An Ohio State Sports Blog
The day after learning that Kyle Berger will miss another year after tearing his ACL again comes word that Freshman Dylan Thompson has fractured his Knee Cap. Which I have to believe is awfully painful. Here is the injury report from Dylan himself via Twitter…
Let’s hope for a speedy recovery for the young man.
Frank Epitropoulos has left the OSU football team to focus on Academics as reported by Eleven Warriors. Here is a release from Frank via OSU…
“I love being an Ohio State Buckeye, but I am also competing to get into medical school, and that is very important to me and to my family. I am already in my third year at Ohio State and the process to begin applying to medical schools is not far off. After consulting with my family, I have therefore decided to end my athletic career so I can focus solely on academics.
“I want to thank my teammates and coaching staff for all of their help and support, and I wish them the best this season and into the future.â€
We here at MotSaG wish Frank nothing but the best as he focuses on becoming a doctor.
In Urban Meyer’s spread offense, Ohio State typically trots out at least 3 wide receivers nearly every play. Ideally, the wide receivers in his scheme are not just bodies sent out wide to occupy space and defenders. They are all playmakers and capable of taking any swing or bubble-pass 80 yards to the house. Meyer has repeatedly said he needs more out of the receivers. They’ve come a long way since he was hired in late 2011 and famously called this unit a “clown showâ€. They are far from a “clown show†now, but still have to improve mightily in order to help QB Braxton Miller get the ball out of his hands.
1.) Will Devin Smith step up and be the go-to receiver during his last season in Columbus?
Without a doubt, Devin Smith has the talent to be Ohio State’s next great wide receiver. He’s going into his third year starting in Urban Meyer’s system. He’s been with position coach Zach Smith for the same amount of time. No one will argue that Smith doesn’t have the speed or hands to compete at an elite level. Leading up to his senior season, he’s lacked the consistency and the intermediate route running.
Most pundits and casual observers alike, see Smith catching long touchdown passes from QB Braxton Miller. But they never see him run any 10 yard dig routes or 15 yard comebacks. There’s no doubt, he’ll have to continue to work on that part of his game. With his elite speed, developing an intermediate route tree will make him even more dangerous.
In 2014, Smith will easily eclipse 100 career receptions (he’s currently at 88) and should also top 2,000 career yards receiving (currently at 1572). He’s also steadily shown improvement in his first 3 years in Columbus. His freshman season he had 14 receptions for 294 yards and 4 touchdowns. Arguably his biggest catch as a Buckeye came in 2011 when he caught the game-winner in the Wisconsin game under the Ohio Stadium lights with less than 30 seconds to go.
In 2012, he more than doubled his receptions to 30 and added 618 yards and 6 touchdowns. His average yards per catch was also up over 20 yards. Last season, Smith tallied 44 receptions for 660 yards and 8 touchdowns. History says he’ll get better across the board. I guess we’ll have to wait and find out.
2.) Can Dontre Wilson replace Corey “Philly†Brown and fill the vaunted Percy Harvin role in Urban Meyer’s offense?
Few players in the country can match Dontre Wilson’s overall speed and quickness. He reminds a lot of people of former Oregon do it all running back/receiver De’Anthony Thomas. Thomas was electrifying every time he touched the ball. Last season, Wilson showed some flashes in the Buckeyes spread attack. He caught 22 passes for 210 yards and also ran the ball 31 times for 250 yards.
He’s going to be asked to do much of the same this season, only a lot more. Philly Brown was Ohio State’s best receiver last year. Wilson will try to replace him and then some. Wilson has also put on 15 pounds of muscle or so in the off season. That will serve him when Urban Meyer asks him to run the ball between the tackles. Having the extra weight on his frame will be key if he is going to withstand the punishment Big Ten defense will put on him.
Wilson will also play a role in special teams. He’ll be the main kick returner this season. He may also get involved in punt returns as well. There’s no doubt, everyone is tired of the constant comparisons of the hybrid position to former Florida great Percy Harvin. Hopefully, Wilson will break out in a big way this season and then everyone can call it the Dontre Wilson role. That would be nice and I fully expect that to happen if Dontre stays healthy.
3.) Will Johnnie Dixon see much playing time as a true freshman?
