Looking to 2015: What's Ohio State's forecast following national title win?

Ohio State 2015 outlook: What's next for Buckeyes after winning national championship?

If there were a spot above No. 1 in the preseason rankings heading into 2015, Ohio State would be there with a bullet.

The Buckeyes dispatched the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the College Football Playoff rankings by a combined score of 84-55, getting all-world performances out of a sophomore tailback and rallying behind an unlikely third-string quarterback. Oh, and the Buckeyes kept the Heisman Trophy winner and both other finalists in check en route to the Big Ten’s first national championship since 2002, when Ohio State beat Miami in the Fiesta Bowl.

And to think, the Buckeyes weren’t even supposed to be here.

Ohio State's reign is only beginning after national title win over Oregon

"To say we had this vision back in September or even August, no, not a chance," coach Urban Meyer said after the 42-20 win. "I thought this was a team that we could battle and battle and find a way to win a bunch of games and then a year later go make a run at it.”

So much for a rebuilding season. Ohio State retooled its offensive line, replaced two first-round NFL draft picks on defense and found somebody to follow in the footsteps of Carlos Hyde. That was all before incumbent starting quarterback Braxton Miller went down with a serious shoulder injury at the end of fall camp.

Following a 35-21 loss to Virginia Tech on Sept. 6, the Buckeyes weren’t focused on getting in the top four of the rankings. Rather, they were trying to climb into position to reach the Big Ten title game. Yet that’s when quarterback J.T. Barrett went supernova. He threw for six touchdowns in game against Kent State on Sept. 13. He passed for four scores with no interceptions in a 50-28 win over Cincinnati on Sept. 27. He dazzled with his arm and his legs in subsequent victories over Maryland (Oct. 4) and Rutgers (Oct. 18).

His turning point seemed to come at Penn State on Oct. 25. Barrett didn’t have his best game, not by a long shot, against an underrated Nittany Lions’ defense. Ohio State was pushed to overtime after blowing a big lead. But Barrett ran for a score in the first overtime, then followed that up with the game-winning touchdown in the second. This wasn’t just a guy who was capable of handling the Buckeyes’ offense. He was something special.

Name	Position
Evan Spencer	Wide receiver
Devin Smith	Wide receiver
Jeff Heuerman	Tight end
Michael Bennett	Defensive tackle
Steve Miller	Defensive end
Rashad Frazier	Defensive end
Curtis Grant	Linebacker
Doran Grant	Cornerback

Even when the Buckeyes upset Michigan State 49-37 on Nov. 8, it still seemed crazy to think they could play their way into the playoff field. But everything fell into place. A 59-0 exclamation point over Wisconsin in the conference championship helped sway the opinion of the committee -- even with Barrett injured and Cardale Jones taking his place.

The team that wasn’t supposed to be here wasn’t supposed to beat Alabama, either. Or take down the Heisman winner. But motivation is a heck of a thing.

“That’s Urban Meyer. He never stops trying to figure out another way to motivate players, improve the program, get coaches to coach better,” Boston College coach Steve Addazio told SI’s Pete Thamel on Monday. “That’s the secret recipe to him. It’s not scheme. The scheme is fine, but there’s too much emphasis on that. Get your guys to play fast and get them motivated, that’s your value as a coach."

A year or so ahead of schedule, Ohio State seems primed to stay at the top for as long as Meyer sticks around in Columbus. The biggest issue for the Buckeyes is having three standout quarterbacks and no way to play them all.

Urban Meyer's motivational mastery propels Ohio State to a national title

Barrett has already said he is sticking around, and even if one or both of Jones and Miller decide it’s in their best interest to transfer or enter the draft (Meyer has said he will discuss the early-entry process with Jones, but Jones has said, “My personal opinion is I’m not ready for that level yet”), there is four-star quarterback Torrance Gibson coming to campus in 2015.

The offensive line, which came together throughout the season, won’t see many changes. Lots of skill players, headlined by Michael Thomas, remain on the outside. And Ezekiel Elliott, he of the 696 rushing yards and eight combined touchdowns in the Big Ten title game, Sugar Bowl and national championship, will enter his junior year. And that’s just on offense. Defensively, Joey Bosa will be back along with cornerback Eli Apple and linebacker Raekwon McMillan. Linebacker Darron Lee, safety Vonn Bell and others will return, too.

The scary thing for Ohio State is it just won the national championship, and it wasn’t even as good as it can be. That’s not to say a drop-off won’t come -- Meyer can look to Alabama there -- but the Buckeyes are stacked, not only for next year but for years down the road. Ohio State already has commitments from 11 four-star prospects in the class of 2015 alone, and picked up verbal pledges from Kareem Walker, a big-time ’16 running back, and four-star ’17 cornerback Shaun Wade during the title game on Monday.

