gregorylee
I'd rather be napping!!
This one time at band camp, there was this guy, he had a pleather ball...
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- Thread starter jlb1705
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stthegreat04
Junior
wow still very immature about the pleather thing i see guys... this is my thoughts on the RB situation coming up this season...
Pittman will be the starting back for the majority of the season
c wells will come in and if and only if he can pick up the playbook and blocking scheme he will but pittman for a starting position
m wells has gotten bigger and will get 5-8 carries a game unless he really shows out and pushes hard for the second string back(which i hope he does because he is a sandalwood back!!! its all about the wood)
eric haw will hopefully be out of the doghouse and be able to contribute as well
i think they should try to establish a split back scheme and you can put either pittman and c wells or c wells and m wells in the backfield at the same time and see if the other team can pick up on what kind of running attack will we be hitting them with
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gregorylee
I'd rather be napping!!
Jeez Louis (H Martinez :)
I was just having a little fun.....
I was just having a little fun.....
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We averaged 42 carries per game last season.
36 - Miami
36 - Texas
46 - SDSU
60 - Iowa
40 - PSU
26 - MSU
48 - Ind
43 - Minn
46 - Ill
54 - NW
24 - Mich
36 - ND
We only had less than 36 carries in a game twice (26 and 24 against the teams from up north). We'll have ample opportunity to give back-up RBs 15-20 carries a game on the average.
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Ozone article on all of the running backs.
theozone.net
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For Haw, the challenge is to be more consistent when he is not carrying the ball, like in blocking situations or pass receiving situations.
"His forte in his mind and in his heart is carrying the leather," said Tressel.
"That's where running backs all start, and then they have to grow from there to be a great pass blocker and a get-one-more-yard guy as well as a get-a-touchdown guy. There's all those kind of things that make a coaching staff and a team really confident that he can help you win the game," Tressel said.
There isn't just an abundance of talent at tailback. There is also an abundance of styles. Each of the backs brings his own style to the field, and the OSU offensive brain trust is hoping that will bring headaches for opposing defenses.
"We're certainly excited about this talent," said Tressel.
"We have guys that are all shapes, sizes and skills. That makes you smile. It puts us in the situation that whatever the team needs at that position we can do it a couple of different ways. We can bring them in waves, and our hope is that they'll be healthy and do the things that they can do," Tressel said.
In Chris Wells and Haw, the Buckeyes have fast, big backs. In Pittman they have a slasher, and in Maurice Wells a darter.
"To be honest, I don't think we're at all alike," said Pittman of the running styles in the OSU backfield.
"We all have our own style of running, and its so different. I'm not the biggest back but I like to run inside. Eric is a bigger back but he'll take it outside and show his speed. Mo is like a little Warrick Dunn, and Beanie is a straight-ahead runner. He reminds me of Corey Dillon," Pittman said.
Tressel said the variety of talent gives OSU options galore.
"There are a lot of roles," he said, including an obvious one for Chris Wells.
"Certainly at 6-2, 238, you think right away about short yardage, but he can catch it," said Tressel.
Tressel says the combinations are endless.
"I can see Pitt and Mo, I can see Mo and Beanie, I can see Eric Haw and Stan White and Dionte Johnson, all of them in there at the same time as far as I'm concerned," he said.
The one thing for certain is that more-than one back will get playing time this season.
"There's no question that in a couple of games (last season) Pitt was tired," said Tressel.
"That's never best, to be tired, and now we can keep him out of that situation. We're going to get everything out of Antonio Pittman. We're going to have him fresh going full speed and we're going to have the other guys going full speed doing what they do best," Tressel said.<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=100 align=left><CAPTION align=bottom>[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Stan White [/FONT]</CAPTION><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
theozone.net
Football
Backfield Talent Bountiful for Buckeyes
By John Porentas
When fall camp opens for the football Buckeyes next August Antonio Pittman will be at the top of the depth chart. (see the-Ozone related story). His problem will be, however, that there isn't much distance between the top of the depth chart and the bottom.
