MORE TAKE TWO: Will USC's offensive changes be enough?
Take Two returns with another offering tackling a relevant topic in the college football landscape. Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney lays out the situation and then receives takes from National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell and an expert from the Rivals.com network of team sites.
THE STORYLINE
Justin Fields received a waiver from the NCAA and the former five-star quarterback is eligible for the upcoming season after transferring from Georgia to Ohio State.
Ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the 2018 class behind only Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Fields has a unique skill set where he’s a phenomenal passing quarterback but he can also use his legs to pick up needed yards or have designed runs implemented into the offense.
When Fields played at Georgia, though, he was largely utilized in only running situations and finished the year with only 39 passing attempts. The five-star rushed for four touchdowns and threw for four others.
Ohio State’s schedule is favorable next season. The Buckeyes bring back numerous high-level players on both sides of the football although there will be serious departures to deal with as well. Ohio State has moved to 8-1 favorites to win the national championship.
Is Fields special enough to make Ohio State a legitimate national title contender or are Clemson and Alabama in a stratosphere by themselves?
FIRST TAKE: KEVIN NOON, BUCKEYEGROVE.COM
“I still think that you have to look at Alabama and Clemson at the top of the list, but the addition of Fields with the waiver does put Ohio State right there at the top of the next cut.
"The Buckeyes won’t be without some key losses, Urban Meyer probably being the largest one, followed by quarterback Dwayne Haskins. But Fields will give the Buckeyes a talented dual-threat quarterback who has to still beat out Matt Baldwin for the starting job.
"The addition of Fields, along with the defensive coaching staff shakeup coupled with a schedule that sets up pretty well with a Big Ten that will be down in most places - save Nebraska and Maryland off the top of my head - should get the Buckeyes right there in the discussion for the playoff if not directly into it. Ohio State is really going to have to find a way not to have an Iowa/Purdue-type of loss this year as the team has had the past two seasons. If they can eliminate that, I have a hard time seeing a game on the schedule where Ohio State won’t be a healthy favorite and then the chips will fall where they will for anything beyond that.”
SECOND TAKE: MIKE FARRELL, RIVALS.COM
“Fields can be that good. I would say yes, Ohio State could be a national title front-runner if Fields plays to his potential in that offense because it will play to his strengths and he’s a much better passer than J.T. Barrett. If the Buckeyes were competing for national championships with guys like Barrett and Cardale Jones, then they will definitely be a title contender with Fields.”
