Ohio State football: Which players will be alpha dogs in 2019?
With so many star players moving on to the NFL which guys will step up to be the alpha dogs to lead the 2019 Ohio State football team?
When the Ohio State football team lost Nick Bosa in week three last year, the void of leadership on that side of the ball was palpable for the rest of the season. An argument can be made that Bosa’s absence impacted the entire team, not just the defense.
That is not surprising considering he was one of the 10-percenters that Urban Meyer often referred to when evaluating a team’s potential.
Meyer is not alone in his strategy of building a program around these players. Every coach in every sport preaches leadership. It is the glue that binds a team and often separates good teams from championship teams.
Ryan Day has many challenges to address in his first season. Despite the news of Matthew Baldwin transferring, perhaps no challenge is greater than coalescing the 10-percenters.
These are the players that raise their level of performance and demand more of their teammates as they navigate through the inevitable trials encountered throughout the season.
Bluntly stated, they don’t let 29-point losses to Purdue happen.
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Who will be Day’s leaders in 2019?
It is easy to point to the loss of key players like Dwayne Haskins, Terry McLaurin and Parris Campbell and think this team may have a down year.
The reality is this is a team loaded with players ready for memorable seasons. The talent pool is incredible and any number of guys could become the alpha dogs that drive the team week after week.
My money is on Branden White, Shaun Wade, Brandon Bowen and Tommy Togiai. The sleeper is J.K. Dobbins.
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The Buckeyes were on the cusp of making the College Football Playoff invitational the last two seasons. Making it for the third time will require a band of leaders that demand excellence.