The Buckeyes will be blessed with much-needed depth and talent in the offensive backfield in 2006, the best collection of talent there in quite some time.
"I expect the running game to be the best it has been since 2002," said OSU fullback Stan White Jr.
"Just watching the guys we have, we have depth that we haven't had here in a while."
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=100 align=left><CAPTION align=bottom>[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Maurice Wells [/FONT]</CAPTION><TBODY><TR><TD>Backfield Talent Bountiful for Buckeyes
By John Porentas
When fall camp opens for the football Buckeyes next August Antonio Pittman will be at the top of the depth chart. (see the-Ozone related story). His problem will be, however, that there isn't much distance between the top of the depth chart and the bottom.
The Buckeyes will be blessed with much-needed depth and talent in the offensive backfield in 2006, the best collection of talent there in quite some time.
"I expect the running game to be the best it has been since 2002," said OSU fullback Stan White Jr.
"Just watching the guys we have, we have depth that we haven't had here in a while."
The Buckeyes will have talent at tailback, but they will also have some experience as well. Maurice Wells saw playing time last season as a freshman and is poised to have a breakout season in his sophomore year, much the same way that Pittman did last year.
"Just to see Mo Wells and how he has developed since last year this spring, I really see an improvement. I'm really excited to see his development," said White.
"Mo Wells is very comfortable with what he has been asked to do," said OSU running backs coach Dick Tressel.
"He's super on all the aspects of catching it, running it and blocking, and he's able to go fast because he knows what to do, and he's an elusive guy.
"He will make you miss. When we have a spread out formation to take advantage of Troy Smith, we're setting it up for Mo Wells also.
"He's got a start now, he's got a burst. You give him a draw or delay kind of handoff or get him outside with a swing pass, he's very impressive. He does a great job for us."
With Pittman nursing a hamstring this spring, Wells has gotten more reps than he would have had he been sharing them with Pittman, and that has been a good thing for the speedster from Florida as well as all the other running backs competing for playing time.
"With Antonio not in the lineup the other guys have been getting a lot of reps and have been doing a lot of growing," said Tressel.
"Right now I'm getting the majority of the time with the ones," confirmed Wells.
"Chris (Wells) gets some of the time with the ones, but for the majority I get them."
Maurice Wells' development between his freshman and sophomore seasons has closely paralleled that of Pittman between those same seasons.
"I'm reading defenses now, I know how the offensive line is blocking certain plays and certain schemes," said Wells.
"I'm learning what plays I like to run. Before I just said give me the ball and I'll run whatever, but now I'm seeing that there are certain plays that I'm more comfortable with."
Wells said his playing time last season, though limited, has helped him immensely this spring.
"It's a lot different having that year. My carries, my footwork, my understanding of the offense is a whole lot deeper now, so I think I'll be able to help the offense a whole lot more."
His teammate, Stan White, says there is a noticeable difference in Wells this spring, that he has made the leap from outstanding high school tailback to competent college tailback.
"I think as a high school running back when you have that much ability if you don't see anything in the middle you just want to bounce outside," said White.
"I think sometimes his default mode if he don't see anything was to bounce outside, but now he's seeing the holes and he realizes that even though he's a small, quick back he can get four or five yards by lowering his shoulders and get four or five yards up the middle, and he realizes that he can cut back and make those big plays over the middle and doesn't always have to bounce it outside."
Wells agreed.
"In high school you can bounce it outside because you have the speed to get around the corner, but in the Big Ten and in college a lot of the linebackers and defensive ends are real fast and you can't do that," said Wells.
"Between the tackles is where a lot of yardage is at, where a lot of our plays are designed to go."
Wells has learned that lesson, and is a better back this spring for it much like Pittman between his first two Buckeye seasons.
According to his coach, one of the thing that has separated Wells from the other competitors for playing time behind Pittman is his willingness and ability to do the things a tailback has to do when he's not carrying the football.
