2008 tOSU WR discussion (official thread)

[Buckeyecty4]

[quote='BusNative;109826;4]Ok, why?



Really?

So since 2004, tOSU has had 4 NFL receivers - 3 who went first round and have really contributed.

Let's look at #1 receivers


2004 - Santonio Holmes
769 total yards, 14 ypc, 64.1 ypg, 7 TD's

2005 - Santonio Holmes
977 total yards, 18.4 ypc, 81.4 ypg, 11 TD's

2006 - Ted Ginn Jr.
781 total yards, 13.2 ypc, 60.1 ypg, 9 TD's

2007 - Brian Robiskie
935 total yards, 17.0 ypc, 71.9 ypg, 11 TDs

So... no #1 receiver, except the guy who most clearly matches the last true #1 receiver who was the first overall receiver taken in his draft and is a major contributor for the Steelers?



Ray Small freshman year:
8 receptions, 68 total yards, 8.5 ypc, 6.8 ypg, 1 TD

Ray Small sophomore year:
20 receptions, 267 total yards, 13.4 ypc, 24.3 ypg, 2 TDs (started the year with an injury)

seems like improvement to me



Dane (12 games) and Taurian (only 5 games) freshman year:
combined for:
15 receptions, 135 total yards, 2 TDs

Not a ton of exposure, but not nothing. Not to mention they played behind 1,896 total yards on 127 total receptions from the top 3 receivers and an offense that features a ridiculous RB...



Umm, considering who they're playing behind, who knows? But when was the last time tOSU hauled 2 4-star receivers and a 5-star receiver?



I don't know what that means, but if this is an atypical receiving unit, its better, not worse.[/quote]

IMO, Robiskie isnt near the level of Holmes.. I dont care about the numbers he put up against our patsy schedule.. he should be putting up number likes that when he's facing DBs who are mediocre..

As stated above the defenses that got physical with him shut him down..

We can argue what the definition of a #1 is, but to me it's a guy who's gonna be a sure fire 1st round draft pick and a guy who is gonna rise up in the big game, get open, and makes catches (including tough ones).. It's a guy when the big game comes up, u have total confidence he's gonna do his thing..

Quite frankly, I know have no idea what Robiskie will do vs USC, vs another SEC opponent, vs Vontae Davis, etc... I knew what Santonio was gonna do, i knew what Jenkins was gonna do, etc.. I honestly dont have the confidence to come out and say that Robo will handle whatever top CB they throw at him..

Do you??

As for Small.. u can show me his numbers, a whoppin increase of 12 catches and 1 TD.. he was like the #6 WR as a frosh, and was the #3 this yr.. to only have 12 more catches and 1 more TD is hardly showing great development from year 1 to 2... for a player hyped as much as he was coming out of HS, youd expect more development by this stage..

Can you honestly say you know what Ray Small is gonna bring in 2008? Many Buckeye fans i know dont even know if he's gonna get PT in 2008 with guys like Posey and Thomas coming in..

Im just scratching my head when u say this is "an atypical WR unit at OSU, it's better"... You serious? You like this upcoming WR core better than the 04/05
unit of Holmes, Ginn, Gonzo? Ginn, Gonzo, Robiskie, Hartline, Hall of 06?? How about 03 of Jenkins, Carter, Holmes? Not even gonna go back to the 90s WR cores..

Seriously, how can u view this upcoming group as being better than the typical OSU WR core?

 

[BB73]

Robiskie couldnt hold Santonio's jock.. I dont care about the numbers he put up against our patsy schedule.. he should be putting up number likes that when he's facing DBs who are mediocre..

When you're comparing the relative abliities of different Buckeyes, you need to avoid phrases like the one that started out your post. Praising one while bashing another doesn't work here.

 

[BayBuck]

We can argue what the definition of a #1 is, but to me it's a guy who's gonna be a sure fire 1st round draft pick and a guy who is gonna rise up in the big game, get open, and makes catches (including tough ones).. It's a guy when the big game comes up, u have total confidence he's gonna do his thing.

Sounds an awful lot like Robiskie to me...

 

[PlanetFrnd]

Robiskie couldnt hold Santonio's jock.. I dont care about the numbers he put up against our patsy schedule.. he should be putting up number likes that when he's facing DBs who are mediocre..

As stated above the defenses that got physical with him shut him down..

We can argue what the definition of a #1 is, but to me it's a guy who's gonna be a sure fire 1st round draft pick and a guy who is gonna rise up in the big game, get open, and makes catches (including tough ones).. It's a guy when the big game comes up, u have total confidence he's gonna do his thing..

