OSU Buckeyes

With spring in the books for more than a month, the long march through the offseason and back to football is only beginning. But BuckeyeNation is going to keep doing its part to speed up the journey -- or at least make it more interesting. This week, that means a bunch of countdown lists, starting with the slate of games on tap for a team coming off a perfect record (and not counting any against the Football Championship Subdivision or a team coming off a winless Big Ten season).

Ranking the 2013 schedule

1. Michigan (Nov. 30 in Ann Arbor, Mich.): As if there could be another place to start this list. The rivalry is as strong as ever with Urban Meyer stoking the flames and making it a top priority to win The Game above just about everything else. If the Buckeyes indeed make another run at perfection this fall, the latest edition in the series could again have huge stakes aside from just bragging rights. The Wolverines slowed down Ohio State’s spread offense in a losing effort last year, but they’ll likely be needing more firepower of their own to potentially stop a title bid in Meyer’s second season.

2. Wisconsin (Sept. 28 in Columbus): The blood doesn’t get quite as hot for the Badgers as it does the Wolverines, obviously, but this is about as close as it gets for the Buckeyes to a backup rivalry. The two programs have also produced some classic games over the last few years, and with an evening kickoff set for the Big Ten opener for both teams, expect a fevered pitch and an entertaining evening in the Horseshoe. Ohio State will be looking to get started on the right foot in the league; Wisconsin will be looking for an early signature victory for a new coach.

3. Northwestern (Oct. 5 in Evanston, Ill.): The Wildcats normally wouldn't be making an appearance this high on the countdown, but Pat Fitzgerald has pretty much broken the traditional mold for the program at this point and will certainly have the attention of the Buckeyes. Another late kickoff will add a bit of extra hype for what might be one of the highest-profile games Northwestern has ever hosted, and the Buckeyes could have a tough test for their rebuilt front seven on their hands.

4. Penn State (Oct. 26 in Columbus): The full impact of the NCAA sanctions leveled against the Nittany Lions might not be felt yet this season, but losing the group of seniors who helped them weather the storm so impressively last fall will be a significant challenge for second-year coach Bill O’Brien. Penn State will have had some time to develop younger players by this point in the year, but if the Nittany Lions are going to test Ohio State at home, the freshman coming along the quickest had better be the quarterback. Either way, two tradition-rich programs hooking up is still going to move the needle.

5. California (Sept. 14 in Berkeley, Calif.): The Golden Bears weren’t supposed to put up much of a challenge last year in the Horseshoe, and they ended up forcing Braxton Miller and Devin Smith to conjure up some late-game magic to help the Buckeyes escape. Cal has undergone a significant change in leadership in bringing in new coach Sonny Dykes, but he has some offensive pieces to work with that have had success already against the Buckeyes -- and this time it’s the Buckeyes who will be traveling across the country.

6. Indiana (Nov. 23 in Columbus): Like offense? Probably don’t want to miss this one then. The margin of victory might have ended up being somewhat deceiving thanks to a couple fluky plays late in the game last year, but even without those late scores, the Hoosiers and Buckeyes had already produced plenty of fireworks thanks to innovative offensive minds on both sidelines. Indiana clearly has made progress under Kevin Wilson, and it could be capable of producing another track meet if the Buckeyes focus too much on their advantage in personnel.

7. Purdue (Nov. 2 in West Lafayette, Ind.): The Boilermakers have certainly made things interesting in the series over the last few meetings, and in the end they were the closest to keeping the Buckeyes from going undefeated last season before Kenny Guiton came off the bench to lead a remarkable comeback in regulation on the way to an overtime victory. For whatever reason, from different defensive looks to Ohio State perhaps getting complacent, Purdue has been a nuisance -- and now it has a driven coach with ties to the Buckeyes. The Boilermakers could use the boost a win would provide for Darrell Hazell's program.

8. San Diego State (Sept. 7 in Columbus): The Buckeyes might be getting more credit for their nonconference schedule if they still had an SEC team on it, though even the improved Vanderbilt squad that canceled a trip to the Horseshoe probably wouldn’t have made the slate look all that more appealing. But Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith did go out and find another team coming off a bowl appearance to replace the Commodores, and the Aztecs have been a tough out over the last few years. A season ago they finished 9-4, a mark that featured a seven-game winning streak at one point and included a win on the road over Boise State.

9. Iowa (Oct. 19 in Columbus): The Hawkeyes might not be the most exciting team around, but their occasionally ugly style of play can at least make things bothersome for opponents. The Buckeyes will be coming off a bye week and starting a two-game stretch at home when Iowa comes back on its schedule, so Meyer figures to have his team locked in for an opponent that only averaged 19.3 points per game last season on the way to a 4-8 record.

