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2006 Spring Practice/Game Thread

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Lantern

4/3

With positions to fill, Bucks go to work

Christopher Herman

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Media Credit: Melissa Miller
Coach Jim Tressel walks the sideline during the San Diego State game last season. He and a few members of this year's team met with the media Thursday to discuss the gaps left by last year's seniors on offense and defense.

</td> </tr> </tbody></table></td></tr></tbody> </table> After losing nine starters on defense and four starters on offense from a year ago, the Ohio State football team will have plenty of competition to fill some big holes during spring practice, which began Thursday.

"The competition for positions and so forth, I think you have to work hard to give guys equal opportunities in similar situations," coach Jim Tressel said.

A major focus this spring will be replacing nine defensive starters from last year's team. The Buckeyes lost all three All-American linebackers, A.J. Hawk, Bobby Carpenter and Anthony Schlegel, arguably the best trio in school history. The defense also lost its entire starting secondary from a year ago.

"The key to your defense is production," Tressel said. "We have a semi-veteran front that's got to become very veteran. We've got a young group of linebackers who have to learn everyday and we've got an extremely young group of secondaries that everyday is going to be an adventure, but that's college football."

The Buckeyes do have experience at linebacker with junior Marcus Freeman and seniors Mike D' Andrea and John Kerr. Freeman lettered as a true freshman but missed most of last season with a knee injury. D'Andrea came to OSU with Hawk and Carpenter but has been injury plagued throughout his career. Kerr started at linebacker for Indiana before transferring to OSU.

"It gave us a little head start," Tressel said. "We're not totally raw."

Sophomore James Laurinaitis also returns this year. Last season he replaced Carpenter during the Michigan game and started the Fiesta Bowl in Carpenter's place.

"For him to have a chance to play the entire Michigan game and the entire Notre Dame game - that's invaluable," Tressel said.

The Buckeyes also have junior college transfer Larry Grant, a first team Juco All-American last season. Redshirt freshman Austin Spitler and true freshman Ross Homan are also highly regarded.
 
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Dispatch

4/5/06

OSU FOOTBALL

Top target at receiver isn’t set in stone

Ginn, Gonzalez striving for edge in consistency

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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Ohio State is on the road, ahead by three points, late in the game. It’s thirdand-8 and the crowd is roaring.

The Buckeyes need a completion. Absolutely, positively must have it.

For the past five years, it was clear where the pass would go, either to Michael Jenkins (2001-03) or Santonio Holmes (2004-05).

But this fall, will the Buckeyes go to Ted Ginn Jr. or Anthony Gonzalez? And is it really necessary to designate a go-to receiver?

With the departure of Holmes to the NFL after his junior season, those are questions that are only beginning to be answered, four practices into the Buckeyes’ spring session.

"There isn’t a No. 1 (receiver) right now," receivers coach Darrell Hazell said yesterday. "I hope there is at some point in time. You always like to have a go-to guy."

Hazell defines a go-to guy as someone who is consistent, who can be counted on to make the right read, run the right route and catch the ball.

Ginn would seem most likely to inherit the mantle. In two seasons, he has grown from a raw athlete getting by mostly on speed to a knowledgeable, dependable receiver who, by the way, is still pretty fast.

Coaches praised him last season for his improved route-running. Ginn ended with 51 catches, just four fewer than Holmes.

"Teddy is playing extremely well, he really is," Gonzalez said of recent workouts. "It’s the best I’ve seen him play. I’ve been just totally blown away, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what it translates into."

Hazell said Ginn now is consistent, compared with 2005.

"It flashed last year," Hazell said, "but you watch him now, on every single rep, he’s more patient and he’s separating a little bit better. He’s becoming a much better receiver."

The Buckeyes are keeping Ginn at his flanker spot, playing to the wide side of the field to better use his speed and moves.

Gonzalez last year played as the slot receiver in three-receiver sets. He still will do that, but he has an adjustment to make when OSU plays two receivers. In those situations, he will be the split end, playing in tighter spaces.

"It’s more mental maybe because defenses can do different things to you because there’s so many defenders that are close to you," Gonzalez said. "So you’ve got to figure out what they’re doing and react to it. That’s what Santonio was so good at, actually."

Last week, coach Jim Tressel made a point of talking up Gonzalez. It sounded as if he’s trying to promote competition between Gonzalez and Ginn.

