Nearly one year ago today, news that the two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year would not be able to suit up in the 2014 season shook the college football world. A fan base with championship expectations was left stupefied by the thoughts of their football team without Braxton Miller under center. How could this possibly happen? This cannot be true. A team that had their dreams of a National Championship ripped away from them at the hands of Michigan State just months earlier was now about to relive that feeling in training camp? This cannot be true.
As most fans are aware of at this point, Braxton Miller missing the entire 2014 season was indeed true. However, it was much more of a blessing than curse. Despite a tough September loss to Virginia Tech, Ohio State rolled through their 2014 season to a 10-1 record prior to their game against that school up north. The excitement of what appeared to be turning into another hard fought victory over their bitter rivals was quickly overshadowed by yet another devastating injury. The quarterback who had made Ohio State fans forget the horrors of losing to Michigan State and later their Heisman hopeful Quarterback had broken his ankle, and fans hearts. In less than a calendar year, it seemed that Ohio State’s National Championship hopes had been ruthlessly ripped away from them on three separate occasions.
As multiple reports surface on this Thursday, July 30, that four Ohio State Buckeyes will be suspended for the start of the 2015 season, I cannot help but recount the anguish felt subsequent to the losses of Braxton Miller and JT Barrett. There was no way Urban Meyer could develop one of his two backup quarterbacks into a good enough player to fill the hole Braxton Miller left. How was Ohio State supposed to beat Michigan State in East Lansing? They will not get into the College Football Playoff, let alone win it.
Obviously all these concerns seem blasphemous after winning a national championship and realizing who coaches the Buckeyes. However, these concerns serve as a reference point by which fans can base their reactions to not having four key players in week one off of. That’s not to say that fans should feel zero worry about losing key contributors in one of their biggest games of the season. Joey Bosa is arguably the best player on the team. Jalin Marshall and Dontre Wilson are explosive playmakers, and add losing Corey Smith to an already unproven wide receiving corps and the idea of not worrying seems unreasonable.
This year’s Ohio State team is the most talented and deepest team that Urban Meyer has had in his tenure at Ohio State. After winning a title, that is a scary statement for their competitors. This fact alone should be enough to talk Ohio State fans off the ledge of overreaction to four suspensions for only one game. But more importantly for Buckeye fans, this team has been saddled with replacing All-American talent before on the fly, and excelled while doing it.
Nobody wants to lose their players, especially not starters to what seem to be avoidable reasons. But if any team in college football was to maintain status quo confidence in light of such suspensions, Ohio State is that team.