The Big Ten -- and college football, by and large -- needed Ohio State to be an elite program again. That happened. The only problem for the rest of the league? It has to keep playing the increasingly dangerous Buckeyes, year in and year out.

Ohio State's Road to the National Championship

Ohio State 34, Navy 17 (Aug. 30)

Al Tielemans/SI

The J.T. Barrett era began with neither a bang nor a whimper, but instead a calm, conservative victory. The redshirt freshman completed 12-of-15 passes for 226 yards with two touchdowns and a blunder of an interception.

Virginia Tech 35, Ohio State 21 (Sept. 6)

Khris Hale/Icon Sportswire

Disaster struck early for the Buckeyes as Virginia Tech -- which went on to barely get to bowl eligibility -- took down Ohio State in Columbus, breaking through a porous Buckeyes offensive line for seven sack while limiting Barrett to 9-of-29 passing with three interceptions.

Ohio State 66, Kent State 0 (Sept. 13)

Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

Ohio State took out its frustration from the loss to the Hokies on a hapless Kent State squad, as Barrett tied a school record with six touchdown passes -- five in the first half.

Ohio State 50, Cincinnati 28 (Sept. 27)

Al Tielemans/SI

Cincinnati quarterback Gunner Kiel kept the Bearcats in it with 352 yards passing and four touchdowns, but the Buckeyes exploded for 710 yards of offense behind Barrett and running back Ezekiel Elliott.

Ohio State 52, Maryland 24 (Oct. 4)

Daniel Kucin Jr./Icon Sportswire

The Buckeyes gave Maryland a cold welcome to the Big Ten in the Terrapins' first home conference game. Barrett continued to show his rapid improvement, passing for 267 yards with five total touchdowns, and Ohio State's defense forced four interceptions.

Ohio State 56, Rutgers 17 (Oct. 18)

Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire

The Buckeyes scored 50 or more points for the fourth consecutive game, setting a school record as they trounced the Scarlet Knights. Barrett racked up five total touchdowns with 261 yards passing and 107 yards on the ground.

Ohio State 31, Penn State 24 2OT (Oct. 25)

Scott Terna/Icon Sportswire

With Barrett struggling through a sprained MCL, the Buckeyes blew a 17-0 lead but escaped Happy Valley with a double-overtime victory. Joey Bosa picked up 2 1/2 sacks, the last one ending the game by forcing a turnover-on-downs.

Ohio State 55, Illinois 14 (Nov. 1)

Jay LaPrete/AP

After the scare against the Nittany Lions, the Buckeyes took no chances against the Fighting Illini, building a 48-0 advantage en route to the lopsided win.

Ohio State 49, Michigan State 37 (Nov. 8)

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

In a College Football Playoff elimination game, Ohio State proved its superiority with a dominant victory in East Lansing. Barrett passed for 300 yards, rushed 86 and scored five touchdowns while Elliott tallied 154 yards on the ground with two scores. The Buckeyes never trailed in the second half.

Ohio State 31, Minnesota 24 (Nov. 15)

Ann Heisenfelt/AP

The Buckeyes picked up their second road victory over a ranked team in as many weeks, surviving heavy snow and a 145-yard, three touchdown effort from Golden Gophers running back David Cobb. Despite Barrett setting the Ohio State record for total touchdowns in a season, the Buckeyes needed a late onside kick recovery to seal the win.

Ohio State 42, Indiana 27 (Nov. 22)

Jay LaPrete/AP

Tevin Coleman (228 yards rushing and three touchdowns) and the Hoosiers gave the Buckeyes all they could handle and might have pulled the stunning upset if not for Jalin Marshall. Ohio State's redshirt freshman score four straight second-half touchdowns, including a 54-yard punt return late in the third quarter that gave the Buckeyes the lead for good.

Ohio State 42, Michigan 28 (Nov. 29)

Khris Hale/Icon Sportswire

The joy of a closer-than-expected win over their biggest rival was muted by the Buckeyes' sorrow over J.T. Barrett's injury, a fractured ankle that ended his season. After the quarterback went down on the first play of the fourth quarter, Ohio State scored twice to pull away for the victory.

Ohio State 59, Wisconsin 0 (Dec. 6)

Jeff Haynes/SI

No Braxton Miller and no J.T. Barrett? No problem for the Buckeyes. Third-stringer Cardale Jones engineered an annihilation of the Badgers as Ohio State dominate every facet of the game and leapfrogged TCU while holding off Baylor to earn the No. 4 seed in the playoff.

Ohio State 42, Alabama 35 (Jan. 1)

Al Tielemans/SI

Jones delivered again for the Buckeyes, picking up 286 yards of offense as the Ohio State stunned Alabama to win Sugar Bowl and advance to the national title game. Elliott's fourth-quarter, 85-yard touchdown run and Tyvis Powell's interception on Blake Sims' Hail Mary helped seal the upset.