10. Buffalo (Aug. 31 in Columbus): The Bulls probably won’t be providing much in the way competition over four quarters against a team expected to be ranked in the top five in the country, particularly on the heels of a 4-8 season last year. But they will provide some fresh bodies for the Buckeyes to test themselves against after nearly a month of playing against each other in training camp. And no matter the opposition, the first week will offer the first glimpse at Ohio State’s spread attack in Meyer’s second season, give a peek at the new-look defense -- and officially welcome back football.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The stakes are high, even if somebody doesn't have pads on during the scrimmage.

In case the physical, hard-hitting action didn't clarify how seriously Ohio State takes its live work even during spring practice, the group that had to line up for sprints after coming up on the losing end left little doubt.

Anybody involved with the defensive effort closed the practice on Tuesday afternoon running from one sideline to the other as punishment after Kenny Guiton ended a two-minute drill with a touchdown pass to Nick Vannett -- including the coaching staff and hobbling coordinator Luke Fickell.

"Academic people, coaches, everybody," Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer said. "It was good to see some competition.

"I’m not sure we have any answers yet, other than Kenny did a nice job leading that second group on a nice touchdown drive. Good day."

There was plenty for Meyer to like even before that final play, a deft pass from Guiton to the right-corner of the end zone where Vannett fought through a hold to haul in the score.

Guiton continued to provide reliability as the backup option at quarterback. Both lines had encouraging performances and largely played to a draw. A handful of receivers made eye-catching grabs, and the defense had success at times with a more blitz-happy approach than it showed a year ago.

And among those performances, these four also stood out as the Buckeyes start heading into the final workouts before the spring game on April 13.

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With national signing day in the books, the next big date on the Ohio State calendar as it continues working toward an encore for an undefeated season in 2013 is spring practice. Before those workouts begin, BuckeyeNation will take a look at each position to see where the roster is at -- and where it's going.

QUARTERBACKS

• Who's back: The Buckeyes didn't lose either of the guys on the two-deep from the end of last season, and while Braxton Miller's job is carved in stone and Kenny Guiton's veteran experience makes him a handy backup, the situation behind center could be even more stable if Cardale Jones is able to keep making progress after one brief, extremely public bout of immaturity last fall.
• New face: Early enrollee J.T. Barrett will be limited physically during camp after undergoing surgery to repair a knee ligament torn last October, but he's quickly impressed with his knowledge of the game and leadership skills and should only provide a boost in the meeting room. The best-case scenario for Barrett is a redshirt season that would help separate him from Miller in terms of eligibility. The Buckeyes have the bodies and talent on hand to likely keep him on the sideline for a valuable year of development.
• Projected depth chart: Miller starting ahead of Guiton with Jones getting third-team work ahead of the recovering Barrett
• Numbers game: There was hardly any doubt that coach Urban Meyer's spread offense and Miller's multipurpose ability were going to be a perfect match, and the two quickly produced huge numbers on the scoreboard and have yet to lose a game together. But there is still room to grow as a passer for the rising junior, and Meyer and offensive coordinator Tom Herman will be working hard to boost two numbers in particular -- 181.5 yards per game through the air and a completion percentage of 58.3 percent.
• One to watch: The Buckeyes know what kind of rare athlete they're working with as Miller readies for his third season as the starter, and Guiton's value off the bench was well documented a year ago as a junior. But this spring could wind up revealing plenty about Jones and how he fits in the picture down the road. It depends on how he develops physically, competes on the practice field and absorbs the playbook in meetings. Ohio State's situation at quarterback already would make most programs envious, but if it can get a third guy ready to potentially produced, or at least primed to be a backup when Miller is a senior, there might be more reason for jealousy.
• He said it: "I think we’ve got the best backup quarterback in college football, and potentially the best starting quarterback in college football. So, yeah, I guess that is kind of a luxury. ... Having Kenny and having Cardale now coming off a redshirt year and really understanding and buying into the program and what we expect out of him and out of that position certainly puts us in a position that probably a lot of schools would like to be in." -- Herman on signing day

Way back in the heady days of the 2012 preseason, we ranked every Big Ten position group from No. 1 through 12. We had to base our thoughts on previous performance and a lot of projections in August.

We're going back now and issuing a final, postseason ranking for each position group, and these will be far less subjective now because we have an actual full season's worth of data on hand.

Quarterbacks, naturally, are up first. (Those guys hog all the glory). You can take a look back and see how we ranked this group in the preseason here. Depth is an important factor in these position rankings, but having a standout main guy under center (or in the shotgun) is the most overriding concern with this group.