"He's not 6-3, 230, but if we go back and clip all the passing protection together, Mo Wells would be, if not 100 per cent, 98 per cent. He can play," said Tressel.
Like Pittman, Wells says that the knowledge he has gained about the college game has helped him be a better back.
"If you know how certain guys are going to block certain plays and how defenses are going to react to it, then you know what cuts to make beforehand and you can have them in mind and set already. It looks like you got better, but really you got better knowledge of the offense," Wells said.
Joining Wells at tailback are incoming freshman Chris "Beanie" Wells and Eric Haw. According to Tressel, each of those players will have a role next fall, but each have things to work on. For Wells, he simply has to become more familiar with the offense so he can make those cuts based on knowledge as Maurice Wells has learned to do.
"I'm very satisfied that Beanie has done the things that he needs to do and he's where he should be," said Tressel.
"He's definitely not behind, but he's not beyond expectations, but we had high expectations for him, but he has learned a lot.
"I think if you were to ask him he would tell you that he is surprised by how much there is to know, but that's to be expected. There is no shortcut to learning the position. You have to go out there and take the reps before you can really understand, no matter how much you try to just study. It's a process he has to go through, but he'll be fine."
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=100 align=right><CAPTION align=bottom>[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Eric Haw [/FONT]</CAPTION><TBODY><TR><TD>"Just to see Mo Wells and how he has developed since last year this spring, I really see an improvement. I'm really excited to see his development," said White.
"Mo Wells is very comfortable with what he has been asked to do," said OSU running backs coach Dick Tressel.
"He's super on all the aspects of catching it, running it and blocking, and he's able to go fast because he knows what to do, and he's an elusive guy.
"He will make you miss. When we have a spread out formation to take advantage of Troy Smith, we're setting it up for Mo Wells also.
"He's got a start now, he's got a burst. You give him a draw or delay kind of handoff or get him outside with a swing pass, he's very impressive. He does a great job for us."
With Pittman nursing a hamstring this spring, Wells has gotten more reps than he would have had he been sharing them with Pittman, and that has been a good thing for the speedster from Florida as well as all the other running backs competing for playing time.
"With Antonio not in the lineup the other guys have been getting a lot of reps and have been doing a lot of growing," said Tressel.
"Right now I'm getting the majority of the time with the ones," confirmed Wells.
"Chris (Wells) gets some of the time with the ones, but for the majority I get them."
Maurice Wells' development between his freshman and sophomore seasons has closely paralleled that of Pittman between those same seasons.
"I'm reading defenses now, I know how the offensive line is blocking certain plays and certain schemes," said Wells.
"I'm learning what plays I like to run. Before I just said give me the ball and I'll run whatever, but now I'm seeing that there are certain plays that I'm more comfortable with."
Wells said his playing time last season, though limited, has helped him immensely this spring.
"It's a lot different having that year. My carries, my footwork, my understanding of the offense is a whole lot deeper now, so I think I'll be able to help the offense a whole lot more."
His teammate, Stan White, says there is a noticeable difference in Wells this spring, that he has made the leap from outstanding high school tailback to competent college tailback.
"I think as a high school running back when you have that much ability if you don't see anything in the middle you just want to bounce outside," said White.
"I think sometimes his default mode if he don't see anything was to bounce outside, but now he's seeing the holes and he realizes that even though he's a small, quick back he can get four or five yards by lowering his shoulders and get four or five yards up the middle, and he realizes that he can cut back and make those big plays over the middle and doesn't always have to bounce it outside."
Wells agreed.
"In high school you can bounce it outside because you have the speed to get around the corner, but in the Big Ten and in college a lot of the linebackers and defensive ends are real fast and you can't do that," said Wells.
"Between the tackles is where a lot of yardage is at, where a lot of our plays are designed to go."
Wells has learned that lesson, and is a better back this spring for it much like Pittman between his first two Buckeye seasons.
