Griffiths: Media picks Ohio State to win Big Ten
By DOUG GRIFFITHS
ISL Assistant Editor
Fresh off a 12-0 season and with 12 starters returning, Urban Meyer’s Ohio State Buckeyes are the overwhelming pick to win the Big Ten this season, so says the media.
Of those 12 starters returning, nine reside on the offensive side of the ball, which should mean the Scarlet and Gray should have one of the more lethal offenses in the Big Ten.
As for running the table for the second year in a row, the chances of that pretty much hinge on defense, where there are plenty of holes to fill.
“Defense is where the issues are,” said second-year Buckeye coach Urban Meyer Wednesday in Chicago, where the Big Ten was holding its Media Day activities. “We lost our entire front seven.”
With that said, Meyer believes he has players more than capable of stepping up and being impact players. He mentioned defensive linemen Noah Spence and Adolphus Washington as two guys to watch.
“If they continue to develop, they could become All-Big Ten candidate players as they continue in their careers,” Meyer said.
The former Florida boss also pointed out that Mike Bennett and Joel Hale that are a talented pair on the interior of the defensive line and really come on.
At MIKE linebacker, Curtis Grant has taken over and is coming off what Meyer called an “excellent spring” after a disappointing 2012 season.
In Meyer’s words, Ryan Shazier started last year as an average backer, but when all was said and done was “one of the best linebackers in the country.”
What concerns Meyer about his linebacking corps is the lack of depth. Plus, some freshmen will be required to contribute.
Although the Buckeyes’ front has some issues that need addressed, their secondary could be the Big Ten’s best.
As long as the defense is average or a little better, Ohio State will be as formidable as any Big Ten team.
Why?
Because quarterback Braxton Miller returns. In 2012, he led an offense that led the Big Ten by averaging 37.2 points per game so slowing down OSU will be no easy task.
One way that offense could be slowed is if big key is starting tailback Carlos Hyde is absent. Currently he’s suspended from the team after being named a person of interest in an assault case against a female in a Columbus bar.
On Wednesday, Miller said his team got some good news regarding Hyde and his innocence in the incident.
“I didn’t receive the good news. We just have to evaluate the facts and once I evaluate the facts, we’ll make some decisions,” said Meyer when asked about Hyde’s future with the team.
Hyde wasn’t the only Buckeye to get in trouble with the law.
Cornerback Bradley Roby had a run in with authorities over the weekend in Bloomington, Ind. He was arrested on charges of battery.
Needless to say, Meyer was peeved about the incidents.
“I’m disappointed. Furious might have been the word to best describe when I first got the phone call because for 12 months it’s (players staying out of trouble) been really good and I don’t want a disruption for this team,” Meyer said. “These guys work too hard and to have a couple knuckleheads make some decisions that reflect on the entire program … I guess it’s part of the deal, but it’s something that bothers me, bothers our staff and something we work very hard to avoid with our players.”
Meyer was peppered by the media with questions about his reputation, how he’s disciplined players that have gotten in trouble in the past and as expected even got one regarding former player Aaron Hernandez, who sits in jails awaiting his trail after being charged with murder this summer.
The line of questioning was warranted when you consider the problems that Meyer’s past programs have encountered.
According to a report in The New York Times, 41 of the 121 players on Meyer’s 2008 Florida roster have been arrested.
Meyer is trying rid what seems to be a trend with his players running a foul.
“I think the head coach needs to set a standard, direct, guide, mentor, push his guys,” Meyer said. “Ultimately though every person is held accountable for the decisions they make.
“I want to make sure our punishment is as hard or harder than any discipline that’s out there. That’s maybe where I’ve changed over the years. Even if it’s a first-time offense with a freshman, I want to make sure we are setting the tone.”
Hyde or no Hyde, Roby or no Roby, Ohio State appears to be the class of the Big Ten, which enters the 2013 season looking to rebound in the eyes of the national skeptics after taking its fair of shots, and deservedly so, a year ago.
Keep in mind, when it comes to opponents’ winning percentage Ohio State has the easiest schedule in the Big Ten.
Serving as additional motivation for the Buckeyes will be the fact that they’re eligible for the Big Ten Championship Game in December and eligible for the postseason something that wasn’t the case this time last year. First things, first though says Meyer.
“We’re certainly not worried about November, December or anything past that,” Meyer said.
That goes without saying. Right now Meyer is simply focused on gathering the facts surrounding the Hyde and Roby incidents because without those two it’s probably a reach to think the Buckeyes can be a legitimate national title contender.
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