, Braxton; hello, J. T. Barrett. The 2014 championship hopes now appear all but dashed, unless Barrett turns out to be the next Jameis Winston (not even freshman Johnny Heisman could lead A&M to even a conference title, let alone a shot at the crystal football). However, given the question marks surrounding this year's men of the Scarlet and Gray, might the Buckeyes be better off in the long run with Braxton's senior campaign being deferred to 2015?

Let's have a look at the depth chart for this year. With so many new faces, it's tough to know who'll pan out and who'll flame out, but let's assume Urban knows what he's doing: the starters are the best players available and they'll continue to improve.

OFFENSIVE DEPTH CHART:

Offensive Line
The line returns only one starter from 2013, junior LT Taylor Decker. This crew will need some time to jell and may take a step back from last year's excellent squad. Looking forward, the offensive line has only one definite senior starter, RT Darryl Baldwin. Additionally, seniors might start at C and LG. But the two-deep for the line includes only these three seniors, which means the line is likely to largely remain intact next year, and will probably improve.

Wide Receivers
Here's where the turnover will hit hardest. All our starting receivers, including TE Jeff Heuerman, are seniors. It's not a stellar group (the Buckeyes haven't had a great receiver since Sanzenbacher), but the 2015 team will have to make sure their receivers are ready to be on the same page with Braxton.

Running Backs
Ezekiel Elliott and Dontre Wilson are plenty young, and another year of experience will make them all the more dangerous in 2015. We'll lose Rod Smith, but if he was going to make some noise, he'd have done so already.

Quarterback
Remember how nice it was to have a backup on whom we could rely to preserve any victory if Braxton went down? As this offseason showed, we'll need a competent backup to carry us forward whenever Braxton's senior campaign begins. I'd feel much better if that backup, either Barrett or Jones, had a year of experience under his belt, and this season is a perfect opportunity.


DEFENSIVE DEPTH CHART:

Defensive Line
Good news: other than the loss of Joel Hale (to the offensive line?!?) this outstanding crew is still intact. Better news: barring any early exits, the 2015 starting D line will lose only Michael Bennett (technically, senior Steve Miller is starting at Viper, but junior Noah Spence should be back to take his place soon). Don't expect any steps backward from this squad in the near future.

Linebackers
Ryan Shazier is gone, which is essentially equivalent to a full flush of the position. No one else in last year's corps was any good, but they'll have a chance to prove themselves anew under new co-DC Chris Ash. Fortunately, only one LB in the two-deep, captain Curtis Grant, will be gone next year, so expect this group to improve.

Defensive Backs
These guys sucked pretty bad last year, but their backups were even worse, and three of last year's starters (Bradley Roby, C. J. Barnett, Christian Bryant) are now gone. The good news is that 2015 will bring the departure of only Doran Grant, so these guys have another two years to channel their inner Silver Bullets.


SPECIAL TEAMS
Replacing a four-year kicker isn't easy, but Ohio State thinks they have an answer in freshman Sean Neurnberger. Again, he's a freshman, so look for him to improve over time. Also, last year's most undervalued Buckeye, P Cameron Johnston, is plenty young, so expect him to be an all-star by the time 2015 rolls around. Meanwhile, young speedsters Dontre Wilson and Jalin Marshall will be terrorizing oppenents' kicking and punting games for the foreseeable future.


BOTTOM LINE
The depth chart is notably light on senior leadership, even more so following the loss of Braxton. While it's tough to accept anything less than undefeated championship seasons at OSU, the thought of Braxton using  another year to improve and get healthy and retaking the reins of an adversity-toughened 2015 squad sends chills down my spine. With Braxton's return, the 2015 Buckeyes could be the most talented and complete squad since 2006, or possibly of all time, if we can discover greatness among our stable of running backs and turn a corner in the secondary.

So grit your teeth, Buckeye Nation, and prepare for what should be an exciting 2014. Don't cry for Braxton or the Buckeyes. If Barrett turns out to be terrific, this team could still end up in Pasadena. If he experiences some growing pains, remember that the best is yet to come for Urban and the Bucks.