The Ohio State Buckeyes will enter the 2017 college football season focused on doing what it takes to contend for a national championship. The Buckeyes have reached the College Football Playoff in two of the last three years and while they were a bit ahead of schedule as a surprise contender a year ago there is no doubt they have what it takes to win it all this season. Ohio State’s road to success both on the national stage and in the Big Ten begins this spring as they begin their journey towards what they hope to accomplish this season. Here is a look at the five biggest goals for Ohio State this offseason.
Prepare J.T. Barrett For 2017
There is no doubt that Barrett is the most important piece on the Buckeyes roster. Ohio State is loaded with talent but Barrett is their biggest star and he brings a wealth of experience to the table. However, Barrett still needs to improve on his downfield accuracy and improvisation, which are two areas where he struggled last season. The Buckeyes have the sheer talent to contend on the national stage but they will need everything to come together with Barrett leading the way in 2017.
Work With The Young Receivers
A big part of the equation for the Ohio State offense will be the development of their wide receivers along with Barrett. The Buckeyes have a potentially outstanding group that includes Johnnie Dixon, Terry McLaurin, Parris Campbell, K.J. Hill, Austin Mack and Binjimen Victor, who were all four-star prospects. The key will be getting them in to the spring sessions and making sure they have as many possible reps with Barrett in order to get their rhythm down and establish a strong chemistry before the season begins.
Establish Demario McCall As The Starter
Curtis Samuel left after rushing for 771 yards and catching 74 passes for 865 yards with 15 total touchdowns last season. Now it will be on Demario McCall to step in as his replacement. McCall undoubtedly has the talent to thrive in the role but he must prove he is ready for the job in spring sessions. The Buckeyes have some intriguing position battles elsewhere but they would be smart to establish McCall as their featured running back from the start this season.
Fix The Offensive Line
The good news for Ohio State is that they will bring back four of the five starters from last year’s offensive line. The bad news is that they lost the most important piece in Pat Elflein, and the rest of the line wasn’t very good a year ago. That was quite obvious in the College Football Playoff when the offensive line couldn’t get much push against Clemson or get enough time for J.T. Barrett to make decisions in the pocket. That has to change if they’re to be better in the 2017 season.
Billy Price is expected to replace Elflein at center after starting at right guard a year ago while Michael Jordan will return at the left guard spot. Demetrius Knox could be in line for a promotion while early enrollee’s Josh Myers and Malcolm Pridgeon challenge for a starting job. The Buckeyes do have some areas of concern and the offensive line is one of them so the goal is to fix the problems early in the spring and continue to build towards the regular season.
Get Faster On Offense
While the defense is expected to be fine, Meyer and his staff would like to create a more up-tempo offense in order to really push the pace and attack opposing teams. A fast-paced attack typically leans on higher percentage throws and emphasizes getting first downs and really wearing out opposing defenses. The Buckeyes have the weapons to put up big numbers but now they need to prove they can execute at a high level and really push the pace. All of the pieces are in place and now comes the hard work this spring that will help put Ohio State over the top this season.
Click here to bet on the futures for the 2017 season right now. As we approach spring football, DSI has all of the latest college football lines, spreads and props for this week’s action!
