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2016 Spring Football

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Buckeye Football Notebook: 'I love this team, there's a hunger'

Urban Meyer has promised a more balanced offense this season. Losing running back Ezekiel Elliott will virtually guarantee that he will be at least somewhat correct in that prediction.

What will also help to make that happen is a batch of players who see an opportunity in front of them like they've never had before.

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"I love this team, there’s a hunger," said quarterbacks coach Tim Beck. "There’s a lot of guys that are out to prove that they can play and are going to be great players here. To develop our passing game, I’ve been pleased with where we’re at right now. I think our accuracy, our understanding of it, is improving.

"Last year when you had some veteran players, there was a, ‘Hey, they kind of know it.’ This group, you almost had to go back to square one and re-teach some of the things. And boy, the techniques and fundamentals and things have been really, really good. I’ve been really pleased at what I’ve seen in that. So I think that’s where it starts. When you start executing the little things, the big things end up falling in place."

Defensive line coach Larry Johnson is putting his players through their paces this spring, and for the first time as a Buckeye coach he is doing it without a Bosa in his room. That will change this summer, however, when Joey Bosa's younger brother Nick arrives on campus.

Like Joey, Nick was a 5-star defensive end prospect at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Florida. He is currently recovering from an ACL tear, but that hasn't slowed down the expectations that he will be able to help Ohio State this season.

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"He's in our thought process and I think he's so far ahead in his rehab right now," Johnson said. "We're talking, communication, and I'm getting great video of his rehab and what he's doing and mentally he's ready. Hopefully he'll roll in in June, July, end of August and we're going to go full speed ahead."

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This spring is showing that this 2016 recruiting class may be as important as the 2013 class and could be another foundation of an NC. Between Mack, Jordan, Williams, Borland, alone being mentioned a lot. I can only imagine what the rest of the class will be bringing when they all arrive! The more the spring is going on, the less worried I'm feeling about filling holes. Yes losing guys like Apple, Elliott, Thomas, Lee, Boss, Decker, Bell, Powell and Perry will be huge, but its not like the guys behind them were talentless fools who didn't watch and wait for their turn to shine. There's still a whole lot of talent on this team waiting to be unleashed. And with guys leaving creates hunger to fight to get in as opposed to knowing who's already set to start.
 
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Buckeyes Are Strong Up the Middle, So the Rest Should Fall into Place

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Every person, place or thing that is going to find itself standing up to rough times and strong winds needs to have a solid foundation which to rely on.

Trees, houses, families. It doesn't matter.

Sports are no different. In hockey, a center who can create scoring opportunities and a goalie that can stop them can go a long, long way. In baseball, great pitching usually beats great hitting, and that requires solid battery work with the catcher as well. And in basketball, a point guard and a center can do a lot of damage if they are good enough.

Football is the same. On offense, it starts with the center, then goes to the quarterback, who can then give way to the tailback. On defense, it begins with the defensive tackles, then goes to the middle linebacker and then the safeties.

Granted, the Buckeyes still have some work to do on some of these positions, but with the players they do have up the middle, they have gotten one hell of a start.

"Just like any great organization, just like any great team, really any great sports, if you’re strong down the middle, you’ve got a chance to be really successful," defensive coordinator Luke Fickell said this winter.

"I don’t care what sport you’re in. I know I can look across the ball and see Pat Elflein there at center and J.T. Barrett at quarterback and Raekwon McMillan standing in the middle of your defense and you’ve got an opportunity to be really good."

Entire article: http://theozone.net/Ohio-State/Foot...the-Middle-So-the-Rest-Should-Fall-into-Place
 
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Ten Reasons Why the Spring Game Will be More Interesting This Year Than In Recent Years

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The Spring Game isn't always the exciting or informative event we'd like it to be, but we have a really good feeling about this year's upcoming contest. There's plenty of intrigue and things to see. After giving it some thought, here are some of the things we think will make this year's event more interesting than usual.

1) New quarterback talent. You pretty much know what J.T. Barrett can do, but you haven't seen Joey Burrow and you've seen precious little of Stephen Collier. You're going to see both of those guys in the spring game, and neither will be wearing a black "no contact" jersey. Urban Meyer has said they will be live, so you'll get to see them in game-type conditions. This is what Urban Meyer said recently about Joey Burrow

"He’s going pretty good. I don’t think he’s quite the athlete that J.T. is right now, but he’s becoming a much better runner. His release is night and day what it was.

"He’s getting close to being game ready.”


2) Some true freshmen who are making some noise. Antonio Williams and Austin Mack are two guys that the coaches have raved about this spring. You'll finally get to see them. Don't forget about offensive lineman Michael Jordan who as a true freshman got reps with the first team this spring.


3) A ton of other freshmen and redshirt freshmen you'll want to see.
The headliner here might be quarterback turned wide receiver Torrance Gibson, but there is a boatload of others as well. That includes defensive linemen Jonathan Cooper, Dre'Mont Jones and Robert Landers, defensive backs Damon Arnette and Josh Norwood, offensive linemen Branden Bowen, Grant Schmidt and Kevin Feder. Don't forget running back Mike Weber and tight end A.J. Alexander. One of the more intriguing players in this group is tight end turned defensive end Rashod Berry, and don't forget defensive lineman Jashon Cornell. There are more. I don't want to put you asleep with a longer list of names, but you get the picture here. There's a lot of young talent to be seen for the first time, and some of them are going to play this year, and play well. This is your first chance to really see them.

"You see guys -- you just see a different mentality from the last bowl practice at the Fiesta Bowl until a workout here, guys grow up all of a sudden," said OSU strength coach Mickey Marotti.

"Like there’s no more Ezekiel Elliott, there’s no more Taylor Decker and Jacoby Boren, there’s no more Joey Bosa, there’s no more Joshua Perry. And all of a sudden, these new guys come in. You just see them grow up without them even doing anything. It’s like their turn."
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Entire article: http://theozone.net/Ohio-State/Foot...re-Interesting-This-Year-Than-In-Recent-Years
 
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Buckeye Football Notebook: 'I think we’re a good team and we’ve proven that together'

The Buckeyes have been working hard all spring in building up a quality offensive line. They entered spring with a very good idea of who four of their starters would be, even if they didn't exactly know where those four players would be playing.

Sophomore Isaiah Prince started out at left tackle and junior Jamarco Jones started out at right tackle. It wasn't too long before those two players swapped positions. Billy Price started on the left side at guard but then moved to the right side to accommodate young guards who were more comfortable on the left side.

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Despite the musical chairs, offensive line coach Greg Studrawa believes his tackles have made progress this spring.

"I think so," he said. "I would say they’re solid. Those guys are doing well. I’m really pleased with Isaiah and Jamarco at the tackle spots. And then bringing Branden Bowen along, letting him come along. He’s getting better every day. A young guy, I’m pleased there."

With returning starters Pat Elflein at center and the aforementioned Price at right guard, the focus on the interior is also on building depth.

Entire article: http://theozone.net/Ohio-State/Foot...ere-a-good-team-and-weve-proven-that-together
 
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