According to his coach, one of the thing that has separated Wells from the other competitors for playing time behind Pittman is his willingness and ability to do the things a tailback has to do when he's not carrying the football.
"He's not 6-3, 230, but if we go back and clip all the passing protection together, Mo Wells would be, if not 100 per cent, 98 per cent. He can play," said Tressel.
Like Pittman, Wells says that the knowledge he has gained about the college game has helped him be a better back.
"If you know how certain guys are going to block certain plays and how defenses are going to react to it, then you know what cuts to make beforehand and you can have them in mind and set already. It looks like you got better, but really you got better knowledge of the offense," Wells said.
Joining Wells at tailback are incoming freshman Chris "Beanie" Wells and Eric Haw. According to Tressel, each of those players will have a role next fall, but each have things to work on. For Wells, he simply has to become more familiar with the offense so he can make those cuts based on knowledge as Maurice Wells has learned to do.
"I'm very satisfied that Beanie has done the things that he needs to do and he's where he should be," said Tressel.
"He's definitely not behind, but he's not beyond expectations, but we had high expectations for him, but he has learned a lot.
"I think if you were to ask him he would tell you that he is surprised by how much there is to know, but that's to be expected. There is no shortcut to learning the position. You have to go out there and take the reps before you can really understand, no matter how much you try to just study. It's a process he has to go through, but he'll be fine."
For Haw, the challenge is to be more consistent when he is not carrying the ball, like in blocking situations or pass receiving situations.
"His forte in his mind and in his heart is carrying the leather," said Tressel.
"That's where running backs all start, and then they have to grow from there to be a great pass blocker and a get-one-more-yard guy as well as a get-a-touchdown guy. There's all those kind of things that make a coaching staff and a team really confident that he can help you win the game," Tressel said.
There isn't just an abundance of talent at tailback. There is also an abundance of styles. Each of the backs brings his own style to the field, and the OSU offensive brain trust is hoping that will bring headaches for opposing defenses.
"We're certainly excited about this talent," said Tressel.
"We have guys that are all shapes, sizes and skills. That makes you smile. It puts us in the situation that whatever the team needs at that position we can do it a couple of different ways. We can bring them in waves, and our hope is that they'll be healthy and do the things that they can do," Tressel said.
In Chris Wells and Haw, the Buckeyes have fast, big backs. In Pittman they have a slasher, and in Maurice Wells a darter.
"To be honest, I don't think we're at all alike," said Pittman of the running styles in the OSU backfield.
"We all have our own style of running, and its so different. I'm not the biggest back but I like to run inside. Eric is a bigger back but he'll take it outside and show his speed. Mo is like a little Warrick Dunn, and Beanie is a straight-ahead runner. He reminds me of Corey Dillon," Pittman said.
Tressel said the variety of talent gives OSU options galore.
"There are a lot of roles," he said, including an obvious one for Chris Wells.
"Certainly at 6-2, 238, you think right away about short yardage, but he can catch it," said Tressel.
Tressel says the combinations are endless.
"I can see Pitt and Mo, I can see Mo and Beanie, I can see Eric Haw and Stan White and Dionte Johnson, all of them in there at the same time as far as I'm concerned," he said.
The one thing for certain is that more-than one back will get playing time this season.
"There's no question that in a couple of games (last season) Pitt was tired," said Tressel.
"That's never best, to be tired, and now we can keep him out of that situation. We're going to get everything out of Antonio Pittman. We're going to have him fresh going full speed and we're going to have the other guys going full speed doing what they do best," Tressel said.
White agreed, and added that the depth at tailback will a real plus for the entire OSU offense.
"On second or third down if we need to get a blow for a buy the next guy can come in and do the same thing. I think we're going to have different styles of backs. We're going to have speed backs, we're going to have powerful backs, I think we're going to take some pressure off Troy and let the wide receivers do great things when they have guys down in the box trying to stop the run."
