2014 OSU Spring Football – Questions To Answer (Part 1)

March 1, 2014 by 5 Comments

“It is only the farmer who faithfully plants seeds in the spring who reaps a harvest in the Autumn.” ~ B.C. Forbes

I have no idea if Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer is an avid reader of Forbes magazine, but I feel comfortable in stating that Coach Meyer agrees with Mr. Forbes’ ideas about the importance of spring as it relates to results in the fall. Ohio State will kick off the first of fifteen spring practices on March 4th, with the last culminating in the spring football game on April 12th in Ohio Stadium.

While Ohio State returns several key players from last year’s squad that went 12-2 in 2013, Coach Meyer and his coaching staff will have to address and work upon position group areas before the 2014 season commences. Over a two part series, I have ranked the various position group areas, from least concerning to most concerning, as I perceive them.

It is entirely possible that this list may look entirely different when April 13th arrives. Feel free to comment below. Let us begin…

Honorable Mention: Senior QB Braxton Miller’s Continued Passing Improvement – Before this series was written, I ranked this as my #10 question heading into spring football practices. With the recent news of Miller’s offseason surgery, it led me to reassess this as a top priority. Miller will/should have limited work in the spring, to avoid further injury, while also allowing the backup quarterbacks (more on them in this series, I promise) more repetitions in game-like conditions. This concern could certainly warrant a higher ranking, heading into fall camp.

10. Special Teams Units – While ranked low, this unit is of extreme importance to the overall success of any team. Eliminating an opponent’s ability to return kickoffs and punts can often be a difference between winning and losing. With that criteria in mind, keep in mind that several of the incoming freshmen who are not yet on campus. The players I anticipate playing on special teams for Ohio State in 2014 are names from the highly-touted 2013 recruiting class – players such as Jayme Thompson, Darron Lee, Christopher Worley, Eli Apple, Cam Burrows, or Gareon Conley. Again, this list is highly subjective, as there are several freshmen who will look to make an impact when they arrive on campus, and could fluctuate greatly by the time the season begins.

9. Tight End – Senior Jeff Heuerman returns, with redshirt junior Nick Vannett also in the mix. Senior J.T. Moore returns, after a conversion from the defensive line. Moore’s role is primarily for blocking. The wild card of this group is redshirt freshman Marcus Baugh. Baugh was highly recruited, yet has received negative scrutiny for repeated off the field incidents. If Baugh stays out of trouble, will he do enough this spring to warrant playing time this coming season?

8. H-Back/Pivot/Hybrid/Slot – Notice how I used various terms, as I have read any and all of these during Coach Meyer’s tenure at Ohio State to describe this important offensive position; H-Back seems to be the nomenclature I have seen more frequently as of this writing. Regardless, players such as Dontre Wilson, Jalin Marshall, and newly-arrived Curtis Samuel would seem to fit the H-Back position well for Ohio State. Questions to work on this spring for H-Back would seem to be are there other players on the squad who may also be able to contribute in this manner? More importantly, can the H-Back position become more than a decoy, as Dontre Wilson was often relegated to during the 2013 season?

7. Running Back – Carlos Hyde is busy preparing for the upcoming NFL Draft, so returnees Warren Ball, Bri’onte Dunn, Rod Smith, and Ezekiel Elliott will all battle for the starting job. Elliott is the favorite going into spring practice, but all should give him a run for the position. Hybrids Dontre Wilson and Curtis Samuel will also be involved. Can Ohio State RB coach Stan Drayton keep everyone happy?

6. Wide Receiver – The buzzword for this position group is “competition”. Ohio State WR Coach Zach Smith has stated there are no starters, so I would speculate this is a group to keep an eye open for news this spring. Here are the players at Coach Smith’s disposal ~ James Clark, Evan Spencer, Jalin Marshall, Jeff Greene, Johnnie Dixon, Michael Thomas, Corey Smith, Devin Smith, and Frank Epitropoulos. Throw in hybrid Curtis Samuel into that mix. Plus incoming freshmen Noah Brown, Parris Campbell, and Terry McLaurin are not on campus yet. Yow. Can Coach Smith keep all these players happy and in the fold?

