The collection of talent the Ohio State Buckeyes lost to the NFL this past season was unprecedented. They sent a total of 12 players to the senior circuit, all of which were selected in the first 139 picks, including five in the Top 20. That's a heck of a lot of talent which needs to be replaced for sure, but Urban Meyer has always had a history of reloading his programs, not rebuilding them.
Ohio State Buckeyes Regular Season Win Total Odds at BookMaker.eu
Ohio State Over 9 Wins ( -175 )
Ohio State Under 9 Wins ( +145 )
Remember J.T. Barrett? The man who was the incumbent for the starting quarterback job two years ago before Cardale Jones beat him out and Braxton Miller switched to wide receiver? Barrett is back now, and he doesn't have anyone else gunning for his job. For our money, he was always the best of the Ohio State quarterbacks, and his 11/4 TD/INT ratio from last season proves that.
Barrett is going to be a Heisman Trophy candidate for sure, but does he have enough help around him to get the job done? The backfield is surely a lot emptier without Ezekiel Elliott, though Curtis Samuels is a highly touted prospect as well.
It's also hard to believe for a unit which only has three returning starters, but the Buckeyes might be every bit as good on defense this year as they were last season. They won't have as much NFL-ready talent, but the raw collegiate-level talent is still there, and that could be scary for the rest of the nation in the years to come.
2016 Ohio State Buckeyes Football Schedule
September 3 – vs. Bowling Green
September 10 – vs. Tulsa
September 17 – at Oklahoma
October 1 – vs. Rutgers
October 8 – vs. Indiana
October 15 – at Wisconsin
October 22 – at Penn State
October 29 – vs. Northwestern
November 5 – vs. Nebraska
November 12 – at Maryland
November 19 – at Michigan State
November 26 – vs. Michigan
If the Buckeyes get through this schedule with just one loss and win the Big Ten, they'll be in the College Football Playoff for sure. However, surviving five road games, including duels against Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Penn State and Michigan State, isn't likely for anyone in America, especially not a team which is going to be so young and inexperienced.
That said, the home docket will surely produce nothing but wins – at least until Michigan comes to town for the final game of the regular season.
QUICK PICK
The Buckeyes are going to be good again, but are they 10 wins against a really tough schedule good? The big problem when it comes to handicapping this team is figuring out how the youth is going to end up playing a role. You'd like to think that the Buckeyes have enough in resources to replace so much NFL talent with more NFL talent, but there are definitely some warning signs here that this could end up being a tough season.
We might very well regret this decision, but we're going to go against the grain and fade the Bucks at a win total of nine. We think that 9-3 is probably going to end up being just right for Ohio State, but we think it's more likely that the team is beaten in all four of these really nasty road games than winning three of the five and beating Michigan.
College Football Odds: Ohio State Buckeyes Under 9 Wins
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone or tablet with BookMaker's new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here, and start wagering right now!
