"There might just be a wee bit of attention paid to the defending national champs."
-Brian Bennett, ESPN
Big Ten Media Days begin tomorrow and run through Friday in Chicago. As you would expect the Buckeyes figure to be at the center of the showcase over the course of the two day event. You can also expect to hear a lot of questions, though most likely few answers, about the quarterback situation. The most I expect Meyer to say on the matter pretty much boils down to "there will be an open competition in camp and we will evaluate both quarterbacks each day." And that's really the truth. Until he sees both guys in action during fall camp Meyer won't have much to say on the topic.
Aside from the quarterback situation, expect to hear a lot of talk about how the Buckeyes are dealing with the challenge of repeating as national champions. They find themselves in a completely different situation during the 2015 season than the one they encountered during the 2014 season. Nothing less than a national title will satisfy Buckeye fans in 2015. How does Meyer prepare the team for such high expectations? Expect a fair amount of questions on the topic.
"Who is Fong?"
-Doug Lesmerises, Northeast Ohio Media Group
You can't go wrong with heart warming walk-on stories. For me, they represent yet another reason to love college football. The unheralded, undersized practice players who pay their own way through college, all while sacrificing themselves for the good of the team. Very few will travel to away games. Some do not even dress for home games. All played varsity high school football though. Right? Not in the case of Chris Fong.
Fong, a defensive lineman who appeared in the most recent spring game, joined the Buckeyes after the school year began last fall. He missed preseason practice because the roster limit was 105. Only after the school year began and the roster was expanded to 120 was Fong allowed to join the team and practice. Quite a story; from JV high school player to earning a national championship ring.
"Bosa is the current favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NFL draft for a good reason."
-Matt Brown, Sports on Earth
Brown ranks the top 100 college players, and the Buckeyes are well represented on the list. Of course you would expect nothing less from a defending national champion who returns a wealth of talent. I was, though, slightly disappointed with the rankings; full disclosure: my scarlet and gray glasses were on. Braxton checking in at number 50 seemed off. I know he missed the entire 2014 season obviously, but the thought that there are 49 better players in college football is wrong. J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones were listed together at number 21. Perhaps Brown thinks each of their individual production/numbers will be down due to sharing time at the position. But is this a top players list or most impressive stats list?
I'm not griping about the entire list; Bosa is number 1.
"While I agree the Buckeyes are more talented than any team they'll face, I don't consider it a given that they'll walk into Lane Stadium on a Monday night and blow out a Virginia Tech team..."
-Stewart Mandel, Fox Sports
I agree that it's not a given. The Tech defense seems legit, and the Buckeyes will likely show some rust after not playing for nearly eight months. The Tech offense, though, is straight up bad; it's hard to imagine the Buckeye defense having consistent problems stopping the Hokies. Should the Buckeyes win? Yes. Could it be close for longer than some think? It's possible.
STICK TO SPORTS:
- Score one for modern medicine.
- Well, we had a good run society.
- That escalated quickly.
- Not his best idea.