Part two will examine what I believe are the top five questions to focus upon as they relate to the 2014 Ohio State spring football practices.

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Back(s) To The Future

December 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment

When Urban Meyer was hired as Ohio State’s head coach in November of 2011, Ohio State fans were familiar with Meyer’s formidable spread offense attack, having been brutally victimized by Meyer’s Florida Gators in the 2007 BCS National Championship Game. The possibility that Ohio State would render B1G opposition in similar fashion was a tantalizing vision for Buckeye fans.

While Ohio State fans were eager to see the spread offense in action, one of the aspects of the spread offense was somewhat disconcerting. Buckeye fans, accustomed to powerful tailbacks such as Archie Griffin and Eddie George, were somewhat perplexed as to whether Coach Meyer’s offensive philosophies would mesh with a school accustomed to legendary Coach Woody Hayes’ “3 Yards And A Cloud Of Dust” style.

In both 2012 and 2013, Ohio State fans could exhale easily, as Carlos Hyde emerged in the mold of a dominant power back for the Buckeyes. Heading into the 2014 Orange Bowl contest versus Clemson, Hyde has rushed 183 times for 1408 yards, averaging 7.7 yards per carry during the 2013 season. Jordan Hall, who filled in for Hyde at the beginning of the 2013 season, rushed 81 times for 536 yards, averaging 6.6 yards per carry.

Hyde and Hall will have exhausted their eligibility after the 2014 Orange Bowl, which could lead Ohio State fans to wonder which back is next on the horizon, to carry on the storied legacy of Buckeye running backs. The answer is Ohio State does not have one back to carry on the strong rushing attack. Ohio State may have four.

Heading into 2014 winter conditioning and spring football, a front-runner for the starting tailback position may be Ezekiel Elliott. Elliott has rushed 30 times for 262 yards, averaging 8.7 yards per carry. Elliott was Coach Meyer’s top tailback recruit from the 2013 recruiting class, and could emerge as the starter heading into the 2014 season.

Senior Rod Smith may contest Elliott for the starting position. Smith has the physical characteristics to be the starting tailback at Ohio State, but has struggled with fumbles in the past, as well as off the field issues, that have prevented him from more playing time. 2014 will be Smith’s last opportunity for significant playing time.

Redshirt sophomore Warren Ball has carried the ball sparingly in 2013, but may have an opportunity for more work in 2014. Ball redshirted in 2012, and has carried the ball 13 times for 76 yards, averaging 5.8 yards per carry. Ball has worked primarily on special teams, and may need to continue to do so to garner carries next season.

The enigma of this group is Bri’onte Dunn. Dunn played as a true freshman in 2012, rushing 25 times for 133 yards, averaging 5.3 yards per carry. Reluctant to play special teams, and facing a logjam at the position in 2013, Dunn was redshirted for the 2013 season. Rumors swirl that Dunn may transfer after the season, yet Ohio State fans remain hopeful that Dunn will stay in Columbus.

Another player to keep in mind that also impacts the tailback position for Ohio State is Dontre Wilson. Wilson does not have the physical attributes of the other players listed above, but Wilson will also be used by the coaching staff in a variety of ways going forward.

Four powerful tailbacks, all eager and ready to take over the load. Four backs to the future for 2014 and beyond in Ohio State football.

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Buckeyes Have No Time For Senioritis Against Indiana

November 22, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Senior Day in Ohio Stadium is always a special occasion. Eighteen seniors, including Buckeye stalwarts such as Carlos Hyde, Corey “Philly” Brown, Jack Mewhort, Corey Linsley, Marcus Hall, and C.J. Barnett will be introduced for recognition by the fans, their respective families, teammates, and Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer, in their final game as a Buckeye in Ohio Stadium. What may be an emotional moment for all could involve Christian Bryant, who was lost to injury near the end of the Ohio State/Wisconsin game on September 28th.