Quite frankly, I know have no idea what Robiskie will do vs USC, vs another SEC opponent, vs Vontae Davis, etc... I knew what Santonio was gonna do, i knew what Jenkins was gonna do, etc.. I honestly dont have the confidence to come out and say that Robo will handle whatever top CB they throw at him..

Do you??

As for Small.. u can show me his numbers, a whoppin increase of 12 catches and 1 TD.. he was like the #6 WR as a frosh, and was the #3 this yr.. to only have 12 more catches and 1 more TD is hardly showing great development from year 1 to 2... for a player hyped as much as he was coming out of HS, youd expect more development by this stage..

Can you honestly say you know what Ray Small is gonna bring in 2008? Many Buckeye fans i know dont even know if he's gonna get PT in 2008 with guys like Posey and Thomas coming in..

You said no #1 receiver. It's clear that there is a #1 receiver. Whether or not you think Robo is the best #1 receiver we've had lately is simply your opinion, and a different issue.

As far as Small is concerned, let's just trust the coaches.

 

[MUBuck]

So My question is why are our reciever physical in the running game but aren't physical enough to fight off DB's when running routes? Like I said, it would figure if you're good at blocking the DB away from the RB's that you'd be more than adequate at running a route when being pressed.

I see what you're saying about being physical, but run blocking and beating a press off the ball are really unrelated. The basis of run blocking is staying on your guy, while the basis of beating a press is getting away from your guy. Technique is equally important in both aspects, yet are completely different.

 

[Buckeyecty4]

[quote='BusNative;109861;6]You said no #1 receiver. It's clear that there is a #1 receiver. Whether or not you think Robo is the best #1 receiver we've had lately is simply your opinion, and a different issue. [/quote]

Every team has a #1 WR... that is not what im talking about obviously..

I dont think Brian Robiskie heading into his senior year meets my criteria as a #1 WR.. It's my opinion, isnt that what this thread is about?

I dont feel as confident about our WR core as i have in the past.. I dont this it's a strong point of our team..

I dont really know why people are getting one me over Ray Small... he hasnt made a significant impact to date.. so Im not going to assume he just goes nuts in 2008..

 

[Buckeyecty4]

Sounds an awful lot like Robiskie to me...

I dont wanna knock Robo anymore, he's Buckeye.. but he's not a sure fire first rounder.. And he's had two absolutely critical drops in the past two NC games.. tough grabs to make, but catches that the top guys make.. those are leaving a sour taste in my mouth..

Lets see what he does in 08.. best thing about CFB, is that guys make big leaps from year to year, so maybe he'll turn into one of the best WR in the land.. He's gotta get better at getting off press coverage and he's gotta get stronger fighting for the ball in the air.. at this point, the feeling outside Cbus is that he's a good WR, but not amongst the best.. i would agree

 

[cjmik_75]

my 2 cents:

No need to bash these kids, we were lucky enough to see Robo pick up where he left off vs scUM in the 06 game where he torched Hall and co. a few times as a Sophmore. Last year he proved to be a very valuable asset in the offense. Let's not forget tOSU is a running team FIRST with Wells in the backfield. The deep balls need to be thrown better and another year of practice shouldn't hurt.

Hartline was a consistent producer in 07 as a redshirt sophmore and I don't see why he shouldn't have a bigger and better year in 08. Special teams was how he made a name for himself in 06, we can't forget some of the big hits he made covering kicks as a red shirt freshman?? He is a solid football player with great hands and toughness.

Ray Small or any other #3 WR you stick in at this spot is not going to dominate in a run first offense, but can definitely contribute. *cough* cough* Stoneburner. This tOSU offense is not the New England patriots pass happy attack so if we expect to see three 1,000 yd recievers your gonna be disappointed. When the offense is on schedule and doesn't put all the pressure on TB to make every play the #3 WR spot may be a key to unlocking the offense's full potential.

Beanie is the Man on offense period. The WR are complimentary to him and none of them need to have Randy Moss kinda numbers for us to win games.

If tOSU has 3-4 WR in on first and second down it's because they're up big and the 2nd string is in there. Robo and Hartline are the guys who need to continue being consistent and make a couple more plays on deep balls and really Small and/or one other guy needs to step it up to the next level and show the coaches something because a third/fourth WR slot is pretty much there for someone to take.

:osu:

 

[Sportsbuck28]

Every team has a #1 WR... that is not what im talking about obviously..

