In this Buckeyes football news and rumors update, the loss of QB Braxton Miller to a season-ending injury hurt the Ohio State Buckeyes, but one ESPN analyst believes that the mass exodus of Buckeyes veterans after the 2013 season is still sending shockwaves through the team's depth chart.
According to ESPN's Austin Ward, "the common theme is not Miller. It’s how important Carlos Hyde was to the rushing attack. The value of having a veteran receiver like Philly Brown to provide consistent hands on the perimeter. The incredible work Jack Mewhort, Corey Linsley, Andrew Norwell and Marcus Hall did on the line. The amazing production Ryan Shazier provided at linebacker and the threat Bradley Roby posed to quarterbacks with his game-breaking ability at cornerback."
The biggest loss from that star-studded group could be the graduation of now-49ers running back Carlos Hyde, whose impressive athleticism and internal drive has been extremely hard to replace for Ohio State.
“Carlos brought a special demeanor, a special skill set to our offense last year,” running backs coach Stan Drayton stated, via Ward's article on Wednesday. “Are these guys Carlos? No, they’re not Carlos right now. But at the same time, this is a different team all around. We have a different offensive line. We have a different quarterback that plays."
"We have a lot of things different right now, so offensively, we have to fit our skill set."
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