The story doesn't end with tailbacks. White is back at fullback, as is Dionte Johnson. With the new emphasis on the running game, White and Johnson will be on the field more in 2006 than they were in 2005 when the Buckeyes were in four and five receiver alignments.
"Compared to last year we're doing a lot more regular (three or less receivers)," said White.
"Dionte and myself, we have some experience at the position. We want to be a part of what the offense is doing."
"We have a lot of talent in the backfield this year," added Johnson.
"This year with the addition of Chris I think our coaching staff is very confident in the running game."
"On second or third down if we need to get a blow for a buy the next guy can come in and do the same thing. I think we're going to have different styles of backs. We're going to have speed backs, we're going to have powerful backs, I think we're going to take some pressure off Troy and let the wide receivers do great things when they have guys down in the box trying to stop the run."
The story doesn't end with tailbacks. White is back at fullback, as is Dionte Johnson. With the new emphasis on the running game, White and Johnson will be on the field more in 2006 than they were in 2005 when the Buckeyes were in four and five receiver alignments.
"Compared to last year we're doing a lot more regular (three or less receivers)," said White.
"Dionte and myself, we have some experience at the position. We want to be a part of what the offense is doing."
"We have a lot of talent in the backfield this year," added Johnson.
"This year with the addition of Chris I think our coaching staff is very confident in the running game."
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ozone/fallcamp/backfield
Buckeye Backfield Loaded in 2006
By John Porentas
It isn't too often that a tailback rushes for 1,331 net yards in his sophomore season and is seen by some as an underdog to keep his position as a junior.
That's exactly the position that Antonio Pittman found himself in as fall camp opened this year. That's because the Buckeyes signed highly-touted running back Chris Wells February, and Wells enrolled early to get a jump-start on his Buckeye career. Wells was impressive in spring ball while Pittman was limited while rehabbing a nagging injury. OSU running backs coach Dick Tressel helped fuel the fervor for Chris Wells when he compared his skills as a running back to the great Jim Brown. Tressel was obviously tickled to death to have Wells in the fold.<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=60 align=left border=0><CAPTION align=bottom>[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Dick Tressel [/FONT]</CAPTION><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
"Absolutely, the number one recruit in the nation. That's sweet," said Tressel last week at OSU media day.
The OSU depth chart was released last week and while there was a Wells on the two-deep, low and behold, it was it wasn't the one a lot of fans thought it would be. It was returning sophomore tailback Maurice Wells at the number two spot, while Antonio Pittman was listed as the number one guy at tailback. Does it mean that the number one recruit in the nation is a disappointment? Not according to Tressel. According to him, it means something totally different.
"We've really got some players. We've really got some players," Tressel said emphatically when asked the implication of Chris Wells not being in the two-deep.
"We've got some great players. Mo Wells had a great spring and made tremendous strides and has tremendous capabilities to contribute and maybe has carved his spot to a greater level than Beanie (Chris Wells) has at this time.
"Beanie turned 18 this week. Sometimes you have to build around his strengths, but if you try to get him to go (progress) too fast it can be a mistake. You have to be smart, and I think we will be. That includes when to give him the ball, all those kind of things," said Tressel.<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=60 align=right border=0><CAPTION align=bottom>[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Antonio Pittman [/FONT]</CAPTION><TBODY><TR><TD>
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Tressel is high on both the Wells boys, but there is no doubt who the number one man is in his eyes, at least at the moment. Antonio Pittman proved himself last season as both a reliable inside runner and a runner who has big-play capability. What is lost in all of that is that Pittman played the entire season with a string of nagging injuries, all of which are now behind him. Additionally, he is bigger and stronger this year, and according to Tressel, has amazing power for his size.
"He's fast, he's explosive, and he's surprising in how capable of breaking a tackle he is, because you don't label him as a 220 pound power runner. He's more like 202, 203, but his legs are so strong. Most of his strength is from his hips on down, which makes him a very hard runner to bring down," said Tressel.