1. Ohio State (Preseason rank: 5): We figured Braxton Miller would improve greatly in his second year of starting and in Urban Meyer's system. We didn't know he'd become the Big Ten offensive player of the year or finish fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting. While he didn't always throw the ball with precision, Miller made all the big plays and led his team to a 12-0 record. The biggest preseason worry was what would happen if he got hurt. Kenny Guiton answered that in the Purdue comeback.

2. Penn State (Preseason: 12): The Nittany Lions were dead last in our preseason rankings, and with good reason considering their past performances at the position. But I did write at the time: "Call me an optimist, but I believe Matt McGloin will be more effective at quarterback now that he's got a more modern offensive system and peace of mind that he's the starter." Uh, yeah. McGloin led the Big Ten in passing yards (3,266) and passing touchdowns (24) while throwing only five interceptions. And he stayed healthy, keeping Penn State's youthful backups from getting exposed.

3. Nebraska (Preseason: 3): Taylor Martinez led the Big Ten in total offense and completed a career-best 62 percent of his passes. When he was good, he was as good as there was in the league. But he still struggled with turnovers in key games, including 12 interceptions and numerous fumbles. If he can eliminate the mistakes, the sky's the limit.

4. Michigan (Preseason: 2): The Wolverines are a hard to team to peg in these rankings. Do we rank them based on Denard Robinson's poor showings in big games against Alabama and Notre Dame? Do we rank them based on Devin Gardner's strong finish to the season, when he was as productive as any Big Ten QB? How much do we factor in the team's lack of a solid backup plan in the Nebraska loss when Robinson got hurt early? You have to weigh the good with the bad, which makes this spot feel about right.

5. Northwestern (Preseason: 9): Starting quarterback Kain Colter threw for 872 yards, which was nearly 450 yards less than nominal backup Trevor Siemian. But Colter also rushed for 894 yards and kept defenses off balance with his versatility. Meanwhile, the Wildcats could use Siemian when they needed to stretch the field. The next step for Northwestern is developing a more consistent downfield passing attack.

6. Indiana (Preseason: 11): Who would have guessed in the preseason that the Hoosiers would actually exhibit the best depth at quarterback? After starter Tre Roberson went down in Week 2, Indiana was able to plug in juco transfer Cameron Coffman and true freshman Nate Sudfeld to sustain the league's top passing offense. The three combined to throw for more than 3,700 yards. Coffman got the bulk of the work but needed a better touchdown-to-interception ration than his 15-to-11 mark.

7. Purdue (Preseason: 1): We overrated the Boilermakers' depth in the preseason. It turned out that only one of the trio of former starters performed at a high level, and Robert Marve didn't play enough because of a torn ACL and Danny Hope's misguided insistence on sticking with Caleb TerBush. Purdue actually led the Big Ten in passing touchdowns (30) and finished third in passing yards, but much of that was because the team often had to throw the ball a lot after falling way behind. This ranking could have been higher with a full season of Marve.

8. Wisconsin (Preseason: 8): Danny O'Brien quickly showed that he was not the next Russell Wilson, but luckily the Badgers had some depth. Redshirt freshman Joel Stave showed major promise before his season was derailed by a broken collarbone, and Curt Phillips turned in a nice comeback story by managing the team well down the stretch. Still, Wisconsin ranked last in the Big Ten in passing yards.

9. Michigan State (Preseason: 10): It was not exactly a season to remember for first-year starter Andrew Maxwell, who was benched late in the Spartans' bowl game. But for all his struggles, Maxwell still finished No. 4 in the league in passing and had some nice games in the middle of the year.

10. Minnesota (Preseason: 6): What could MarQueis Gray have done if he hadn't hurt his ankle, prompting an eventual move to receiver? True freshman Philip Nelson took over the reins midseason and broke out with a huge first half against Purdue. However, he failed to throw for more than 80 yards in the team's final three regular season games. Nelson led the team with just 873 passing yards on the season, and the Gophers threw 15 interceptions.

11. Iowa (Preseason: 4): Nobody took a bigger tumble than the Hawkeyes, as James Vandenberg went from a 3,000-yard passer as a junior to often looking lost as a senior. He completed only 57.3 percent of his passes and tossed only seven touchdowns, with eight interceptions, and Iowa showed almost no ability to go vertical. And no other Hawkeye attempted a pass all season.

12. Illinois (Preseason: 7): The Illini had experience at the position with Nathan Scheelhaase and Reilly O'Toole, but they were both part of a wildly dysfunctional offense. Illinois was next-to-last in passing yards in the Big Ten and also had just 11 touchdown passes versus 14 interceptions. In fairness, both QBs were often running for their lives and had very little help.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Quick hitters from Ohio State coach Urban Meyer's weekly appearance on the Big Ten teleconference on Tuesday.