Johnnie Dixon was a heralded recruit from Urban Meyer’s old stomping grounds, Florida. Ohio State beat out the Florida schools and the SEC for his services. Dixon graduated early and was able to enroll at Ohio State during the spring semester and take part in spring practice. The coaches and fellow players have marveled at his work ethic and how seriously he takes the game.
Generally, freshman do not come into college understanding how hard you have to work to see the field and ultimately become a great player. It appears Dixon already understands this and it will serve him well as he moves in his first season in Columbus. I don’t expect Dixon to redshirt. I think he’ll see some playing time on offense, especially early in the season. Guys this talented can’t be standing on the sideline.
Catch some highlights of Johnnie Dixon:
In conclusion, it will be fun to watch and see how this group develops as a whole. With an experienced QB and an inexperienced offensive line, the Buckeyes will need the wide receivers to be a strength. You can bet, there will be a ton of short bubble screens slants in the game plans early. This group has to make plays. If they do, I love what this Ohio State offense could become.
We here at MotSaG are interviewing several potential writers and have each of them to write about a different topic and will present them to our readers so they may give some feedback. Please leave some comments for the guys and show some support. Thanks
This post is is brought to you by LaMarques Greenwood and you can find him on Twitter at @Marques_G.
The Urban Meyer tenure at Ohio State started off as an unparalleled success as Meyer led the Buckeyes to unbeaten regular seasons in both 2012 and 2013. With NCAA sanctions barring the 2012 Buckeyes from the post-season party, the program and fan base alike were excited for post season success last December and hopefully into January. After a barn-burner against the rival to the North, the Buckeyes entered the B1G Championship game against Michigan State ranked #2 and with their destiny in their hands knowing that a win would send them to the final installment of the oft criticized BCS title game. Alas it wasn’t to be as the Michigan State defense; specifically Darqueze Dennard and the rest of the MSU defensive backs provided to stiff of a challenge for Braxton Miller and his receiving corp. While the receivers (Devin Smith in particular) deserved to be criticized, the Buckeyes offensive line and putrid back seven back seven on defense should share equal blame. A few weeks later some of these same deficiencies were highlighted in a shootout loss to Clemson in the Orange Bowl. Entering a 2014 season that has grand aspirations, these same three issues represent the top three issues that need to be addressed if the Buckeyes are to emerge victorious from the first ever College Football Playoff.
1.) Offensive Line
The offensive line was arguably the strongest unit on the 2013 version of the Buckeyes, and that’s saying a lot considering the strength of both the defensive line and offensive backfield (with both Miller and Kenny Guiton at QB). With 4/5 of that unit graduated and several of those players attempting to play on Sundays, co-offensive coordinator and OL Coach Ed Warinner and Meyer have their work cut out for them. Taylor Decker is the lone returning starter and the junior will be switching from RT to anchor the LT spot that was anchored by second round pick Jack Mewhort. Although there’s youth and players that flip flopped between DL and OL several of the remaining OL spots seem to have a frontrunner identified. Jacoby Boren and Chad Lindsay who started several games for Alabama in 2013 transferred into the program and will be eligible immediately seems to be locked in a battle to start at C. Pat Elflein (G), who played very well late in 2013 after subbing in for Marcus Hall and former highly regarded DL Daryl Baldwin (T) seem to be a good bet to man the right side of the line. That leaves LG as the main point of contention for Warinner and Meyer, where there seems to be an old fashioned four way donnybrook between Chase Farris, Joel Hale, Antonio Underwood, and Billy Price. After seeing the “miracle†that Warinner worked with Reid Fragel and the 2012 Bucks OL and the overpowering and dominant unit that he built in 2013, Buckeye fans should sleep good at night when it concerns to the 2014 offensive line.
2.) Wide Receivers
The receiving corps which Meyer once called a “clown show†started off 2013 with a bang as Devin Smith and Philly Brown led a group that provided Miller and Guiton with plenty of weapons. That bang turned into a whimper down the stretch, due to both the ineffectiveness of any receiver not named Philly as well as the sheer dominance of the Buckeyes ground game. Going into Miller’s last year with the program he’ll need his receivers to be consistent, productive, and stabilizing force. Smith returns as a senior leader of the receiving corps and he’ll need to show more consistency to make the play to move the chains as well as the explosive and spectacular plays he’s known for, senior Evan Spencer also returns. In addition to the two vets, the Buckeyes boast a boatload of talent at wideout with a nice mix of upperclassmen and youngsters. RS SO Michael Thomas and Akron native Corey Smith (JUCO transfer) are two guys at least three years removed from high school and if they don’t want to be passed up by the youngsters they need to show up and work. The good news for Buckeyes coaches and fans is both of these players are extremely talented and hungry to get on the field and show their worth (and in Thomas’ case according to his Twitter account he was ready last season). Among the fresher faces true freshman Johnnie Dixon, a burner from South Florida, RS FR Jalin Marshall, and sophomore Dontre Wilson are all very talented with the ability and versatility to turn a five yard out into a 70 yard touchdown. In addition to the plethora of talent (though some unproven), Miller figures to have three dynamic and athletic TE’s at his disposal, between Jake Heuerman, Nick Vannett, and Marcus Baugh.