Pittman has gotten bigger every season since his arrival at OSU. As a freshman, he played in the 180 to 185 range, as a sophomore at 190 to 195. This year he tops 200 and should be an even more effective runner. With Pittman the number one option, look for OSU to use Maurice Wells as his main relief when the field is long or when the passing game is the focus of the offense. Maurice Wells is listed at 195 pounds this season, up from the 185 he was listed at last year. When the field is short, or when the Buckeyes are coming off their own goal line, the 235 pound Chris Wells could very well see some action.
The Other Position
Tailback is an embarrassment of riches for the Buckeyes, but don't count out the OSU fullbacks
Fifth-year senior Stan White has let it be known that he doesn't just want
to be a steady-Eddie on the field this season, he wants to be a playmaker.
But with the wealth of talent at tailback, it isn't likely that the fullbacks are going to get a lot of carries in 2006. Both White and backup Dionte Johnson will do plenty of head banging as blockers this season, so if they are going to make plays, it will most likely be in the passing game, not the running game.
"Those guys are basically blockers, but that they're also receivers, that they can catch it. It always comes back to how you are deployed," said Tressel.
"As offensive coaches we are always looking at how many different ways can we beat somebody, and which way is going to be best against a given opponent," Tressel. said.
"They can play well on the line of scrimmage. Hopefully that will be one of those things that we'll recognize as a need at a given time."
As is the case with his tailbacks, Tressel is pleased with his talent at fullback.
"They're really pretty good. I watched the fullback stuff from the past couple of years and have not seen our fullbacks physically defeated by the defensive ends and linebackers in this league. They can block," said Tressel.
"They're good athletes and real tough-guys and great attitude people. You always have to have your best 11 players out there on the field, and they're the kind of guys that really put pressure on you to have them as one of those best 11.
"Last year we started out thinking maybe they weren't one of the best 11 with Santonio Holmes and the other two guys we had returning at wideout. Maybe this year they are going to be in there."
The possibility of seeing more of the fullbacks was probably helped some with the one-year suspension of tight end Marcel Frost last week. With one less tight end on the roster, the fullbacks are the obvious option as a way to get some big speed on the field when it is needed in both the running and passing games.
"It might, although I don't think it opened it any wider than it was already open," said Tressel when asked about that possibility.
"They're pretty good. I don't think they have to have anybody get out of their way. Two things have to come together for those guys. They have to keep playing well, and we have to line up against some opponents that deploy in a way that the fullback in the game is to our advantage. If your opponents are going to not defend the pass, then we're going to throw it and the fullbacks are probably not going to be on the field as much, but otherwise, you're likely to see them this season."<TABLE cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=0 width=100 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD>
Buckeye Backfield Loaded in 2006
By John Porentas
It isn't too often that a tailback rushes for 1,331 net yards in his sophomore season and is seen by some as an underdog to keep his position as a junior.
That's exactly the position that Antonio Pittman found himself in as fall camp opened this year. That's because the Buckeyes signed highly-touted running back Chris Wells February, and Wells enrolled early to get a jump-start on his Buckeye career. Wells was impressive in spring ball while Pittman was limited while rehabbing a nagging injury. OSU running backs coach Dick Tressel helped fuel the fervor for Chris Wells when he compared his skills as a running back to the great Jim Brown. Tressel was obviously tickled to death to have Wells in the fold.
"Absolutely, the number one recruit in the nation. That's sweet," said Tressel last week at OSU media day.
The OSU depth chart was released last week and while there was a Wells on the two-deep, low and behold, it was it wasn't the one a lot of fans thought it would be. It was returning sophomore tailback Maurice Wells at the number two spot, while Antonio Pittman was listed as the number one guy at tailback. Does it mean that the number one recruit in the nation is a disappointment? Not according to Tressel. According to him, it means something totally different.
