The strange and unforgettable college football season of 2020 is over and there’s little time to reflect in a sport where we quickly turn the page to window shop into the next season. For Ohio State, that usually means a pretty good outlook on a yearly basis since the Buckeyes restock with the best of them with a bevy of four- and five-star recruits.
There’s no tolerance for a so-called rebuilding year in Columbus, because the template of expectations has been set. But this year is a little different. Ohio State most likely loses playmakers Justin Fields, Chris Olave and Trey Sermon on offense, a ton on both lines, Shaun Wade and other key pieces.
More than ever, it’ll be a test of who is ready to step into the next football season after one in which there simply weren’t that many games to get reps for the younger guys. So, it remains to be seen.
USA TODAY Sports tackled the question for intriguing minds on what the landscape of college football could look like next year, and it actually has Ohio State in the top five despite all of the question marks.
Here is what Erick Smith says about Ohio State, and its way-too-early ranking heading into the 2021 season.