3.) Defense
As the old saying goes “defense wins championships†the defense the Buckeyes played to end 2013 would struggle to win a CYO championship. The offseason brought about changes to the staff, as Mike Vrabel left for the NFL and Everett Withers left for a HC job and Chris Ash and Larry Johnson parted ways with Arkansas and Penn State respectively to join the Buckeyes. With the back seven as bad as it was last season it’s astounding to think there were two first rounders among the group as LB Ryan Shazier and CB Bradley Roby heard their name called by Roger Goodell. There’s no shortage of talent in the back seven with returnees Joshua Perry, Curtis Grant (although FR Raekwon McMillan is on his tail), Doran Grant, and Tyvis Powell being joined by fresh talent (several of these players saw game action in 2013) such as Darron Lee, Chris Worley, Armani Reeves, Eli Apple, Von Bell, and Cam Burrows. More so than the talent, it will be the aggressive defensive approach being implemented by co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Ash. He’s shown the propensity to field excellent defensive with less talent and resources at his fingertips than he has now. Urban realized the defense was a mess and needed an overhaul after the disappointing end to 2013, I’m confident Gene Smith gave him an open checkbook to fill out his staff and he made excellent hires in Ash and Johnson. The defense can’t possibly get any worse than it was last season, and Buckeye fans should feel confident that defense will be greatly improved, improved enough that the Buckeyes will be the last team standing in Arlington five months from now.
Your a highly recruited freshman and everyone’s praising you on how great you are and how good you will be at the next level. Your a smart kid you choose The Ohio State University to play football. Your gonna learn from one of the best coaches in the nation in Urban Meyer and play in front of 105k fans in The Shoe and millions watching at home around the world.
Training camp starts and next thing you know your not big man on campus you’ve got this Black Stripe on your helmet telling everyone your the new guy, your just learning. In the coaches eyes your not a Buckeye yet.
You have to EARN that.
Congratulations to the three newest Buckeyes: Curtis Samuel, Raekwon McMillian, and Darius Slade.
We will keep you update when we hear more Black Stripes being peeled off and Buckeyes being born.
Kyle Berger sent out a tweet that shocked Buckeye Nation today:
The 6’2, 225lb freshman linebacker from St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland announced this evening his heartbreaking news. This is the second torn ACL he has suffered, the first being last August his senior season. Sources tell elevenwarriors.com its the same knee.
We here at MotSaG are wishing Kyle a speedy and healthy recovery,
There is not a single OSU website right now that has a pre-written commit post for Carlton Davis a 3 star DB from Miami, Florida. Heck reading Twitter and most recruiting experts never heard of him or knew he was making his decision tonight. That doesn’t mean that Urban Meyer doesn’t know who he is or that he was committing tonight. The Defensive Back was down to a final 3 of OSU, South Carolina, and Miami of Fl. Not exactly slouches in the CFB world. This reminds me of how Malik Hooker joined the class last year out of no where and then blew up on the recruiting trail.
https://twitter.com/SleeperAthletes/status/499003128898129920
Follow Carlton Davis on Twitter at @Carlton_Lowkey.
Today brought the news that 247sports has put out their 2017 Top 100 ranked players and OSU has quite a lot of targets in it. Lets break it down.