"We've really got some players. We've really got some players," Tressel said emphatically when asked the implication of Chris Wells not being in the two-deep.
"We've got some great players. Mo Wells had a great spring and made tremendous strides and has tremendous capabilities to contribute and maybe has carved his spot to a greater level than Beanie (Chris Wells) has at this time.
"Beanie turned 18 this week. Sometimes you have to build around his strengths, but if you try to get him to go (progress) too fast it can be a mistake. You have to be smart, and I think we will be. That includes when to give him the ball, all those kind of things," said Tressel.
Tressel is high on both the Wells boys, but there is no doubt who the number one man is in his eyes, at least at the moment. Antonio Pittman proved himself last season as both a reliable inside runner and a runner who has big-play capability. What is lost in all of that is that Pittman played the entire season with a string of nagging injuries, all of which are now behind him. Additionally, he is bigger and stronger this year, and according to Tressel, has amazing power for his size.
"He's fast, he's explosive, and he's surprising in how capable of breaking a tackle he is, because you don't label him as a 220 pound power runner. He's more like 202, 203, but his legs are so strong. Most of his strength is from his hips on down, which makes him a very hard runner to bring down," said Tressel.
Pittman has gotten bigger every season since his arrival at OSU. As a freshman, he played in the 180 to 185 range, as a sophomore at 190 to 195. This year he tops 200 and should be an even more effective runner. With Pittman the number one option, look for OSU to use Maurice Wells as his main relief when the field is long or when the passing game is the focus of the offense. Maurice Wells is listed at 195 pounds this season, up from the 185 he was listed at last year. When the field is short, or when the Buckeyes are coming off their own goal line, the 235 pound Chris Wells could very well see some action.
The Other Position
Tailback is an embarrassment of riches for the Buckeyes, but don't count out the OSU fullbacks
Fifth-year senior Stan White has let it be known that he doesn't just want
to be a steady-Eddie on the field this season, he wants to be a playmaker.
But with the wealth of talent at tailback, it isn't likely that the fullbacks are going to get a lot of carries in 2006. Both White and backup Dionte Johnson will do plenty of head banging as blockers this season, so if they are going to make plays, it will most likely be in the passing game, not the running game.
"Those guys are basically blockers, but that they're also receivers, that they can catch it. It always comes back to how you are deployed," said Tressel.
"As offensive coaches we are always looking at how many different ways can we beat somebody, and which way is going to be best against a given opponent," Tressel. said.
"They can play well on the line of scrimmage. Hopefully that will be one of those things that we'll recognize as a need at a given time."
As is the case with his tailbacks, Tressel is pleased with his talent at fullback.
"They're really pretty good. I watched the fullback stuff from the past couple of years and have not seen our fullbacks physically defeated by the defensive ends and linebackers in this league. They can block," said Tressel.
"They're good athletes and real tough-guys and great attitude people. You always have to have your best 11 players out there on the field, and they're the kind of guys that really put pressure on you to have them as one of those best 11.
"Last year we started out thinking maybe they weren't one of the best 11 with Santonio Holmes and the other two guys we had returning at wideout. Maybe this year they are going to be in there."
The possibility of seeing more of the fullbacks was probably helped some with the one-year suspension of tight end Marcel Frost last week. With one less tight end on the roster, the fullbacks are the obvious option as a way to get some big speed on the field when it is needed in both the running and passing games.
"It might, although I don't think it opened it any wider than it was already open," said Tressel when asked about that possibility.
"They're pretty good. I don't think they have to have anybody get out of their way. Two things have to come together for those guys. They have to keep playing well, and we have to line up against some opponents that deploy in a way that the fullback in the game is to our advantage. If your opponents are going to not defend the pass, then we're going to throw it and the fullbacks are probably not going to be on the field as much, but otherwise, you're likely to see them this season."
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Stan White [/FONT]
</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Dionte Johnson[/FONT]
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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wells
i hope Mo can hold on to the ball now that he is bigger. Will beany play at all if he cant learn the blocking schemes. I think pitt will have a great year and that either wells will be used for relief only for the most part. They didnt call pittman "the beast" in high scholl for nothing.
