Nestled firmly between its 2014 national championship and its 2017 recruiting class from heaven, Ohio State was supposed to have a down 2016, relatively. The Buckeyes underwent the greatest NFL draft exodus of all time. On offense, star running back Ezekiel Elliott is gone, along with a litany of open-field playmakers and stud offensive linemen. On defense, end Joey Bosa was gone, along with stalwart linebacker Darron Lee and defensive backs Eli Apple and Vonn Bell. They were just the tip of a 12-draft pick iceberg. The Buckeyes lost 16 starters, or basically everybody besides quarterback J.T. Barrett and a few others. So it’s kind of surprising that Ohio State beat the pants off erstwhile College Football Playoff contender Oklahoma last night, 45-24, in the Sooners’ own house after demolishing two decent mid-majors in Weeks 1 and 2. It’s surprising that the least experienced team in the Power 5 did that to a reasonably veteran team whose College Football Playoff dreams were on the line. It’s surprising that it wasn’t close. But there’s no reason to think Ohio State’s anything but a contender, despite losing so much talent. It’s probably best to hold off on declaring the Buckeyes’ Big Ten supremacy,…
Continue Reading: Ohio State's in a rebuilding year … and might be the country's best team anyway