Commits
Danny Clark- #43 overall and #2 QB and #2 in Ohio
Targets
Josh Myers- #3 overall #1 OL and #1 in Ohio
Trevon Grimes- #10 overall
Donovan Peoples-Jones- #13
Bruce Judson- #16
Richard LeCounte- #23
Marcus Williamson- #60
Danny Davis- #64
Other offers
Dylan Moses- #1
Darnay Holmes- #28
Colin Wilson- #29
Kayden Lyles- #36
Josh Ross- #50
Jacoby Stevens- #58
Keyshawn Johnson- #80
Anthony Hines- #86
James Robinson- #89
We here at MotSaG are interviewing several potential writers and have each of them to write about a different topic and will present them to our readers so they may give some feedback. Please leave some comments for the guys and show some support. Thanks
This post is is brought to you by Ryan Black and you can find him on Twitter at @BrutusAndBeers.
Ok! Ok we get it. Ohio State will be one of the top ten teams in the country to start the 2014 season. That’s been the case every year, almost. Using the preseason coaches poll, the Buckeyes have been ranked a top ten team 10 out of 13 times since their last national championship. Though this means absolute zilch, it does at least show that the 85 scholarship palyers (most years) and the 20 “try hards” that make up this team every year are within striking distance of “it”. “It” being that tasty treat that has been usurped by our southern enemies every year since 2004. How do they get over the hump in 2014? Every year the fans and media stick to the same plan to success:
1. “This star player (Braxton Miller) needs to stay healthy or this team is done for.”
2. “These new starters on this unit (2014 offensive line) need to live up to their predecessors.”
3. “This position group needs to improve greatly from the previous year. (2014 linebackers).”
While all of these numbered points are true; they are basically said every year with only the names changing.
Remember how we could ill afford to lose Tommy Pryor to injury in 2010?
Or how nervous we were when Jimmy Laringitus and Malcolm Jenkus were set to take over the 2006 defense?
How about how we hoped Rick Mangold could fill Alex Stephanopoulos’s shoes at center?
Ok, the names maybe blurry but the formula is the same. Let’s ignore the obvious. Here are three less talked about things that need to happen for the Buckeyes to win back the crown in 2014:
1. Get Dontre Wilson the daggum ball!
The year was 1992 and all I wanted for Christmas was a Talkboy. I desperately needed it. Next Christmas that talkboy had been in a box in the basement for months and the only thing I wanted to get my ugly little hands on were Beanie Babies- all the beanie babies. When it comes to college football fans- Sophomore Dontre Wilson is that talkboy and freshmen Curtis Samuel, Noah Brown and Johnnie Dixon are those beanie babies. Around this time last year everybody was talking about that Wilson kid- and for good reason. He was just the kick in the can a less than explosive offense needed. Looking back to the 2013 year, he had a solid season average wise. He averaged over 8 yards a carry and almost 9 yards a catch. For some reason he was not used as much as these numbers indicate. In fact, in the four closest Big Ten games (MSU, UM, NW, UW) Wilson had a combined four carries. The Ohio State offense played well in three of those four games, but why was Dontre not used in close games? Whatever it is, it can’t happen this season. Braxton Miller was a beaten man by the end of last year and there is no Carlos Hyde in the backfield.
Coach Urban Meyer hinted that Dontre’s 2013 snaps were limited because of pass blocking. It doesn’t matter, with the loss of Philly Brown and Carlos Hyde a big play threat needs to emerge. I think that threat is sitting in a box right now being ignored. While the brand new gifts under the tree are getting all the attention.
2. Bump Up
One of my friends growing up is now a defensive assistant for a MAC program. He was able to watch the Clemson game with me. Play after play seemed to be a bubble screen to the slot receiver or h back for the Tigers. Ohio State would be in zone and the defensive backs would be standing back in Sarasota. 8-10 yards were achieved without any effort; Clemson didn’t need to adjust. Yes Clemson had a few deep bombs mixed in. Those worked as well. At least twenty times I hollered in my beer induced frustration, “Nick, Why are they playing so far back and giving them 8 yards a play?!!!†He had no answer. This went on all game and I kept asking my knowledgeable friend the same question (I do tend to stay on loop when drinking). He finally just said, “Ryan, I don’t know. This is the dumbest gameplan I have ever seen!†“Now shut up and quit asking me the same question!â€
This was not just a Clemson issue. Michigan had similar success- a lifeless Michigan team. Ohio State must use their athletes to challenge opposing backs and receivers. If nothing else it will at least put the ball back in Braxton’s hands in ten seconds instead of ten minutes. With a new defensive coordinator and a bunch of young freaks ready to step up, this approach has to be implemented day one. Of course bump and run can’t be called every play, but if a more aggressive approach is not used in 2014 the Buckeyes maybe playing my rude friend in Detroit next bowl season.