GO BUCKS!
i hope Mo can hold on to the ball now that he is bigger. Will beany play at all if he cant learn the blocking schemes. I think pitt will have a great year and that either wells will be used for relief only for the most part. They didnt call pittman "the beast" in high scholl for nothing.
GO BUCKS!
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buckeyeboy
Still fortitudinous
I don't care what MoWells has done in practice. He's going to have to actually show me something in the games before I become a believer in him. I don't mean to sound harsh, but last year I just didn't see much that impressed me, even if you don't factor in the fumble.
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A guy who used to be a pretty big member here PM'd this to me over on another site, and I thought I'd share with you all:
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calibuck
Too soon old, too late smart
I can foresee Stan White banging through the line, and sliding off to the left......and catching a swing pass from Troy Smith----touchdown Buckeyes! Or gliding out to the flat, and again catching a swing pass, while one of the Wells boys, or Pittman takes a fake into the 2 hole.
There's too many weapons in the backfield. Methinks that Pittman is the 'man' (until he can't pickup the yards or gets hurt), and then M. Wells comes in, except in short yardage situations, and then C. Wells comes in.
Forget which poster said they hoped C. Wells could pick up the blocking assignments, and they're dead nuts on. It takes more than just running ability to be a polished Big 10 back (don't care which team), and especially if you want to start. There's too many variables to say who's going to play, when, or how many minutes. Personally don't care, as long as they score the TD's and help keep the D off the field for excessive minutes. Too many minutes for our new D could be fatal. So we'll see a bunch of runs (using fly patterns to Ginn/Gonzo/Hall to keep 9 out of the box), to keep drives alive. I realize that this is all mental masturbation, and we won't have anything definite until Sept 2, but Pittman has the job until someone proves they're better. With the pictures of the backs, I'm not so certain that Haw didn't exhibit smart discretion, rather than stay and show his valor. He might not have EVER seen the field, and he's a plenty good back!
Any way it goes, as long as it's for positive yardage.....:gobucks3: :gobucks4:
There's too many weapons in the backfield. Methinks that Pittman is the 'man' (until he can't pickup the yards or gets hurt), and then M. Wells comes in, except in short yardage situations, and then C. Wells comes in.
Forget which poster said they hoped C. Wells could pick up the blocking assignments, and they're dead nuts on. It takes more than just running ability to be a polished Big 10 back (don't care which team), and especially if you want to start. There's too many variables to say who's going to play, when, or how many minutes. Personally don't care, as long as they score the TD's and help keep the D off the field for excessive minutes. Too many minutes for our new D could be fatal. So we'll see a bunch of runs (using fly patterns to Ginn/Gonzo/Hall to keep 9 out of the box), to keep drives alive. I realize that this is all mental masturbation, and we won't have anything definite until Sept 2, but Pittman has the job until someone proves they're better. With the pictures of the backs, I'm not so certain that Haw didn't exhibit smart discretion, rather than stay and show his valor. He might not have EVER seen the field, and he's a plenty good back!
Any way it goes, as long as it's for positive yardage.....:gobucks3: :gobucks4:
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I think it's just a normal concern that pass blocking is the thing that freshmen backs have to learn. The really good ones come in ready to carry the ball, but need to protect the QB before they can stay on the field.
After a few more practices the comments from the coaches will be a better indication of where Beanie stands.
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stthegreat04
Junior
are you forgetting that he was a TRUE FRESHMAN last season... since then he has packed on another 10 pounds and shows he can pick up the blitz... what more does this man have to do... you so high on beanie that your not giving the NUMBER 2 BACK a shot... when your a true freshman and your out on the field first you have to shake the nerves then you have to remember the plays... so its easy for a true frosh to look lost out there now that he has a year of experience you will see what my boy can do...
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