COLUMBUS, Ohio – It was an unfamiliar sight on Monday seeing Ryan Day take the podium in Urban Meyer's place for the weekly press briefing. Day will be the acting head coach for the first three games of the season and here leading into the first game, Meyer remains suspended and out of communication for the team.

Fortunately for the Buckeyes a deep roster of coaches and players are trying to proceed with business as usual. One of the first major orders of business is sorting through some position battles and naming starters, even if the Buckeyes have every intention of getting a lot of players on the field in the opening game against Oregon State.

One of the first questions is about Ohio State's offensive line. Gone are Billy Price and Jamarco Jones and the Buckeyes need to lock down their line with a first-year starting quarterback in Dwayne Haskins. Haskins was officially named the starting quarterback over Tate Martell but who will be in front of him on the line?

"Mike (Jordan) is going to start at center as of right now," Day said. "Demetrius Knox will be at right guard. Malcolm Pridgeon will be at left guard. Isaiah Prince will be at right tackle. And then Thayer Munford and Josh Alabi will still be working through the week to see who plays there, they're still working through that."

Munford has been dealing with some small injuries and has been slowed down and that might keep him out of the starting lineup. Branden Bowen, a starting guard last year has had a slower than expected return from a broken leg from last season and has been impatient with his own comeback.

Moving back to quarterback, it was announced earlier this week that Chris Chugunov will join the roster as a graduate transfer and will be on scholarship. There has been no indication yet of how the Buckeyes remained at 85 scholarships, but Day reiterated that the team is at 85.

Receiver is a position where the Buckeyes are not having to replace anyone with the entire group coming back but the room is deep with so many returners flanked by some young guys. How does that rotation shape up and could we see 10 play?

"They're all going to play," Day said. "And we have a great depth there, which I think makes us really strong because when you have receivers who can roll in and out of plays, that keeps them fresh. And think about we have three captains in the wide receiver group alone. A lot of leadership there."

Johnnie Dixon, Parris Campbell and Terry McLaurin all opted to come back and were rewarded with the title of captain.

As for the defensive side of the ball, defensive coordinator Greg Schiano met with the media to update what is going on there. The linebacker position is one of concern for many people and the defensive coach let everyone in on who will be starting in game one at the position.

"The guys that will start the game will be Pete Werner, Baron Browning and Malik Harrison," Schiano said. "From there, I think more people will play. Generally, we have not done that, we have rotated defensive line but have not done that at the linebacker position. I am not sure we are going to do that full scale like we do with the D-line… we are going to see more people play."

One name that is not on the list is Tuf Borland and many people felt that he might not see the field this year or at the end of the season at best. But don't tell that to Borland and his coaches as he comes off of an Achilles injury.

"He may be back this week," Schiano remarked about Borland's rapid recovery. "It is amazing the way that he is rehabbed, the job that our people in the training room and medical people have handled him and the way that coach Mick has handled him. More important than anything is the way that Tuf is such a committed young man to what he is doing. He has made incredible progress."

The secondary is another position that fans figure will have to take a hit, after losing so many guys to the NFL each year. But don't look for any drop-off. Corner loses Denzel Ward but the Buckeyes will have depth upon depth.

"Kendall (Sheffield), Damon Arnette, and Jeff Okudah will be the three rotating and we feel like we have at least three starters in that room," Schiano said. "Again, that's a room that I'm getting more and more excited about every day because we have some youth at the position as well that is getting better. And at this place you better, because those corners tend to leave early."

And as for safety? Everyone knows that Jordan Fuller is locked into his spot but who will start alongside him? Isaiah Pryor and Jahsen Wint have been in a position battle since spring.

"I think it's been a great competition which has raised both Isaiah and Jordan's game," Schiano said. "They're both going to play."