Senioritis is something that seems to afflict most students as they wind down their academic careers. Unfortunately for Ohio State fans and players, senioritis has been an issue in Ohio Stadium in recent seasons:

– In 2011, Penn State defeated Ohio State 20-14 in the last home game at Ohio Stadium. This was the first post-Joe Paterno victory for Penn State, and one of many losses for the Buckeyes in the ill-fated 2011 season.

– In 2007, Illinois defeated # 1 ranked Ohio State, 28-21. While Ohio State recovered nicely to earn a BCS Championship Bid after this defeat, it still marked a bitter ending for seniors such as Kirk Barton and Alex Boone.

Other areas of concern for Ohio State for this game stem from the fact that Ohio State suffered defensive lapses in their 60-35 victory over Illinois last week. Factor in how Indiana took Ohio State down to the wire last season, and one can understand why Ohio State cannot overlook Indiana in this upcoming contest.

Coach Meyer, a graduate assistant on the 1987 Ohio State coaching staff that suffered through what former Ohio State head coach Earle Bruce termed “the darkest day in Ohio State football” in a bitter home loss to Indiana in 1987, will keep his team focused upon the task at hand. I have every confidence in Coach Meyer relating these facts to his team before Saturday’s kickoff…

Below are some areas I will focus upon throughout the game…

– Ohio State’s Focus Upon The Running Game: Indiana may be an offensive threat, but is poor by any definition defensively. A key way to keep Indiana’s dangerous offense off the field is for Ohio State to control the clock by relying upon its dominant running game.

Carlos Hyde is on the doorstep of a 1000 yard rushing season for Coach Meyer. Hyde should have his 1000 yards for this season by the end of the first quarter, based upon Indiana’s defensive status.

Once Ohio State has a comfortable lead, it would be advantageous for Ohio State to use other running backs such as Jordan Hall, Rod Smith, Ezekiel Elliott, and Warren Ball in the second half to finish off Indiana. Like Carlos Hyde, Jordan Hall is also a senior playing in his final game in Ohio Stadium. It would be a fitting conclusion to Hall’s Buckeye career if Hall had an opportunity to score at least one more time in front of the Ohio Stadium crowd.

– Will Dontre Wilson Be Involved In The Game Plan? Ohio State offensive coordinator Tom Herman acknowledged earlier this week that Wilson needs to be more involved in the offensive attack, yet wonders how to do that without Ohio State’s other offensive weapons such as Braxton Miller, Carlos Hyde, and Corey “Philly” Brown suffering as a result. Perhaps once the Ohio State running game has taken control of the game, Wilson may be factored into the contest.

– Can Ohio State’s Pass Defense Slow Down Indiana? Illinois scored 35 points on Ohio State, the most points surrendured by Ohio State this season. Indiana, led by players such as Nate Sudfeld, Tre Roberson, Stephen Houston, Cody Latimer, and one-time Ohio State recruit and former Cleveland Glenville star Shane Wynn, can score on anyone. A case in point – Indiana was able to score 28 points on Michigan State, and Michigan State is arguably the toughest defense in the nation.

Secondary players such as Bradley Roby, Doran Grant, Armani Reeves, Tyvis Powell, and the aforementioned C.J. Barnett will all need to show up big in what promises to be an Indiana aerial assault. What would truly help would be if Noah Spence, Joey Bosa, and Michael Bennett can contribute with a pass rush to throw off the timing of the Indiana passing attack.

– Has Ohio State Figured Out Its Special Teams Coverage Units? Shane Wynn is capable of taking a punt back for a touchdown, as V’Angelo Bentley of Illinois (another Cleveland Glenville alum, like Wynn) did last week against Ohio State. Has Coach Meyer figured out what went wrong against Illinois, and will it be fixed against Indiana?

No time for senioritis in Ohio Stadium on Saturday. Ohio State wants to send its eighteen senior players off with a victory in their last game in Ohio Stadium. It will bear watching to see how Ohio State handles the offensive challenges Indiana will bring to this game.

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No Controversies With Florida A&M

September 17, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Congratulations to Ohio State for passing its first road test of the 2013 season against California with flying colors. Traveling across the country to California, facing a team with a developing and fast-paced offensive attack, as well as starting the backup quarterback, Ohio State rose to the challenge and won the game impressively.

