In what was considered an “off” year for the Ohio State Football program last season the Buckeyes were an impressive 12-1 with a victory in the Fiesta Bowl over Notre Dame coming at the end of the season. It was a roller coaster season in contrast to what had been predicted before the season began because one thing was certain about this team and it was that it had talent. Sure, there are plenty of teams around the country that are loaded with play makers, pass rushers, and big hitters but this squad of Silver Bullets was something that no one had ever seen and that was what led to the lofty expectations of a repeat along with utter annihilation of everyone along the way. Except, despite all of the overwhelming talent, the Buckeyes found themselves struggling in games that they were 40 point favorites and for the sake of winning games they could not find an identity. When an offense has the likes of Ezekiel Elliott, Braxton Miller, Michael Thomas, Jalin Marshall, and even Dontre Wilson it is already too full but when you throw in two very competent quarterbacks with conflicting games styles that are splitting reps then you really have an issue. The Buckeyes were the most talented team in the country last year, but talent doesn’t always equate to success yet it does equate to draft picks and the Buckeyes sure had the Championship in regard to those. May 6, 2016; Irving, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys number one draft pick Ezekiel Elliott (21) runs drills during rookie minicamp at Dallas Cowboys headquarters at Valley Ranch. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports Quality over quantity The Buckeyes didn’t break the record for most selections in the first round or even the most selections overall but they did quite possibly have the most deep class in the modern NFL era. The Buckeyes managed to have two selections in the top five along with five total in the first round, two in the second, three in the third, and two in the fourth. They had 12 total selections but all of them came before the 5th round of the draft. Let me repeat that because to have twelve selections at all is immensely impressive, but to have them all concentrated on the upper half of the draft with such density is unheard of. Using the Draft Pick Value Chart from Football Perspective, the Buckeyes have a draft rating of 151.2 which happens to be the highest since 1946 (Notre Dame) and has a lead of around 30. …
Continue Reading: Examining Ohio State Football’s historic Draft