"Tony Gonzalez wants to be the guy that the coaches are sitting in there penciling him in and coming up with ways to get him the ball in every formation," Tressel said, "Kind of like Santonio was (and) Mike Jenkins was. That would be his goal.

"He’s very bright, very explosive. I do want to give him the opportunity to be the guy that he believes he can be, and so it’s exciting."

Ginn characteristically deflects talk away from himself onto the group. He did so again yesterday. But he does agree that he has become a more polished player. And there was a hint of a new drive, of hunger, in his comments.

It goes without saying that any-one worthy of being No. 1 must first want to be No. 1.

"We’ve just got to go out and play the play, and the play will basically tell who is who," Ginn said. "Just got to go out and play hard every play and wish for the ball and play like you want the ball, and you should receive the ball."

[email protected]
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Wednesday, April 05, 2006
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Lantern

4/5

Buckeye receivers prepare to step up offense

Travis Minnear

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OSU's offense has relied heavily on a power running game in the past. The old Woody Hayes adage "Three yards and a cloud of dust" accurately described the offensive approach to Buckeye football at one time. But the offense is changing.

"There are a lot of stats out there, but one of my favorites is explosive gains," said wide receivers coach, Darrell Hazell. "If you can go the distance in two or three plays, I love that. (Junior Ted Ginn Jr.) has that ability and (junior Anthony) Gonzalez has that ability. With the more explosive gains you can have, it offsets a lot of things. It offsets penalties and a lot of special teams plays. If you can have those explosive gains, you've got a lot going for you."

While the heart and soul of the offensive attack may still be on the ground, with junior tailback Antonio Pittman and freshman tailback Chris Wells carrying a good portion of the load, senior quarterback Troy Smith will have several experienced targets to throw to.

OSU's biggest loss on offense will be Santonio Holmes, who declared eligibility for the NFL draft. Holmes led the team with 53 receptions, 977 yards and 11 touchdowns a year ago. His absence gives other players the opportunity to step out from behind his shadow and make an impact.

"It'll be difficult (replacing Holmes)," Gonzalez said "That's one of the challenges that we have. Don't anticipate it being one guy that replaces him, because he's too talented. He's too good for one of us to just be thrown out there and be expected to do all the things that he did. With the committee of us and the whole group, we can collectively get better to the point that we make up for his absence."

The No. 1 receiver this season will likely be Ginn. The speed-burner from Cleveland Glenville High School quietly tallied 803 yards and four touchdowns on 51 catches in 2005. His versatility and ability to provide mismatches for opposing teams should allow the Buckeyes to spread defenses and open up other phases of the OSU arsenal.

"I'm getting better at everything," Ginn said. "I'm just trying to become a complete receiver and just come out and play hard and try (to) become a go to guy."

It is no secret that a major part of Ginn's versatility rests on special teams. As a freshman he set the Big Ten record for touchdowns on punt returns, with four. Last season he marked two special teams scores - one punt return and one kick return. Without Holmes, it is still a secret as to who will be back deep returning kicks with Ginn.

"We haven't done anything with kick return yet but on punt return, I'm catching punts," Gonzalez said. "I don't know if that means I'm going to be returning punts, but I'm practicing it. That's one thing that I really wanted to kind of concentrate on - maybe help the team and at the same time maybe take my game to a level that it hasn't been to yet."

With so much attention focused on Ginn, the door stands open for Gonzalez to further solidify what has already been a memorable career in Columbus. It is a possibility that Gonzalez will play a larger role not only on the field but in the huddle. He also looks to continue his clutch play against Big Ten opponents, namely Michigan, as he plays a more active role.

One of the most experienced OSU receivers is senior Roy Hall. His 6-foot-3 240-pound frame gives him an obvious size advantage and separates him from other OSU receivers.

Hall played a slightly limited role last season. He caught just 16 passes for 134 yards. The lack of receptions can be partially explained by the OSU rushing success in 2005. While Pittman ran for 1,331 yards a year ago, Smith added 611 yards as the two combined for 379 carries. Although Pittman and Smith might be likely to continue their success, Hall gives OSU another option over the middle of the field and provides solid blocking.

"I try to be physical on the run game and on blocking," Hall said. "Running the ball is a huge part of our offense, so I take pride in blocking those DB's and safeties. Just being a bigger receiver, you give a bigger target to the quarterback, so it works out well."

