With so few returning offensive starters on the 2016 Ohio State Buckeyes, the recurring optimistic take of the offseason has been to compare this year’s squad to the immortal 2014 National Champions. While the preseason need to replace over half of the offense is of course a striking similarity, this is about as far as I’m willing to go in comparing the 2014 and 2016 Buckeyes.
Sticking to offense, the main reason why it’s not fair to compare the two teams is mostly due to where the returning production is coming from. While the 2014 team brought back a loaded group of receivers and tight ends, four new offensive line starters, combined with a brand new backfield, proved to be too steep of an early season hurdle.