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Ohio State Football: Two post draft questions for Buckeyes

By Thomas Scurlock

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 01: Head coach Urban Meyer of the Ohio State Buckeyes shouts against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the All State Sugar Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 1, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 01: Head coach Urban Meyer of the Ohio State Buckeyes shouts against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the All State Sugar Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 1, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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Quarterback J.T. Barrett going undrafted and players leaving early raise questions concerning the Ohio State football program.

The 2018 NFL draft is over and the Buckeyes once again had another impressive showing. Seven former Ohio State football players were drafted. Denzel Ward was the highlight at No. 4 by the Cleveland Browns.

It is mind-blowing trying to understand why it took so long for Cincinnati and Cleveland to wake up and start drafting Buckeyes.

Here are two post-draft questions I have about Ohio State:

Is it telling that the Big Ten’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns and eighth in passing yards just went undrafted and all of Zone 6 returned to play with either Dwayne Haskins or Joe Burrow?

Measuring J.T. Barrett’s value to Ohio State football is a difficult question filled with a lot of gray area.

Putting the 2014 season aside for a moment, over the last three years Barrett was the team’s captain and  most productive weapon. He led the Buckeyes to one Big Ten Championship, one College Football Playoff appearance, two dominating bowl victories and three wins over Michigan.

That alone should cement him on Ohio State’s Mt. Rushmore.

I think the struggle for some of Buckeye Nation lies in the unknown. Was it Barrett’s arm that kept this program from winning another national championship?

No one will know for sure but that debate will continue. It may get settled, fairly or not, this season.

If Ohio State wins another championship and either Haskins or Burrow has a monstrous year, it is possible that Meyer’s loyalty to Barrett hurt the team’s chances over the last few seasons.

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The crazy part of me thinks the program has become too fixated on recruiting crowns and being a pipeline to the NFL.

There is no doubt that having elite talent is critical to winning and sending players to the NFL is a huge advantage when competing for that talent. However, John Calipari fell into the trap of selling his program as the best path to the NBA and he has one title to show for it.

I’ve said it many times, Meyer has one peer in this game. Nick Saban has five national championships in the last 11 seasons and has made the playoff four-straight years winning two.

Maybe it is me, but recruiting and making it to the NFL don’t seem like disruptions to Saban and the Alabama program.

That’s why I think 2018 is a very important season for coach Meyer.  He has a veteran team and a favorable schedule.

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If we truly have the best talent and coaching staff in the Big Ten, anything less than a playoff championship game appearance is a bust.

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