Not to be overlooked with all the player talent is Hazell himself. He has coached at the collegiate level for 20 years going into this season, which is his third with the Buckeyes. Much of his experience is with receivers and running backs, but he served as an assistant head coach at Rutgers before coming to OSU. He also played wide receiver at Muskingum, where he was an All-American and team captain during his senior year.

"When (Hazell) first came in, it was a little bit tough to get used to," Gonzalez said. "Any new coach is hard to get used to sometimes. But now it's like everybody loves him. First of all, he's very knowledgeable, he's incredible and just knows everything about the position, so it seems. He gets the most out of his players."

As the Spring Game creeps closer, the Buckeyes find themselves with a number of questions about the depth chart. With the combination of talent, speed and chemistry at wide receiver, the only question OSU has about that position is who to throw the ball to.

"I think we have a great receiving corps. I would say we're one of the tops in the nation," Hall said. "You've got probably one of the fastest, if not the fastest out there at our flanker (Ginn). And out there at split end right now you've got Tony Gonzalez. When you throw Brian Robiskie, myself, Brian Hartline and Albert Dukes in the mix, we can run with anybody. We've just got to stay consistent and perform."
 
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Man, these articles are really getting me excited for this season. I honestly think our offense can average over 40 points a game this season. We have great talent at receiver, an outstanding QB, stable of TB's, and a good line. The dynamics are there for an offensive outbreak this season.

As for the defense, I think that speed has been the main word coming out of that camp. The more and more I evaluate our LB situation, the less I worry. I think our D line will be stellar, especially Pitcock and Wilson.........and the DB's will significantly get better with every rep. Those guy's are all studs.........they just need experience.

At first when I heard #1 being mentioned with us in the same sentence I didn't agree......but the more and more that I evaluate this team, the more I think we could win it all. The Texas game will set the tone once again. Hopefully we can copy their format from last season.
 
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bucknuts44820 said:
Rivals.com$

4/6/06

Coverage of the 15th annual Spring Preview. Coach Tressel stated that both the Texas and Iowa games would be at night. :(
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Why do we agree to play an early-season away game at night every year? The previous ones haven't gone too smoothly. 02 NW, 03 Wisc, 04 NW, 05 PSU. I realize TV has most of the say in the process, but you think we'd be able to have some influence. The Texas game has to be at night because of the heat, but the Iowa game is a landmine.
 
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Why do we agree to play an early-season away game at night every year? The previous ones haven't gone too smoothly. 02 NW, 03 Wisc, 04 NW, 05 PSU. I realize TV has most of the say in the process, but you think we'd be able to have some influence. The Texas game has to be at night because of the heat, but the Iowa game is a landmine.<!-- / message -->
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I am not sure why we seem to play a good team on the road at night every year.....I guess it just comes with being Ohio State, every opponent is going to look for an edge when we come to town. Iowa will be a test, but they lost a lot from last year....
 
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CleveBucks said:
Why do we agree to play an early-season away game at night every year? The previous ones haven't gone too smoothly. 02 NW, 03 Wisc, 04 NW, 05 PSU. I realize TV has most of the say in the process, but you think we'd be able to have some influence. The Texas game has to be at night because of the heat, but the Iowa game is a landmine.
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Primetime baby!

In reality, that is the reason. They want to make it the highlight game, so everyone can see. So they make it a night game.
 
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Dispatch

4/6/06

OSU FOOTBALL

New jersey will have scarlet, but no gray

Sleeves to fit tighter, bear thinner black, white and red stripes

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>SHARI LEWIS | DISPATCH </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Jim Tressel shows off the Buckeyes’ new jersey during an annual charity event. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


Someone shelled out $5,000 for a new-look Ohio State jersey yesterday, and the Buckeyes hope they are equally hard to get hold of this fall.

The new uniform design was unveiled as part of the 15 th annual Spring Preview to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association of Central Ohio.

The jersey is form-fitting, particularly around the sleeves.

"I like it from a football standpoint," fullback Stan White Jr. said. "You don’t want any guys grabbing you, and the tighter the jersey the less chance they have, so it has an advantage."

Smiling, White added, "And as far as your image goes, to have a brand-new jersey is an exciting thing. I think a lot of guys are excited about that."

