Ohio State defensive end Tyquan Lewis (59) sacks Northern Illinois quarterback Drew Hare last season. Lewis is one of six returning starters for OSU this season. DON SPECK/The Lima News COLUMBUS — When Urban Meyer looks into the future he sees the past. Coaches don’t usually like to look backward but in this case it serves Meyer’s purposes. Ohio State has 16 first-time starters, which makes the Buckeyes the least experienced FBS team in college football this season. The hope is that exceptional recruiting the last few years will compensate for all the talent which walked out the door after last season, including nine underclassmen who left early to enter the NFL draft. But recruiting isn’t the only reason to think the Buckeyes can put themselves into the conversation about the College Football Playoff again, Meyer said. The recent past might provide a road map for this year’s team. “I see that potential. I think 2014 was the template that everybody wants,” Meyer said, referring to OSU’s national championship season two years ago. “J.T. Barrett was buried in the depth chart, Darron Lee, Eli Apple, Zeke Elliott, Mike Thomas — those guys were no-names, and they became very good throughout…
Continue Reading: New era begins for OSU
