2014 Ohio State Passing Game Was Outstanding, 2016 Lethal?

The potential for the Ohio State passing game in 2016 is off the chart.

The 2014 Buckeye passing attack was one of the most prolific ever at Ohio State. Will the 2016 team be even more potent through the air?

In 2014, the Buckeyes had returning players who had been effective in the passing game, but there were several question marks going into the season. The same can be said at the beginning of Ohio State’s season in 2016 as well. But the ceiling may be much higher for the unproven players who will line up at the receiver positions next season.

In the championship season, the Buckeyes had had Devin Smith and Evan Spencer back at wide receiver. Tight ends Jeff Heuerman and Nick Vannett were returning, and Dontre Wilson had a nice freshman season in 2013 as well.

But leading receiver Corey Brown was gone from a passing attack that was good but didn’t exactly set the world on fire. Other skill position players had the potential to make an impact but nobody could be sure if it would happen in 2014.

Three key players in the passing game were redshirted the previous season. Michael Thomas was redshirted in his second year at Ohio State because he couldn’t get on the same page with Urban Meyer. Corey Smith transferred from East Mississippi C.C. and was then redshirted. Jalin Marshall was a true freshmen. Who would have thought these three players would account for 112 catches for 1,553 yards and 15 touchdowns.

In the 2016 season, Ohio State will have Curtis Samuel and Dontre Wilson back, and if healthy, they could be the best H back combo in the nation. True freshman Demario McCall, the number two all purpose back in the nation, will be waiting in the wings. The Buckeyes will also have tight end Marcus Baugh and everybody is expecting him to break out in his junior season.

Wide Receivers Noah Brown and Corey Smith will be returning for the 2016 season. That was supposed to be the starting wide receiver combination in 2015 but both were sidelined by leg injuries.

Smith will be back for his sixth season in college after receiving a medical redshirt. And everybody on the Ohio State staff is anxious to see what the talented 6-2 220 pound Brown can bring to the offense.

Wide receiver Parris Campbell was a starter at the beginning of the 2015 season until a nagging injury set him back. The sophomore caught a 54 yard bomb and caught a short pass he turned into a 40 yard gain in this year’s spring game.

Sophomore Terry McLaurin finally had a chance to show what he could do in the spring game. He caught a 44 yard pass on third and long and also covered 47 yards on a catch and run for a touchdown. Both Campbell and McLaurin could have breakout seasons.

Early enrollee Austin Mack is drawing rave reviews from everybody at Ohio State. Urban Meyer pulled his black stripe off of Mack, signifying he is officially a Buckeye, quicker than he had ever done that to a recruit.

Then there is the guy I dubbed the “lethal weapon” in a previous article, Torrance Gibson. The 6-4 200 pound Gibson is just a freak of nature.

With his speed, agility, and leaping ability Gibson reminds one of a young Randy Moss. If the former quarterback can learn the nuances of the wide receiver position, and realizes it could lead to riches while playing in the NFL, Gibson could be nearly unstoppable. He is just that talented.

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There are more wide receivers on the Ohio State roster I haven’t mentioned who may contribute in 2016. In fact, the Buckeyes may have more talented wide receivers / H backs than cars lined up in a McDonald’s drive thru at the peak time of the day. It is the most loaded group I have seen in my many years following Ohio State.

Then the same guy will be throwing the ball to the 2016 receivers as in 2014. Now J.T. Barrett is a fourth year junior instead of a young redshirt freshman who was battling for the backup job just before Braxton Miller’s injury.

Barrett has set Ohio State passing records and has received numerous accolades, and now he has a firm grasp of Urban Meyer’s offense. I would put my money on this year’s version of J.T. Barrett, wouldn’t you?

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There is no doubt that the Buckeyes’ passing attack was outstanding in 2014. But with the talent of the skill position players on the edge, and a potential Heisman Trophy candidate playing quarterback, the 2016 Ohio State passing attack could be absolutely lethal.

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