The only noticeable changes are that the stripes on the sleeves are thinner and are black, white and scarlet. The gray is gone. Also, the player’s number has moved down from the top of the shoulder pads onto the sleeves.

The jersey is made of a fabric designed to wick moisture and cool the body more quickly.

Tailback Erik Haw had a little fun with tradition-bound OSU making changes.

"Surprisingly, Ohio State University got new jerseys, which is astonishing to me," he said. "But they look good. Still classy."

After coach Jim Tressel held up the No. 1 jersey and it was signed by Tressel and former OSU coaches Earle Bruce and John Cooper, it was auctioned off to benefit charity.

The selling price did not surprise White.

"I’m always amazed at just how fervent our fans are," he said.
The event has raised more than $1 million since Cooper started it in 1992.
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The coaches and a few players gave their insights as to who they felt was playing well in the first 4 practices so far this spring @ Tressel's Spring Preview:

* Coach Bollman said he's not sure who will grab the remaining starting spots, but he really likes the depth and named most of the "back-ups" battling for the spot...expects a lot of guys to play and contribute regardless of who is named the starter.

* Lawrence Wilson is nursing a hammy injury & Quinn Pitcock is still working his way back from an off-season minor shoulder procedure. But the D Line is expected to be a unit that puts a lot of pressure on opposing QBs and is solid up the middle. Vernon Gohlstin was mentioned as one who has really looked good to this point (along with Alex Barrow).

* Coach Fickell didn't single out any of his LBs except to say that he has MDA and John Kerr back as Seniors. He went on to say that he had 7 guys who any of which he could see stepping in and winning the starting spots...but several are expected to play and contribute.

* Roy Hall echoed the coaches feelings that as of now the practices were using a "WR by comittee" approach, but when you have the depth and talent at the position that we have it's not necessarily a bad thing. Though he did say this year when you add his 235 lb. frame to Teddy Ginn and Tony Gonzo's speed and abilities it was going to still be a very dangerous unit...and he said if you don't know him yet, keep your ears open for Robiskie's name. He's appearantly making big plays regularly (I believe from the slot, he said). Coach T said he also wanted to mention the effort and heart Hartline has brought to the position this Spring.

* Coach T also said Dionte Johnson has slimmed down from last year (245 lbs I think was said), and he is running just under a 4.6 40..."I don't think he could have had a better Winter than he had". Stan White said he's realy excited to block for the talent that OSU has at the RB. He mentioned that Chris Wells is as advertised (beast), and that Mo Wells has stepped up and looked good with Pittman out nursing his injuries.

* The DBs were run through with most of the expected young guys being mentioned as "competing" for a spot...Washington, Amos, (Jenkins as the obvious starter on the one side...forget whether they said Field or Boundry Corner)...O'Neal and Patterson mentioned again as currently holding the Safety spots, with Mitchell and Russell said to be fighting for time...Lukens and Lyons mentioned as a little banged up right now, but "in the mix".

* Troy Smith said he wants to improve every day and lead his team. Zwick said he doesn't necessarily feel the Defense will be a unit this year that needs to lean on the Offense, but if it does require the offense to put points on the board at times this year, he's very confident the O can provide that kind of cushion.

* Coach T was asked which unit he expected to be the 2006 Buckeye's strenth by season's end, and he was given an a.), b.), c.), d.) multiple choice of possible answers...his answer was f.) "all of the above". He asked Troy Smith to give his thoughts on what he belived the team needed to do to be successful this year: Smith said to work at being a "complete" Team...every aspect of every play...offense, defense, special teams...strive to be better each day, each play. I think John Kerr added and stressed "each player for the team...truly wanting to do anything they can for the team". A couple Coaches and players mentioned how impressed they were this Winter with the unity and how the returning players were really coming together.

I'm probably forgeting more than I wrote, but those were a few things that stuck out in my mind. :osu:
 
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Originally Posted by CleveBucks
Why do we agree to play an early-season away game at night every year? The previous ones haven't gone too smoothly. 02 NW, 03 Wisc, 04 NW, 05 PSU. I realize TV has most of the say in the process, but you think we'd be able to have some influence. The Texas game has to be at night because of the heat, but the Iowa game is a landmine.

Well two away night games, any chance of one at home? There was talk of Penn State but i don't think we would play 3 out of 4 at night.
 
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