3. Kill Sparty
The next part of Ohio States to-do list is simple-beat Michigan State. Doesn’t sound too hard, does it? Ok it’s going to be really hard. It looks as the season will come down to that November 8th night. Don’t get me wrong, it’s possible that Ohio State stumbles in another game. However, a loss to Sparty in November would end all hope. I find it hard to see where Michigan State will lose two other Big ten games. No big ten title = no national title. One would think Ohio State will be heavily favored against any team from the West for the game in Indy if they get there.
So there it is. Other than the usual factors, Ohio State has to have these three things happen to have a shot at “itâ€. The last step is very obvious. Win the whole damn thing.
We here at MotSaG are interviewing several potential writers and have each of them to write about a different topic and will present them to our readers so they may give some feedback. Please leave some comments for the guys and show some support. Thanks
This post is is brought to you by Stephan Sharp and you can find him on Twitter at @StephanSharp
When I was asked to write about my top three events in Ohio State history, my first thought was “How am I going to narrow this down to three?†To make my choices a little easier, I decided to only pick from events that have happened in my lifetime (since 1990). I know I am leaving out a great deal of important events by doing this, but it was the only way I thought would be fair and allow me to write about games I have witnessed and not just read about. Now on to the countdown…
No. 3: Ohio State 28 – Troy 10, Sept. 20, 2008
If you don’t remember much from this game, I can’t blame you. Terrelle Pryor’s first start for the Buckeyes ended with him throwing four touchdown passes on just 16 attempts. At the time, it was the smallest crowd in Ohio Stadium in six years with just 102,989 in attendance.
This game being Pryor’s first start is not why I have this game on my list. This was the first game I had the privilege of attending in person at Ohio Stadium. Walking from the parking lot, past St. John Arena, and seeing the rotunda on game day for the first time is something I will never forget.
I’ve been to other games since this one, including victories over That Team Up North in 2010 and 2012, but a rather lackluster win over a Sun Belt school will always hold a special place in my heart.
No. 2: Ohio State 85 – Tennessee 84, Mar. 22, 2007
Just five days after needing Ron Lewis and his clutch three-pointer to send an eventual second round victory over Xavier to overtime, the Buckeyes again needed late-game heroics to continue their quest for a first national basketball championship since 1960. Ohio State ended up falling in the national title game to Florida, but that does not diminish how great this game was.
I remember watching this game from my couch and being so frustrated with the performance of the first half, which ended with the Volunteers up by 17, that I seriously contemplated going to bed (this was the late game in the San Antonio regional and I had school at 7:45 the next morning) rather than allow myself to suffer through a blowout loss. I decided to give the team 10 minutes to show me something and fight their way back in it. I’m glad I stuck it out. The game was tied again halfway through the second half.
Greg Oden struggled with foul issues the entire game, playing just 18 minutes while scoring only nine points to go with three rebounds and four blocks. But that fourth block was the biggest of his career in scarlet and gray. His last-second, soaring swat of Ramar Smith’s potential game-winning lay-up is the first thing I think of when asked of Greg Oden and the 2006-07 Buckeyes.
No. 1: Ohio State 31 – Miami (FL) 24 2OT, Jan. 3, 2003
This was a no-brainer for me. Number one is the only football or basketball national championship won by Ohio State in my lifetime so far. The game no one gave Ohio State a chance to win. The game Ohio State won.
This was just a great game from start to finish between two great teams battling for the BCS National Championship. Everyone remembers Cie Grant coming on the blitz to force Ken Dorsey into throwing a poor pass on 4th and goal in the second overtime. Everyone remembers the pass interference call on Glenn Sharpe that gave Ohio State another life in the first overtime. Everyone remembers the horrific knee injury Willis McGahee suffered in the fourth quarter. The play I remember most is Maurice Clarett chasing down Sean Taylor and ripping the ball away following a Taylor interception in the third quarter.
A Mike Nugent field goal ended that drive, giving the Buckeyes a 17-7 lead. If Clarett does not pull off that outstanding play, Todd Sievers 40-yard field goal to send the game to overtime wins the game for Miami. Instead, Clarett’s final touch as a Buckeye ended up being in the second overtime as a short touchdown run that would prove to be the national championship-winning score.
What are your thoughts on my top three events in Ohio State history? Would any of these make your list?
