Welcome to the 2018 Ohio State Buckeyes’ football preview. We’ll discuss the Pros/Cons of the this year’s Buckeyes, take a look at their over/under win total, check out a potential impact newcomer, & see how good this Buckeyes team can be.

Pros/Cons

Pros:

• Preseason Polls

Once again the Ohio State Buckeyes are projected to be one of the top teams in the country this year. Their preseason ranking stands at No. 3 in the country, and they boast another Top 10 incoming recruiting class. All in all, the talent is there for a chance to defend their B1G Ten Championship and make another run at a CFB Playoff berth.

• Urban Meyer has a chip on his shoulder

Last season, Ohio State was denied their fourth CFB Playoff berth, as the committee awarded it to Alabama, despite Ohio State winning the B1G Championship. Many individuals across the country, especially head coach Urban Meyer, believe that the Buckeyes were robbed in that situation. Expect this group of players to remember what happened last year, and look to get some redemption by winning their first National Championship since 2014.

• Star power

Whether it be potential Heisman candidate RB JK Dobbins, or possible Bednarik Award winner DE Nick Bosa, the Buckeyes are stacked with star power. Both players are also on the Maxwell Award watch list. However, it doesn’t stop with them. WR KJ Hill is poised for a breakout year. DE Chase Young will have a chance to shine with more playing time. OL Michael Jordan (no not that one) is a potential All-B1G candidate. Even newcomers like TE Jeremy Ruckert have high ceilings and seem destined for stardom.

Cons:

• QB Situation

Gone is the golden era of Ohio State quarterbacks from Braxton Miller to JT Barrett. Now, a new group of quarterbacks will battle it out for the starting job this year. The starting gig will come down to a battle between sophomore QB Dwayne Haskins and junior QB Joe Burrow. This is intriguing as both quarterbacks have very different skill sets. Dwayne Haskins is the more athletic of the two, and tends to use his running ability more in a game, while Joe Burrow is more of the traditional pocket QB. It will be very important to see who head coach Urban Meyer decides to be his starting QB, as it will likely have a big impact on the type of offense that this year’s Ohio State Buckeyes run.

2018 Season O/U Win Total

A lot of individuals around the Buckeye fan base believe this is their year to get back to the CFP Playoff and win the National Championship and we agree. Personally, we think the Buckeyes have one of the easier schedules in the country.

We see the Ohio State starting off their non-conference schedule with victory over Oregon State. Next, the Buckeyes will play their opening B1G Ten Game against Rutgers, and will win comfortably. Up next, the Buckeyes have a neutral site game against TCU in Arlington, Texas. This will likely be a shootout in which the Buckeyes will be victorious. Before being tested by a feisty Penn State team, the Buckeyes will get an easy one against Tulane. This next matchup for Ohio State will be one of the best games during that week and will live up to expectations. However, we see Ohio State pulling this game through, yet again.

The rest of the schedule doesn’t really test this Buckeye team much. Michigan comes to the Horseshoe in the final game of the season. This is where we see the slip up could finally happen for the Buckeyes. However, this will not derail their chances of playing in the B1G Ten Championship Game. This is where Ohio State will get a chance to reclaim their spot in the playoff and will succeed in doing so. Vegas has their over/under at 10.5, so anything but a trip back into the playoff will be a disappointment for these Buckeyes.

Most predictions have them going over the Vegas’ number. We agree with that. The Buckeyes can and will exceed expectations this year. We have them winning 11 with the possibility of getting to more with a B1G Ten Championship Game and possible playoff games. That would be a phenomenal year for them. If the Buckeyes are to exceed expectations, it will depend highly on the type of production this offense gets from its quarterback play.

Newcomer to watch

Our pick for the Buckeyes newcomer to watch is 6’2″ 290 lb defensive tackle Taron Vincent. This was difficult to decide because this is a veteran Buckeyes team. They won’t have to go too deep in the depth chart. Thus, it won’t provide much of an opportunity for freshman to make an impact on the team this year. For example, defensive tackle is one of Ohio State’s strongest positions on the roster. However, it is hard to believe that a player as talented as Taron Vincent will not have any sort of impact on this year’s team. We’re not sure of his role or what his playing time will be this year, but of all the incoming freshman for the Buckeyes, he seems the most likely to have the greatest impact.

The Best Ohio State Football Team Ever?

Ohio State fans are used to winning, and winning quite easily against their opponents over the last couple years. Many are wondering how this team lost games last year, as they possessed the deepest roster that isn’t named Alabama. This team returns 14 starters on offense & defense combined. They have all felt the torment of losing and falling short last year. Now, they want some revenge.

Urban Meyer’s recruiting success always pay off, as the Buckeyes have a least one former 4-star or 5-star recruit at every position on the field. This is a truly impressive feat. A dynasty was built from the 2013 season to the 2015 season in which Ohio State was selected to the CFP. Now, it’s time for Urban Meyer’s genius to do something special with all this talent. Thus, it’s no surprise that everyone will be paying close attention to just how good this Buckeyes team can be.