2016 tOSU Offense Discussion

[ScriptOhio]

A Pair and a Spare No Longer Enough at Quarterback

Roster management is a little talked-about but important aspect of coaching in today's college football environment, and through the years it's gotten to be a tougher proposition.

When Woody Hayes was around at Ohio State the NCAA roster limit was 120 scholarship players. That meant you could have a lot of talented backups on the roster that you were grooming to be contributors as upperclassmen. By the time John Cooper arrived at OSU the scholarship limit had been reduced to 95, and having adequate depth was getting tough. When Coop left, the limit was down to the 85 that is the current roster scholarship limit.

The shrinking roster has made roster management essential and more difficult. How many scholarships do you allocate to offense, how many to defense, how many for offensive linemen, how many for linebackers?

The common wisdom for a long time was the "pair and a spare" concept. You needed three guards you could count on, three tackles, etc. It was a decent guideline, but a team could end up thin at a position if it got hit by multiple injuries, transfers or academic casualties at a given single position. The Buckeyes saw a bit of that at the linebacker position a few years ago.

Amazingly, a position at which coaches have tended to be a little miserly with scholarship is the most important position on the team, quarterback.

Until recently it was rare for a team to have more than three scholarship quarterbacks on the roster, two of which were ready to play and could be counted on. That left you with a little more room for linemen or running backs or any other position, but was a fairly high-risk strategy because a team with a bad quarterback is more than likely a bad team. You need to think back no further than the Jim Tressel era at Ohio State for an example of that.

Tressel had some very effective quarterbacks, but he rarely had a lot of them on the roster at any one time. That turned out to be a very bad thing in 2011 when Terrelle Pryor was suddenly no longer on the roster and the Buckeyes were down to three scholarship quarterbacks, Joe Bauserman, Kenny Guiton and true freshman Braxton Miller. You probably don't need to be reminded how that came out.

Urban Meyer does not want that to happen again.

Meyer was asked recently if he prefers at least four quarterbacks on his roster. His response was immediate and definitive. He wants four, and was quick to point out that it was recent history at Ohio State that has changed attitudes toward quarterback numbers not just in Columbus, but across the country.

"I think everybody does. It’s not us guys, it’s college football," said Meyer.

"Everybody learned a big-time lesson a couple years ago when Ohio State won the national title with the No. 3 signal caller."

Entire article: http://theozone.net/Ohio-State/Football/2016/News/A-Pair-and-a-Spare-No-Longer-Enough-at-Quarterback

 

[Dryden]

"Everybody learned a big-time lesson a couple years ago when Ohio State won the national title with the No. 3 signal caller."

Mack Brown might have three or four national titles if he'd figured this out in the late 90s. Of course so would Ohio State.

Management. Mismanagement. When it comes to the QB position those two words basically mean the exact same thing.

 

[pnuts34]

Mack Brown might have three or four national titles if he'd figured this out in the late 90s. Of course so would Ohio State.

Management. Mismanagement. When it comes to the QB position those two words basically mean the exact same thing.

Ol Mack was never much of a coach, IMO. He was great recruiting at a place, that at the time was easy to recruit at because there was no other competent team in the entire humongous state. He several all world talents, and played backyard football with them, and it literally showed when Young got to the NFL and couldn't read a defense let alone go through progressions.
I like the thoughts Meyer had on having 4 QBs, but they need to have clearly defined roles. QBgeddon was a disaster from the start. Cardale winning the NC was a gift and a curse, because he wasn't ready to lead a team through an entire season like JT had done. But because he won the NC there was a sense of loyalty to him. I think ND may take a step back this year with the way Kelly is talking about using both QBs, the adage is so true, "if you have 2 QBs you don't have 1".

 

[Smudger]

 

[ScriptOhio]

That's a 15 yard penalty for "excessive celebration".......

 

[ScriptOhio]

SPRING REWIND: WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT OHIO STATE'S OFFENSIVE LINE

Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer often refers to his team as “an offensive line driven program.” It’s a phrase you’ve surely heard repeated, as it is done to put emphasis on the importance of the unit in Meyer’s offense.

The Buckeyes run a spread offense, but it’s a bit different than the traditional kind. Ohio State features a power spread attack centered around a running game that has been dominant over the last few seasons. Meyer says he wants the Buckeyes’ offense to be a bit more balanced this year than it was one season ago, but make no mistake about it: Ohio State is anchored by its running game.

