No. 2 TCU | Top 25
No. 1: Ohio State
Last Season: 14-1 (8-0 Big Ten East)
Strap in for the Repeat
The three-QB Tilt-a-Whirl let one rider off this July -- introducing H-back Braxton Miller-- -- but the key to Ohio State's capturing the school's first back-to-back national titles was never the swirling debate under center.
"A coach's best friend is a running back who can shoulder the load while you figure other things out," says head coach Urban Meyer. "What Ezekiel Elliott did at the end of last season might be the best illustration of that I've ever seen."
Coachspeak? Not considering OSU's final three games, in which the 225-pound junior ran for 696 yards and eight scores. "He's the best practice offensive player I've ever had," Meyer says. "A guy who works that hard in spring and during the week sets a tone on Saturdays."
And with four O-linemen back from the No. 3 rush offense in the Power 5 last year (264.5 YPG), Elliott will emerge as the main attraction -- Tilt-a-Whirl be damned. -- Ryan McGee
Even the most diehard OSU fans weren't making travel plans for Arlington, Texas, after Miller went down and J.T. Barrett fell to unranked Virginia Tech. Of course, Cardale Jones ... and the rest is history. As for '15, folks in Columbus have every reason to start packing for Glendale, Arizona. The Buckeyes teem with talent -- seven of eight units rank in my top eight nationally (No. 1 at QB, 2 at RB, 2 at LB), and Joey Bosa (13½ sacks) is easily my top defensive end. OSU should be favored by at least a touchdown in every game, with MSU being the slimmest at minus-7.
IN IF...
They do what every analyst, sharp and projection expects: go 12-0 and win a second straight Big Ten title. The defending champs will have a slight edge with the committee -- the intrigue of a repeat is human nature. But the Buckeyes won't need much help. They even got in with one "bad" loss in '14, so there just doesn't appear to be a preseason scenario in which they're out (lose three QBs?).
OUT IF...
OSU improbably loses to Sparty or slips up at the Big House and falls short in the East. And the 49th-toughest schedule, according to FPI, simply doesn't afford the team any leeway. It's Indy or bust.
Ohio State's chances to win each game
09.07 @ Virginia Tech: 74.0%
09.12 vs. Hawaii: 99.2%
09.19 vs. Northern Illinois: 97.3%
09.26 vs. Western Michigan: 95.8%
10.03 @ Indiana: 93.7%
10.10 vs. Maryland: 97.4%
10.17 vs. Penn State: 88.8%
10.24 @ Rutgers: 94.1%
11.07 vs. Minnesota: 94.5%
11.14 @ Illinois: 91.3%
11.21 vs. Michigan State: 73.4%*
11.28 @ Michigan: 77.9%
*BROCK HUARD, ESPN analyst: Even this percentage seems small for the country's best big-game coach (15-5 vs. top 10) -- and he has 14 starters back.
SHARON KATZ, ESPN Stats & Info: FPI can't argue. OSU is the only team with at least a 60 percent shot to win every tilt. FPI ranks its D ninth, eight ahead of vaunted Sparty.
The Buckeyes are the defending champs, blessed with a manageable schedule and chock full of NFL talent. Add it all up and they're the safest bet of any team in the country to go 12-0 and make the playoff. -- Brian Bennett
We recently debated the best Big Ten player at each position and, outside of special teams, a Buckeye was in every argument. This roster is littered with All-Americans, and it's scary to think how much better the reigning national champions could be this season en route to a 12-0 record. -- Josh Moyer
The Buckeyes should be favored by at least a touchdown in every game they play this fall. This group has already proved it's sturdy enough to survive the injuries and other obstacles that can derail a 12-0 regular season. -- Dan Murphy
A temptation exists after the recent suspensions to predict a Labor Day upset at Virginia Tech or additional stumbling blocks. But Urban Meyer is simply too meticulous, and his team has too much talent stockpiled to forecast anything but a 12-0 regular season. -- Mitch Sherman
With the reigning national champions largely returning their roster intact, the Buckeyes are in some ways competing against themselves. They are loaded across the board, will be favored in every game and have a coach in Urban Meyer who knows how to push the right buttons to go 12-0 in the regular season. -- Austin Ward
No. 2 TCU | Top 25
