Ohio State football: Questions facing the Buckeyes this offseason

Here is a look at four of them:

1. What will the coaching staff look like?

The biggest move came first as Jim Knowles took over as defensive coordinator one day after the Buckeyes’ defense was again knocked around in a 48-45 Rose Bowl win over Utah.

How the holdovers — however many there are — respond to Knowles’ way of doing things will also go a long way toward determining if Ohio State can fix its defensive issues as well.

On the other side of the ball, offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson indicated in California he could be around Columbus for the long haul despite being frequently connected to head coach jobs in recent years. That bodes well for the continued success of the offense — and the staff’s ability to refine and improve the attack.

He is also the tight ends coach and has helped with the offensive line. The latter will be under new direction after the exit of Greg Studrawa. A new offensive line coach could mean schematic changes to a running game that was disappointing in 2021.

2. How will the schemes change?

Early indications are Knowles will likely tweak the defense in small but significant ways.

Those include doing more with one of the defensive ends, who could move around in the formation and present different challenges to the offense, and coming up with more attacks that are tailored for that week’s opponent.

Knowles reportedly does most of the game-planning himself, which would also be a change from the collective approach Ohio State has used on that side of the ball for many years through multiple coaching staffs.

On offense, Ohio State put up huge numbers but became somewhat predictable by formation as the year went on, making execution of their plans more difficult. Under Day, the scheme has been more flexible than it was in the Urban Meyer era, so that should not be a difficult fix.

Quarterback C.J. Stroud and a new crop of talented receivers are sure to remain the focal point, but there is likely to be a renewed emphasis on the running game after it was inconsistent this season.

3. What about health?

By the end of the season, Ohio State was down more than a handful of players who had suffered season-ending injuries.

Safety Josh Proctor and offensive lineman Harry Miller are both former starters who could play big roles next season if healthy.

Cody Simon was the Buckeyes’ best linebacker at times, but he appeared to struggle late in the season after suffering a shoulder injury that required surgery in December. Young linebacker Mitchell Melton could also boost the defense after going down last spring, as could veteran defensive linemen Tyler Friday and Noah Potter.

A full, normal offseason should also benefit the team overall after the Buckeyes appeared to deal with more nagging injuries than usual, perhaps a consequence of the pandemic’s impact on the 2020 season and getting a late start on winter workouts last year.

4. Which newcomers will help right away?

This is always something people want to know and often the hardest question to answer.

Perhaps no freshmen will become starters such as Denzel Burke and TreVeyon Henderson did this past season, but there are positions Ohio State could use help immediately.

C.J. Hicks is the highest-rated member of the class of 2022, and the Alter star plays the position of greatest need — linebacker.

Any of the defensive backs — including Jyaire Brown of Lakota West — also could move up the depth chart quickly as there are still more questions than answers in the secondary and Burke set the precedent last season.

Tight end Bennett Christian is also a candidate to get lots of snaps this fall as he enters a position group that will have few knowns if Cade Stover’s move to defense becomes permanent.

A pair of transfers could also help the defensive makeover: Tanner McCalister and DeaMonte Trayanum.

McCalister was a starting safety for Knowles at Oklahoma State last season while Trayanum is an Akron native who played running back at Arizona State last season but intends to play linebacker for the Buckeyes.