And a large part of that success hinders on the play of the Buckeyes’ offensive line, which is going through a bit of transition after returning four starters prior to the 2015 season. Pat Elflein and Billy Price are the only returning guys this year, and Ohio State was hoping to find its other three starters up front during spring ball.

“It takes time and yeah, I’m concerned every day about it,” new offensive line coach Greg Studrawa said earlier this spring. “We come out here every day and try to be the best that we can be.”

Entire article: http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-...t-we-learned-about-ohio-states-offensive-line

 

[ScriptOhio]

SPRING REWIND: WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT OHIO STATE'S WIDE RECEIVERS

Here is a somewhat eye-popping statistic: Ohio State wide receivers who were able to regularly compete in spring practice this season combined for exactly one catch for 29 yards during the 2015 campaign. Those numbers alone show exactly how inexperienced the Buckeyes are at that specific position this upcoming year.

Ohio State lost Michael Thomas, Jalin Marshall and Braxton Miller from its wide receiver room following last season. And with Noah Brown, Corey Smith, Curtis Samuel and Dontre Wilson — the top-four expected pass catchers for the Buckeyes this year — all either out or limited, spring practice had its fair share of inconsistencies.

But while many of the players Ohio State will rely on in the fall weren’t on the field in the spring, several other wide receivers were presented with an opportunity to play themselves into the rotation.

"I had a number of guys, really my whole group had a great spring," wide receivers coach Zach Smith said Wednesday. "It was different. I've never had that scenario, but I went into spring with a plan, kind of put accountability on those kids to keep them engaged."

There’s no question the Buckeyes have an abundance of talent at wide receiver, but just about all of it is unproven. Parris Campbell, James Clark, Austin Mack, Torrance Gibson, Johnnie Dixon, Terry McLaurin and K.J. Hill are the names you’ve surely heard all spring and they are seven potential contributors for the Buckeyes this season. All of them likely can’t play — when you add in the four missing that brings the total to 11 wide receivers; that’s a ton for a rotation — so this spring was important for each and every one to try and move up the ladder.

In the spring game, you saw flashes of that potential. Campbell and McLaurin each had a few nice catches. Gibson scored a pair of touchdowns. Mack and Dixon made a few plays, as well. There was plenty of opportunity and Ohio State’s wide receivers certainly did what they could to impress.

Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer needed to see that.

“What I liked best is the fact I saw some guys perform,” he said. “Parris Campbell had to make that catch at the end of the game. … You do that in practice, it’s not that big of a deal. He has to do that in a game and I saw him do it.”

Entire article: http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-...t-we-learned-about-ohio-states-wide-receivers

 

[ScriptOhio]

Overhaul of Passing Game got a Good Start this Spring

Since his arrival at Ohio State Urban Meyer has been consistent in expressing a desire for a balanced offense. According to Meyer, in a good offense about half the yardage should come on the ground, the other half through the air.

OSU's offense struggled at times last season, and a lot of those struggles came about as Meyer and his offensive staff tried to produce the balance they wanted. The problem they faced was that the passing game just never carried its share of the load.

OSU's ground game accounted for 57 percent of the yards produced last season, the passing game just 43 percent, and that's not what Meyer had in mind. Cardale Jones never seemed to have the same confidence and effectiveness he had in 2014, so the passing just wasn't as crisp with him as the starter. Additionally, injuries took their toll on the receiving corps.

Noah Brown and Corey Smith both suffered broken legs. Newcomer Parris Campbell started the Virginia Tech game, but he too was injured. Dontre Wilson was hobbled most of the season, and Curtis Samuel was not himself when the season ended. That left Michael Thomas and Jalin Marshall, two talented guys, but two receivers do not a receiving corps make. The Buckeye receiving corps was thin, and never did find a deep threat to replace what Devin Smith brought to the offense.

Devin Smith hauls in a deep ball against Wisconsin in the 2014 Big Ten Championship game.

The problems with the offense hit their low in OSU's lone loss of the season in a rain-soaked, cold game against Michigan State. In that game the OSU passing attack amounted to 46 total yards on 9 of 16 completions.

That dose of reality was enough. Against Michigan the Buckeye offense leaned heavily on the ground game. They rushed for 369 yards in dominating the Wolverines in Ann Arbor. They passed for just 113. It was a bit more balanced against Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl, but the running game still was the centerpiece of the offense to the tune of 285 rushing yards to 211 passing yards.