Coming home to face Florida A&M, Ohio State fans can rest easy that this is a game that should present no concerns for the Buckeyes before B1G play begins. If you have heard this legendary story regarding tickets, the point is that this is the Ohio State game that should provide any fans the opportunity to find tickets easily. Even Gene Smith recently stated that this is a “challenging” game that may prove difficult to sell out for Ohio State.

Below are my wish list items for Florida A&M:

1. Rest Braxton Miller, and play Kenny Guiton versus Florida A&M: Not trying to fan this into a quarterback controversy, but I am of the opinion that resting Braxton Miller would be in the team’s best interests for the 2013 season. A sprained MCL will only get better with rest. If Braxton Miller is not deemed 100%, rest him.  Kenny Guiton is doing fine piloting the Ohio State offense. No need to put Miller in against Florida A&M and risk further injury.

2. Ease Carlos Hyde into playing time: Hyde will be understandably anxious to show what he can do, after serving his three game suspension. Instead of rushing Hyde into the lineup, I would hope Ohio State would play Hyde after Ohio State establishes a strong lead over Florida A&M.  Happy to see others, such as Beau Bishop, agree with me on this point.

3. Play backups the majority of the second half: More than likely, this game will get out of hand very quickly; Ohio State could possibly be up by forty points at the half. My hope would be to play the starters the first series of the third quarter, then turn the reins over to as many backups as possible ~ Cardale Jones. Warren Ball. Ezekiel Elliott. Rod Smith. Insert the backup offensive line, as Ohio State will lose four starters after this season. Nothing can take the place of actual game experience, and this may be one of the best opportunities for extensive game experience for these units. Play as many redshirt freshmen as possible; these players have already been redshirted, and can only get better by playing. Keep the starters healthy for the B1G games on the horizon. I have been advocating this philosophy for the first few weeks of the season, and others like Ben Axelrod seem to be thinking the same thing ~

Along those lines,

4. Last call for redshirts: If there is a member of the highly-touted freshman class that has not earned playing time yet, why waste a valuable year of eligibility? Even Coach Meyer has stated that Bri’onte Dunn and Michael Thomas may benefit from a redshirt year ~

Think back to 2005, when Ohio State played Brian Robiskie. Robiskie wound up playing sparingly in 2005, with only one catch. Yes, Robiskie concluded his Ohio State career in fine fashion, but Robiskie would have been better served by the previous coaching staff by using 2005 as a redshirt year, allowing Robiskie a chance to play in 2009.

In 2014, Ohio State will have Rod Smith, Warren Ball, and Bri’onte Dunn as running backs. While I am certain Dunn would like to play, it would probably be best for Dunn and the program to save a year of eligibility for 2014.

Look for this game to be over quickly.  Ohio State should have no problem racking up the style points that have eluded them so far this season.

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“Put Me In Coach”

September 10, 2013 by Leave a Comment

osuHelmet“Oh, put me in, Coach – I’m ready to play today;

Put me in, Coach – I’m ready to play today;”

~ John Fogerty, Centerfield

I realize that I am mixing sports metaphors here, as “Centerfield” was written about baseball, and this article is about Ohio State football, but please bear with me. No, this article is not being intended to serve as a voice of doom and gloom for this upcoming week’s contest against California.

For the first two weeks of the 2013 season, Ohio State has held commanding leads late in the game, and has won convincingly. While this is not surprising to me, what is surprising is how the coaching staff is not using these opportunities to provide the backup players, especially on the offensive side of the ball, some game-time experience.

For example, in game one against Buffalo, Braxton Miller suffered cramps, and was ably replaced by Kenny Guiton. When Miller was able to return into the game, Guiton went back to the sidelines, and Ohio State remained in complete control, defeating Buffalo 40-20.

Late in the contest, with Buffalo clearly defeated, Braxton Miller was in the game. Why not give Kenny Guiton even more playing time?

Versus San Diego State, Ohio State was forced to play Guiton, with Miller suffering a knee injury early in the game. Again, Guiton played well.

