Ohio State football head coach Urban Meyer directs his team during an NCAA college spring practice at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center in Columbus, Ohio, Tuesday, March 22, 2016. (Adam Cairns/The Columbus Dispatch via AP) COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — With just three returning starters on his offense, Ohio State coach Urban Meyer is thankful two of them happen to be quarterback J.T. Barrett and veteran offensive lineman Pat Elflein, who will start at center. After losing most of his offensive weapons — most notably running back Ezekiel Elliott, wide receivers Michael Thomas, Braxton Miller and Jalin Marshall — and three offensive linemen, Meyer will look to his starting battery to lead the inexperienced team. Barrett and Elflein have been named team captains for the 2016 season, along with middle linebacker Raekwon McMillan. “If you were trying to break in a new quarterback and a new center, you probably have no shot,” Meyer said Tuesday after the team’s third practice of the spring. “The fact that these two guys are back, we have a shot. I think we have a decent shot of being good on offense, and it’s mostly due to those two guys coming back.” Barrett enters spring practice as the undisputed starter at quarterback for the first time. The redshirt junior, the only QB on the roster with any game experience, became the starter in early in 2014 when Braxton Miller was injured, and went 11-1 before he hurt his ankle and yielded to Cardale Jones, who led the Buckeyes to the national championship. Last year at this time, Barrett and Jones were locked in one of the most intriguing quarterback derbies in the nation. …
Continue Reading: OSU coach Urban Meyer thankful for returning QB and center