I dont think Brian Robiskie heading into his senior year meets my criteria as a #1 WR.. It's my opinion, isnt that what this thread is about?

And what is your criteria?

My criteria for a #1 WR (And I am playing WR myself so I feel pretty damn confident about my criteria) is a guy that will catch the ball virtually every time, has excellent technique, will fight for the ball, and has at least enough speed to get buy. Robo fits all of those.

I dont feel as confident about our WR core as i have in the past.. I dont this it's a strong point of our team..

Are you serious? Robo was All Big-Ten last year, and is the best WR in the Big Ten this year.. Hartline is the best #2 guy in the Big Ten, and Small showed some promise this year. Not to mention that Dane looked excellent as a possession receiver and T-Wash looked good in limited action. Couple that with the nation's best WR in Posey coming in, not to mention Stoney who will cause matchup problems for EVERY defense in the nation, and Flash's 10.19 100 meter speed, and we have quite possibly an all-timer on our hands here. I'd venture to say that by the end of 2008 this WR core will be the best, ever, at Ohio State. I count at least 2, possibly even 3 or 4 future first rounders here.

I dont really know why people are getting one me over Ray Small... he hasnt made a significant impact to date.. so Im not going to assume he just goes nuts in 2008..

Injured nearly his entire freshman year, and most of this year he didn't see the field too often compared to past #3's because a lot of our passes came out of the i-formation with only Robo and Hartline on the field. Did you happen to watch the Purdue or Minnesota game? His catch against Purdue and run off of a reverse against Minnesota were the closest thing to Teddy that I've ever seen.

 

[Buckeyecty4]

And what is your criteria?

My criteria for a #1 WR (And I am playing WR myself so I feel pretty damn confident about my criteria) is a guy that will catch the ball virtually every time, has excellent technique, will fight for the ball, and has at least enough speed to get buy. Robo fits all of those.


Are you serious? Robo was All Big-Ten last year, and is the best WR in the Big Ten this year.. Hartline is the best #2 guy in the Big Ten, and Small showed some promise this year. Not to mention that Dane looked excellent as a possession receiver and T-Wash looked good in limited action. Couple that with the nation's best WR in Posey coming in, not to mention Stoney who will cause matchup problems for EVERY defense in the nation, and Flash's 10.19 100 meter speed, and we have quite possibly an all-timer on our hands here. I'd venture to say that by the end of 2008 this WR core will be the best, ever, at Ohio State. I count at least 2, possibly even 3 or 4 future first rounders here.



Injured nearly his entire freshman year, and most of this year he didn't see the field too often compared to past #3's because a lot of our passes came out of the i-formation with only Robo and Hartline on the field. Did you happen to watch the Purdue or Minnesota game? His catch against Purdue and run off of a reverse against Minnesota were the closest thing to Teddy that I've ever seen.

Are we really at the point where we are highlighting a 20 yard reverse vs hapless Minnesota, and his career game vs a mediocre Purdue team, as reason we should all me very excited about him?

No offense but where are the 3 or 4 first rounders? I love the new guys coming in, but they are gonna perform like first rounders as true frosh?

As for Robiskie and Hartline's status in conference.. i hope they would be rated high given that the WRs in the conference are extremely weak and depleted due to graduation and early entry..

 

[Sportsbuck28]

Are we really at the point where we are highlighting a 20 yard reverse vs hapless Minnesota, and his career game vs a mediocre Purdue team, as reason we should all me very excited about him?

Mediocre Purdue team? You do realize that they were undefeated and ranked in the Top 25 when we played them, right? Not to mention that it was a night game in Blowermaker country.

No offense but where are the 3 or 4 first rounders? I love the new guys coming in, but they are gonna perform like first rounders as true frosh?

1. Robo
2. Posey
3. Flash
4. Stoney

I could see all four of these guys going in the first round the next couple of years... especially Stoney, because NFL teams place a premium on players like him.

As for Robiskie and Hartline's status in conference.. i hope they would be rated high given that the WRs in the conference are extremely weak and depleted due to graduation and early entry..

Robo was a projected first round pick had he come out this year, and has the best technique of any WR in college football this year. I'd say that he was the best WR in the conference in 2007, even including the guys that left early.

I don't see how you can be so negative on these guys.

 

[PlanetFrnd]

No offense but where are the 3 or 4 first rounders? I love the new guys coming in, but they are gonna perform like first rounders as true frosh?

3 or 4 first rounders? It's not always guaranteed that 3 WRs even go in the first round - should they all be from tOSU?