Winning the game against San Diego State 42-7, Guiton was in the game, well after the game was decided. Why not use this opportunity to give playing time to Cardale Jones?

I could make the same argument regarding players such as Warren Ball (only carried the ball twice against San Diego State), or Bri’onte Dunn (no carries yet this season). Yes, I understand that Jordan Hall, Dontre Wilson, Rod Smith, and Ezekiel Elliott all carried the ball against San Diego State – why not give players such as Ball or Dunn playing time late in the contest?  I even tweeted something along those lines ~

A case in point – notice how Ohio State’s defense has seemingly substituted many defensive backups into the games, and the benefits that this has provided Ohio State’s defense…

My article may seem alarmist or overly pessimistic by Ohio State fans, but please keep in mind the following points ~

1) Even Coach Meyer stated in his press conference on 09/09/2013 that Braxton Miller was a “day to day decision” (see below). Yes, I have complete confidence in Kenny Guiton.

What happens if Miller cannot go versus Cal, and Guiton is hurt during the game? Now Cardale Jones, or J.T. Barrett, enter into the Cal game, with NO game experience. And that scenario could have been completely avoided, by playing them late versus Buffalo and San Diego State.

2) Yes, I understand that it will be difficult to keep all of the running backs happy. Yes, I know that Dunn has not played because Dunn has not played on special teams. But think about this – running back depth is something to protect, not take for granted. I can certainly recall many seasons when Ohio State seemingly had to scramble to find capable running backs – is 2003 too far back for people to remember?

My point is, players can go down to injury quickly. Considerable depth can be eliminated very easily. Play as many players as possible, to provide experience if needed.

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Ohio State Looks To Run With, Then By, The Bulls In 2013 Opener

August 28, 2013 by 2 Comments

Trying to forecast a final score, or what will happen decisively in game one of the college football season, is an exercise of confidence that I do not possess. There are so many factors involved, especially against an unfamiliar opponent as the University of Buffalo Bulls, that it would be easy for someone to read this blog post after the game and say, “What was he thinking?!?”.

Here are some things I will look for in the 2013 season opener versus Buffalo ~

  • Ohio State’s rushing attack: During the 2012 season, QB Braxton Miller ran far more frequently than I preferred, and I surmise Coach Urban Meyer preferred. With a deep arsenal of running backs (Jordan Hall, Bri’onte Dunn, Warren Ball, Ezekiel Elliott), as well as hybrid players such as Dontre Wilson, I wonder how Ohio State will be able to involve as many of these players versus Buffalo.
  • Ohio State’s front seven defensively: Replacing the entire defensive line, as well as two linebackers, will be of concern to me, as the lack of experience can only strengthen throughout the season. How effective Ohio State is able to shut down Buffalo’s running game, as well as pressure the passer, will be areas watched in the season opener.
  • How many freshmen or newcomers will play for Ohio State: Coach Meyer has stated players such as Wilson, Elliott, defensive linemen Michael Hill and Joey Bosa, and new punter Cameron Johnston will all play versus Buffalo. Will there be others? If so, who, and how much will these players play?
  • The maturation of Ohio State’s passing game: Miller has supposedly improved from 2012, according to reports from Ohio State’s coaching staff. Will Miller’s mechanics be on display versus against Buffalo? Will Miller demonstrate the ability to find secondary options, versus just taking off with his legs? Conversely, will Miller demonstrate his maturity of not forcing passes into covered areas, while making positive yardage if all other options have been closed off?
  • How many backups will play: My rationale in this thought is how critical it is for any team to develop battle-tested depth throughout the team. As soon as Ohio State has developed a strong lead, I would hope to see backups along the offensive line, as Ohio State will lose four of its five starters for the 2014 season. How about playing backup quarterback Kenny Guiton, in the event Miller is injured at some other point in the 2013 season? How about playing Cardale Jones, the second backup quarterback, to get Jones some valuable playing experience?

Ohio State is heavily favored, and should win this game easily. While winning is always the primary objective, other goals should always be pursued to help develop Ohio State into a true national championship contender.

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