As Ohio State football season approaches, these five questions could determine its success

Ohio State’s season opener at Indiana is less than a week away and much about the Buckeyes remains a mystery.

At some positions, Ohio State is as well-fortified as ever. Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka lead what’s considered the most talented receiver unit in the country. TreVeyon Henderson headlines a five-deep contingent at running back.

The defense has enviable depth and is brimming with confidence in the second year of Jim Knowles’ scheme.

But major questions remain unanswered, and those will likely determine how successful this season will be.

Who is Ohio State’s quarterback?

The battle between Kyle McCord and Devin Brown to succeed C.J. Stroud has extended beyond training camp. Who’s the favorite? Truthfully, there haven’t really been many tea leaves to read.

Coach Ryan Day said last week that every time he believes a front-runner has emerged, the other quarterback has made a push. Day said he is pleased with each quarterback’s development and that he’s confident in either.

He sounded more willing to have the competition extend into the season. The Buckeyes should be able to win their first three games – Indiana, Youngstown State and Western Kentucky – comfortably.

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Then comes a road trip to Notre Dame, and it’s almost imperative that he settle on a quarterback by then. Day, a former quarterback himself, knows that rotating two quarterbacks deep in the season seldom works.

McCord seems like the safer pick. He’s a junior who’s been Stroud’s top backup for two years and has seen action in 12 games, including one start. He’s a polished passer and a better athlete than some realize. McCord is outwardly a quieter leader than the charismatic Brown, and the redshirt freshman who is also regarded as more dynamic on the field.

Have the concerns about the offensive line abated?

Well, the line looks much better than it did at the end of spring practice. Throughout March and April, the defensive line had its way with the offensive line, which had to replace tackles Paris Johnson Jr. and Dawand Jones and center Luke Wypler.

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The tackle spots were a particular concern. Josh Fryar was the top backup lineman last year, mainly at right tackle. He was shifted to left tackle in the spring with mixed results. Coaches wanted Fryar to lose weight in the summer, and he did.

Fryar has now moved back to the right side because of the emergence of San Diego State transfer Josh Simmons at left tackle.

Although Simmons played right tackle last year and didn't arrive until May, coaches and teammates rave about how well he has picked up the OSU system and believe he’s a budding star. If so, he and junior guard Donovan Jackson make for a formidable left side of the line.

At center, redshirt freshman Carson Hinzman has the edge on Louisiana-Monroe transfer Vic Cutler Jr.

After the shaky spring, the line is now brimming with confidence. Hinzman said he wouldn’t be surprised if it contends for the Joe Moore Award, given to the best offensive line in college football.

Which players have emerged as budding stars for the Buckeyes?

We’ll stick to one on each side of the ball. On defense, the clear choice is sophomore safety Sonny Styles. Remember, he’s supposed to be a true freshman this year. But he reclassified last year to enroll early and immediately impressed with his talent and maturity.

This year, Styles has taken another major step. At 6-4 and 220 pounds, he has the size of a linebacker, which is why defensive coordinator Jim Knowles plans to play him primarily in the slot. He has the speed and the agility to cover the slot or blitz and the size to be a force stopping the run.

"I think Sonny is one of those guys that you can put him on the field wherever – D-end, linebacker, safety," wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. said. "He can play every position on the field, and he's just that good of a player where he can impact the game from any spot."

On offense, with veterans Harrison, Emeka Egbuka and Julian Fleming in front of him, freshman Carnell Tate won’t begin the season as a starter. But it’s only a matter of time before he becomes a star.

Tate wowed teammates and coaches in the spring and that has continued, despite enduring the tragic loss of his mother to a drive-by shooting in his native Chicago in the summer.

“I think it's just the consistency,” Egbuka said of what sets Tate apart. “He doesn't have too many missed assignments. He does everything right. He just does what you need him to time and time again.”

How will Jim Knowles juggle all the pieces on defense?

This is the deepest defense Ohio State has had in a while. At almost every position, the Buckeyes have capable backups. Day has said he expects Larry Johnson’s starting defensive linemen to play more snaps than they traditionally have. Johnson likes to use a deep rotation to keep his starters fresh. How much will backups Kenyatta Walker and Caden Curry play? Will Mitchell Melton, back from a torn ACL, find a role?

At linebacker, Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers are the entrenched starters. But senior Cody Simon has earned playing time, Knowles said. Sophomore C.J. Hicks, a five-star recruit, also needs to play meaningful snaps.

The secondary is even more crowded. The Buckeyes are likely to rotate cornerbacks Denzel Burke, Jordan Hancock and Ole Miss transfer Davison Igbinosun. At safety, Styles and Lathan Ransom have nailed down spots. Safeties coach Perry Eliano said Syracuse transfer Ja’Had Carter, sixth-year senior Josh Proctor and freshman Malik Hartford are battling for the third safety spot.

Knowles will do plenty of mixing and matching based on situations. The key is to have all the changing pieces mesh.

Who is the Ohio State kicker?

That remains a mystery. Special-teams coach Parker Fleming revealed little last week about who was leading the battle between USC transfer Parker Lewis and sophomore Jayden Fielding, who handled kickoffs last year.

“We don't have like an exact timeline set,” Fleming said. “We're just trying to make sure that when we do make the decision, we feel really good about it.”

Ohio State fans don’t need to be reminded how important the decision could be. Noah Ruggles was dependable on short- and medium-range field goals the last two years but missed a 50-yarder that would have beaten Georgia in the College Football Playoff semifinals last year.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Five questions that could determine Ohio State football's season