To have Gonzo and Ginn both go in the first round is AMAZING, and not typical of OSU, or any program. I'm not saying that we haven't had great WR talent, but let's be realistic.

Right now we might just have some first rounders in the WR crew, but, like usual, they are from different classes. Robo might be one, and he has another spring and another season to improve. We won't know whether or not Small is first round talent until he is done with tOSU and that will likely be in another 2 seasons. Dane, Devon and Taurian each have 3 more seasons. Hell, Hartline could even have 2 more seasons before he leaves.

It certainly wasn't a lock that Santonio and Gonzo were going to be 1st rounders, not even in their sophomore seasons. People thought Teddy might be a first rounder when he arrived, but at CB.

And since when do frosh play like first-rounders? Remember that old line: "The best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores."

Let's be patient, its February and you're already disappointed with the 2008 WR season.

 

[Buckeyecty4]

Mediocre Purdue team? You do realize that they were undefeated and ranked in the Top 25 when we played them, right? Not to mention that it was a night game in Blowermaker country.


1. Robo
2. Posey
3. Flash
4. Stoney

I could see all four of these guys going in the first round the next couple of years... especially Stoney, because NFL teams place a premium on players like him.


Robo was a projected first round pick had he come out this year, and has the best technique of any WR in college football this year. I'd say that he was the best WR in the conference in 2007, even including the guys that left early.

I don't see how you can be so negative on these guys.

Robiskie was not a first round pick.. cmon, can we be serious here.. And to say he has the best technique of any WR in the country just isnt being objective..

Purdue is a mediocre football team.. lets call it like it was.. I dont want to hear about it being a night game in Boiler Maker country.. we should take Purdue behind the woodshed every yr we play them, especially of late.. they dont have anywhere near the talent Ohio St. has..

Im not bashing.. i am being objective about the situation.. you can find 100 receivers in the nation who put up the same numbers Ray Small did.. yet your touting him as making major strides and counting on him to be one of the core guys in what you tout as a "atypical OSU WR core" one that u believe is better than we usually field..

As for the 4 first rounders.. You are not going to find a bigger Devier Posey fan than me.. I also love Lamaar Thomas, and think Stoney is gonna be a stud.. but are any of these guys gonna come in a make huge impacts... maybe, just maybe Devier does.. so i dont know how projecting them as first rounders 3-4 yrs from now applies to the discussion "2008 WRs"

 

[Buckeyecty4]

Man, did these guys pick on you in high school or something? You ignore every single thing they've done well or accomplished by saying either it was against horrible competition and anyone could do it or our previous great WR's would've done it much better. Seriously, your posts don't come off as fair criticism but instead straight up bashing. I think you'd be welcomed with open arms on the scout board.

Im not ignoring what they do well..

To say Im not convinced Ray Small is going to be a very good WR, is bashing? Someone has highlighted his improved stats from year 1 to year 2 as reason why I should be a believer... I say making 12 more catches, and recording 1 more TD isnt showing significant production development.. especially when Ray only played 3-4 games as a true frosh and was the #6 WR on the roster..

I think he has alot to work on to even hold onto his #3 WR role..

As for Hartline.. i think Hartline is a very nice college WR.. i think he would be ideal in the #3, slot role... He has very good hands, is tough, and is smart.. he isnt an overly dynamic player that defenses have to gameplan around.. As a slot man i think he'd be very good at the college level.. As a #2, i think he's still slightly above average.. but I think OSU nation over ranks many of our players.. there are alot of WRs around the country as good as Brian Hartline..

Ive said everything i have to say about Robo.. he's a great WR, but i dont think he's a true #1 by my definition.. maybe he becomes one in 2008...

 

[osugrad21]

Besides the comment BB73 addressed, I don't see anything from cty4 that merits some of the cracks some of you are aiming his way.

He is presenting an argument and backing it up...some of you don't like it and are simply throwing jabs at him. You can either step up with a valid counter argument or you can wait and read those are doing so, but the comments stop now. The schedule did suck...that should not sting anyone by now.

I tend to agree with his argument...at least to an extent. I don't think this is a surefire dominant unit. I see a ton of potential, but I don't see that one guy that you have to find on every play. Robo made some great plays, but then he also disappeared for long stretches. Hartline is adequate and hopefully will be more of a weapon this year. The young guys who got experience this year should be even better this season...incoming freshman are talented, but need to produce to convince me they can make an impact.

I don't see a gamebreaker...the legend of Ray Small has diminished to the point that he almost must have a big year just to vindicate some of the hype.