Two for one: Braxton Miller checked out again just fine with the trainers on Monday.

On Tuesday morning the Ohio State quarterback worked out like usual, and he is still slated to resume practicing in the afternoon.

But there is still some concern about lingering soreness in Miller's neck according to Meyer, so it doesn't appear he'll be the only guy taking snaps for the Buckeyes as they start preparing for a visit to Penn State on Saturday.

"We’re going to have two ready," Meyer said. "Kenny Guiton and Braxton are a little bit different players, but they’re both good athletes so we’ll still have the elements to run the option and do the things that Braxton does so well. Kenny is a great manager, distributor -- he does a very good job, like a coach on the field, getting you in the right plays very easily.

"We’re going to have both ready, and it’s not that much different."

Guiton isn't nearly as dynamic on the run, and while his arm strength has improved and he made timely throws in the comeback against Purdue, it's obvious the Buckeyes are at their most dangerous when Miller is on the field.

Meyer didn't provide many specifics about the practice plan other than offering a reminder Miller would be in a non-contact jersey on Tuesday and won't be taking any hits from his teammates. But they will likely be watching closely over the next two days to make sure he's ready to absorb a few from the Nittany Lions in a critical divisional showdown.

"He’s real sore in the neck, but he’s good to go for practice," Meyer said. "Obviously there’s no contact anyway on him, but we’ll see here.

"I got to see him this morning, he worked out, and once again passed all his tests and everything yesterday. He’s good to go for practice, he’ll be no-contact, but our biggest concern is just how sore he is."

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The Heisman Trophy probably was the last thing on Braxton Miller's mind when paramedics loaded him into an ambulance in the fourth quarter of last week's Purdue game.

Now that we know the Ohio State quarterback's injury was apparently not that serious -- Urban Meyer said Monday that Miller has a sore neck but should be able to play this week -- we can look at how the injury nearly derailed his Heisman chances. Even before he got hurt, Miller had his worst statistical game of the season versus the Boilermakers, completing just 9 of 20 passes for 113 yards and rushing 12 times for 47 yards and one touchdown. The Buckeyes were also losing the game when he went down late in the third quarter.

A loss and an injury that forced Miller to miss significant time would basically have ended his Heisman hopes. Fortunately, Kenny Guiton helped saved the day, and it looks like Miller will return to start this weekend at Penn State in a big matchup. We'll have to see whether the injury causes Miller to alter his running style or play with less abandon. But the most important thing is that he's OK.

Kansas State's Collin Klein has assumed the lead in the Heisman chase, and the Wildcats' drubbing of West Virginia pushed Geno Smith back into the crowd. Because there are no clear-cut No. 2 choices at this point and Ohio State is undefeated, Miller's candidacy absorbed a rough outing. But it can't take too many more.

As we pointed out last week, the numbers between Miller and Klein aren't all that different:

Klein (7 games): 551 rushing yards, 1,397 passing yards, 24 total touchdowns, 278.3 total yards per game

Miller (8 games): 959 rushing yards, 1,354 passing yards, 21 total touchdowns, 292.9 total yards per game

The biggest difference? Klein has won more high-profile games. Miller gets a chance to answer on Saturday.

My ESPN.com Heisman Watch ballot for Week 9:

1. Klein
2. Kenjon Barner, RB, Oregon
3. Manti Te'o, LB, Notre Dame
4. Miller
5. AJ McCarron, QB, Alabama

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Tom Herman always has more than one plan of attack for opponents.

It's just that if the first way isn't working for Ohio State, the second and perhaps even the third put together by the first-year coordinator typically has one thing in common.

"Plan B usually includes [Braxton Miller]," Herman said. "I can tell you that."

The Buckeyes had to scrap that with the sophomore quarterback getting checked out at the hospital while they rallied for an overtime win over Purdue on Saturday, a comeback that validated yet again the trust the program has in backup Kenny Guiton.

It also offered another example of how difficult it can be to keep a multipurpose weapon like Miller healthy when he's taking punishment as a rusher, the fourth reminder Ohio State has had of that fact in as many games. The violent body-slam Miller took after his 37-yard run against the Boilermakers provided by far the most serious concern for the Buckeyes so far this season, keeping him out of action for the entire fourth quarter and the overtime while he received medical attention as opposed to just missing a few plays on a drive before returning for the next one.

Miller was ultimately released "symptom-free" on Saturday night and has been cleared to resume practicing on Tuesday, though Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer indicated during a press conference that his quarterback still had a sore neck. But assuming he once again bounces back to full strength and is ready to go on Saturday at Penn State, the Buckeyes don't really seem to think there needs to be a new plan for using Miller since his versatility, speed and elusiveness is what makes both him and the spread offense so difficult to stop.

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