Projecting The Starters For Ohio State’s Matchup With Nebraska

Ohio State is less than 24 hours from playing in its first game of the 2020 season against Nebraska, and there are still some unanswered questions as to what the depth chart will exactly look like.

In our Oct. 17 print edition of Buckeye Sports Bulletin, we projected what the two-deep will look like for both the Buckeyes and the Cornhuskers as they get ready to face off at noon in Ohio Stadium.

On offense for Ohio State, the offensive line is officially set, with head coach Ryan Day announcing earlier this week that Harry Miller and Nicholas Petit-Frere would be the starters at left guard and right tackle, respectively, joining the returning starters of Wyatt Davis, Thayer Munford and Josh Myers.

The big questions come at backup quarterback and running back, with neither spot having a solid frontrunner heading into the game. Master Teague and Trey Sermon have been said to be splitting the carries with the first team in practice, and the same split may happen when they take the field against Nebraska.

At backup quarterback, there will likely not be an answer until Justin Fields comes off the field during a lopsided contest or from an injury, and fifth-year senior Gunnar Hoak is trying to hold off a pair of true freshman in Jack Miller and C.J. Stroud, who both lost their black stripes this week.

Defensively, the biggest question marks may be at defensive tackle, and the additions of Taron Vincent and Haskell Garrett as active players following their respective injuries could make a major difference against the Cornhuskers. If Vincent and Garrett are at or near 100 percent, one will likely take the spot of Antwuan Jackson next to Tommy Togiai.

The secondary also has some shakeups that aren’t set in stone, though cornerback Sevyn Banks appears to be the guy opposite Shaun Wade on the outside. The inside corner also seems to be in favor of one player, with Marcus Williamson getting the most buzz in training camp.

At safety, Josh Proctor is the guy to replace Jordan Fuller, while Marcus Hooker may get some opportunities both in rotation and in any two-safety sets.

For four free issues of the print edition of Buckeye Sports Bulletin, no card required, sign up at the link here: http://www.buckeyesports.com/subscribe-4issue-trial/