Ohio State Football: 5 reasons Buckeyes will win 2017 national title

The Ohio State football team returns in 2017 looking to, yet again, win the national title.

Head coach Urban Meyer and the Ohio State Buckeyes left the 2016 season with a bitter taste in their mouth. The Buckeyes have made it to the College Football Playoff two out of three times since it’s establishment, winning the championship in 2014 over the Oregon Ducks.

Since then, it’s been anything but smooth sailing for Meyer and company. In 2015, the Michigan State Spartans took the Buckeyes spot in the playoff. They lost to the Alabama Crimson Tide 38-0 that season.

Last season, the Buckeyes posted a shutout of their own, only they were on the losing end of it. Their 31-0 loss to the Clemson Tigers in the Fiesta Bowl certainly stung. It was the first shutout in Coach Meyer’s tenure as a head coach.

This season, the Ohio State Buckeyes are back and they are playing with a bit of a chip on their shoulder. Quarterback J.T. Barrett leads an offense that he hopes to get back to its old form. Granted, the offense wasn’t all that bad considering it was 13th in the nation in points per game (39.4). The passing game still needs work as it ranked 81st in the nation at 213.9 yards per game.

The good news for the Buckeyes is they return a lot of talent and they haven’t done bad on the recruiting trail either. They should have guys ready to step up and contribute this season.

Ohio State is prime for a run to the national title game and here’s a look at five reasons why.