Dispatch reporters and editors answer readers’ questions about Ohio State athletics each week at BuckeyeXtra.com:

Q: Which coach or coaches will have responsibility for Ohio State’s special teams? It seems very important after those glaring weaknesses at various times throughout the season and especially in the Gator Bowl. — George Davidson, The Villages, Fla.

A: You might have noticed that Urban Meyer has not hired a special-teams coach or announced specific kicking-game duties among his assistants. There’s a good reason: Meyer himself will be in charge of special teams. He said so last week on the day the new assistants were introduced. Meyer said he might give an assistant a title or responsibilities concerning special teams, but that he himself would oversee the kicking game. Meyer has a particular passion for it. His teams have been known for unconventional plays in the kicking game, and he has been adept at spotting opponents’ weaknesses and exploiting them. Expect some razzle-dazzle. — Bill Rabinowitz

Q: Why can’t Shannon Scott play alongside of Aaron Craft? It would seem to me that a McDonald’s All-American can help this team. Scott looked great against Iowa and didn’t get off the bench against Illinois. Maybe he can open up the inside game, because Ohio State has no real outside threat. — Philip Reis, Brooklyn, N.Y.

A: Your question was prophetic. Scott and Craft played together briefly last Sunday when Indiana went with a zone defense. In general, though, playing both would reduce minutes for Lenzelle Smith Jr., and that would not have been a good decision against the Hoosiers. Even before that game, Smith was the team’s best percentage shooter from the perimeter, not to mention its second-best rebounder. And although Scott’s defense is improving, the Smith-Craft tandem in the backcourt has been suffocating defensively. — Bob Baptist

Q: Just out of curiosity, could Urban Meyer redshirt all his returning seniors next season? It would give the underclassmen a year to learn the new system and then be bowl ready in 2013, when his seniors got back on the field. — Roger Broome, Westerville

A: What is possible is not always probable. According to the Ohio State compliance office, a player could redshirt in 2012 and then play in 2013 as long as he remained within the five-year window of eligibility and had not utilized four seasons of competition. But the decision to redshirt is left to the discretion of the school. It is difficult to see how OSU would support such a radical approach. An aside: Next season’s bowl ban does not stipulate which players are required to compete, or not compete, during the 2012 academic year. — Rob Oller