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College Football Rankings: Top 25 entering spring games

By Brad Weiss

December 31, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; General view of the College Football Playoff championship trophy during the game between the Clemson Tigers and Ohio State Buckeyes at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
December 31, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; General view of the College Football Playoff championship trophy during the game between the Clemson Tigers and Ohio State Buckeyes at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 26, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Nick Bosa (center) celebrates his overtime sack with Buckeyes defensive lineman Robert Landers (left) and defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones (right) against the Michigan Wolverines at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won 30-27. Mandatory Credit: Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 26, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Nick Bosa (center) celebrates his overtime sack with Buckeyes defensive lineman Robert Landers (left) and defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones (right) against the Michigan Wolverines at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won 30-27. Mandatory Credit: Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports /
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Ohio State Buckeyes

2016: 11-2, Big Ten- East Division

The Ohio State Buckeyes were one of the best teams in college football last season, with only an upset loss to Penn State on the docket prior to their College Football Playoff game against Clemson. However, they looked pretty bad during that loss, being shutout by Deshaun Watson and company by the score of 31-0. The loss led to questions about whether or not J.T. Barrett would be under center for the team in 2017, and that is downright ludicrous.

Barrett should definitely be the man for the Buckeyes next season, though he will be without his top option from 2016, Noah Brown. Running back Mike Weber will be returning after a fantastic freshman season, and he should be in for a big season as a sophomore. The biggest loss on offense is definitely Curtis Samuel, as he played that featured H-Back role in head coach Urban Meyer’s offense.

Don’t feel too sorry for the Buckeyes, though, as they should be loaded once again in 2017. Barrett will be hungry after a bad performance in the Fiesta Bowl, and outside of a road game against Michigan, the schedule actually favors Ohio State this season. An early September matchup against Oklahoma at home will be a huge test for a Buckeyes secondary that has plenty of holes to fill.

Safety Malik Hooker and cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore and Gareon Conley are all gone, meaning it is back to the drawing board for Meyer. Ohio State has some solid talent at corner this season, but replacing Hooker at safety will be almost impossible. Luckily for them, the Big Ten does not have a ton of good quarterbacks, so they should be able to get by with a decent secondary, and some talented players up front on defense. Expect at least ten wins out of Ohio State, and possibly a shot at a national title.

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