Ohio State Football: Replacing Buckeye Legends in 2019
The Ohio State football team will have to replace two legends in 2019. They have the guys in place, but how will they fare?
The 2019 NFL Draft has just concluded and nine former Ohio State football players were selected with an additional four signing as undrafted free agents. Those thirteen players will certainly leave a gap and hole to fill for this year’s group of Ohio State Buckeyes.
However, two people stand out above the rest – Urban Meyer and Dwayne Haskins. The Buckeyes had no shortage of elite players wide receivers Parris Campbell, Terry McLaurin, and Johnnie Dixon or edge rusher Nick Bosa.
But replacing a future Hall of Fame coach in Urban Meyer and a quarterback who threw for over 4,800 yards and 50 touchdowns en route to a Big Ten Championship, Rose Bowl victory and 13-1 record in Dwayne Haskins.
When considering a figure such as Urban Meyer, one does not simply replace the legendary coach per se. Instead, Coach Meyer handed over the keys to his well oiled machine to up and coming prodigy Ryan Day.
Meyer was an astounding 83-9 in seven years at Ohio State with a National Championship, three Big Ten Titles, five major bowl victories, and most importantly went 7-0 against “That Team Up North”
The world knows Meyer’s accolades stack high and are comparable to only a handful of coaches, but Meyer believes Ryan Day can pick up right where he left off if not take the Buckeyes to the next level. A statement that seems hard to process or fathom, but Coach Day has flashed his brilliance and astute football IQ during his three game audition to open last season as well as regularly on the sidelines.
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Day has spent the last two seasons being personally groomed by Meyer and will be ready for the monumental charge ahead of him. He overhauled the defensive coaching staff which will, if all goes according to plan, address the much-needed issues for the Buckeyes, especially at linebacker with the hiring of Al Washington.
Justin Fields will more likely than not get the nod over transfer Quarterback Gunnar Hoak from Kentucky for the starting role who will be tasked with taking over for Dwayne Haskins. Fields is also a transfer, but he classifies as the highest rated prospect to ever sign with the Buckeyes.
The hype and expectations surrounding Fields are exponential, and being paired with quarterback guru Ryan Day and his offensive system appear to be a great match with a lot of upside.
The 2019 offense will look like a combination of the offense under JT Barrett and Dwayne Haskins with the flare of Braxton Miller’s explosive playmaking abilities. Just like in recent years, the Ohio State offense will be among the top in the country filled with speed, physicality and intelligence.
The standard at Ohio State created by the centuries old tradition of excellence and winning creates lofty expectations year in and year out. 2019 will be no different within Buckeye Nation despite the analysts and the football power index predicting a drop off.
Moreover, it just so happens that when Buckeye football teams are surrounded by uncertainty and the underdog role, something always ends up brewing from the inside as true pageantry unfolds.
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Though Coach Day and Justin Fields are under immense pressure with the world watching as there is zero room for error, the culture and system of what has been built at Ohio State will offer an assist as the Buckeyes look to have a Fields-Day this fall.