The 20 Most Important People to the 2015 Season (No. 3)

Kyle and I will be sorting through the 20 most important people leading up to the 2015 season every day until the Central Michigan game which, as you know, is just 3 (!) days away.

Porter: I have Greg Adkins in the No. 3 slot. It sounds crazy, I realize, to say that Adkins is more important than, say, Emmanuel Ogbah. But I think it’s true. The offensive line is more important as a whole than No. 38 is on defense and Adkins is its puppet master.

It also sounds like he’s doing some big time work already.

“Coach Atkins changed the mentality, where we walked into that room from Day One and (he) told us, ‘We’re going to be a different offensive line than we were last year,” said Zach Crabtree.

“We’re going to be somebody that people look at and understand that we’ve come to play. Coach Adkins changed the mentality in that room, with him uplifting us, being positive, showing us how to get things done.”

Boone: I have Kevin Peterson here. Peterson is returning from a minor knee injury, and all signs point to him starting come Thursday night. “There won’t be anything medically that will hold him back,” Gundy told the Tulsa World. Peterson has already declared himself fit for play by saying, “I feel good.  Everything’s good, and I can’t wait to roll that ball out Thursday.”

Cornerback is a strength for this squad with or without Peterson, but his cover skills will be badly needed for a team that averaged 240 yards passing per game last season and return a solid option at quarterback. If we’re looking at how screwed OSU would be without Peterson, I still think the cornerback group could hold its own. But with Peterson healthy, the cornerback group has a true cover corner to throw at the No. 1 WR.

No. 4 (Porter: Salako | Boone: Ogbah)
No. 5 (Porter: Gundy | Boone: Carson)
No. 6 (Porter: Ogbah | Boone: Sheperd)
No. 7 (Porter: Bean | Boone: Childs)
No. 8 (Porter: Spencer | Boone: Taylor)
No. 9 (Porter: Carson | Boone: Washington)
No. 10 (Porter: Taylor | Boone: Bean)
No. 11 (Porter: Maile | Boone: Burton)
No. 12 (Porter: Burton | Boone: Simmons)
No. 13 (Porter: Walsh | Boone: Seaton)
No. 14 (Porter: Peterson | Boone: Crabtree)
No. 15 (Porter: Washington | Boone: Jacobs)
No. 16 (Porter: Sterns | Boone: Salako)
No. 17 (Porter: Childs | Boone: Sterns)
No. 18 (Porter: Sheperd | Boone: Maile)
No. 19 (Porter: McEndoo | Boone: Walsh)
No. 20 (Porter: Jacobs | Boone: Lampkin)