Meyer is dead set on bringing his offense back into balance. To do so he'll need quarterbacks who can throw it accurately and to the right receivers. J.T. Barrett has shown that he can do that, and Joey Burrow showed in the spring game that he has every potential to be able to as well. That leaves the receivers, and that's where, quite frankly, most of the work is needed. Marshall and Thomas have both moved on to the NFL, so the Buckeyes need to find receivers, lots of them. According to quarterbacks coach Tim Beck, they made big strides in that direction this spring.

"I think the biggest thing was we created depth at the receiver position," said Beck.

"I was really pleased with the way those guys played and got better through the course of the spring."

Depth is a huge issue for the Buckeyes, not just to mitigate possible injuries, but because they really want to be an offense that plays fast, and fast requires more than just a couple of receivers.

"You could wear guys out," said Beck. "The tempo of the offense, throwing the ball and the length of the season anymore if you don't have any depth."

Beck saw a number of young receivers who came on this spring.

"I thought Paris Campbell, I thought Terry McLaurin, I thought James Clark, Austin Mack did some good things," he said.

"Those are just a few names that kind of jump out at you right away. K.J. Hill, with one arm, had a really good spring. Torrance (Gibson) did some nice things. You're talking about all those guys and not mentioning Noah and Curtis and Dontre and all those guys, Corey Smith."

Having a lot of guys is important, but so is having a home run hitter like Devin Smith was in 2014. That guy never emerged in 2015 and it showed in OSU's overall offensive production. Wide receivers coach Zach Smith thinks that will change in 2016.

"It's a big issue every spring, but obviously when you lose a kid like Devin (Smith) and you don't match the production the next year, it's always going to be an issue until you have a guy who is a dynamic deep threat," said Smith.

"Terry McLaurin had a great spring as far as deep ball percentage.James Clark, Johnnie Dixon, Curtis Samuel when healthy can do it certainly, Parris Campbell, those are guys who have the skill set. It's just a matter who is the most dynamic I guess."

Entire article: http://theozone.net/Ohio-State/Foot...-of-Passing-Game-got-a-Good-Start-this-Spring

 

[ScriptOhio]

SPRING REWIND: WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT OHIO STATE'S TIGHT ENDS

The tight end position at Ohio State is one that's talked about nearly every single year amongst Buckeye fans. The discussion doesn't relate to the quality of player — after all, it has been pretty good in recent years with Jeff Heuerman and Nick Vannett — but more so from the overall offensive philosophy and how exactly the tight end fits into the game plan.

Is this the year Ohio State finally throws the ball to the tight end?

Heuerman and Vannett occupied the starting tight end position for the Buckeyes the past four seasons — Heuerman from 2012-14 and Vannett last season. Heuerman was a third-round pick by the Denver Broncos in the 2015 NFL Draft while Vannett widely projects to be selected anywhere in the mid-rounds in this year's Draft.

The talent at tight end was never really in question. The production, however, rarely matched it.

Heuerman finished his three years as a starting tight end with 51 catches for 767 yards and seven touchdowns. Vannett — with three years as the No. 2 and one as the starter — totaled 55 catches for 585 yards and six scores in his Ohio State career.

The two were asked to do a lot more blocking than pass-catching throughout their tenures in Columbus, and each turned into a well-rounded player, but fans still screamed for more throws to the tight end.

Ed Warinner moved from offensive line coach to tight ends coach this spring and he was asked his thoughts on how he felt Ohio State used his new position over the years.

"As far as the past, I mean 50-4, I’m not going to second-guess anything we did other than I would have liked to have gone 54-straight, but we didn’t," Warinner said. "I was part of an offensive staff here and those were decisions that we made."

"Sometimes — all passes you can say maybe the primary receiver is the tight end, but if they cover him you’ve gotta throw to somebody else. There may be times where they were the primary receiver or even the second option and he doesn’t get it. I think defenses can dictate that and if they think stopping the tight end is important they can make you throw it somewhere else.”

Entire article: http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-...-what-we-learned-about-ohio-states-tight-ends

 

[ScriptOhio]

Torrance Gibson Just One Reason Buckeye Receiving Corps Heavy on Converts

From Corey Brown to Braxton Miller under Urban Meyer the OSU receiving corps has depended on players who were never receivers to become one at the college level.

Has that hurt the Buckeyes?
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"He didn't grade a champion, he didn't play a great game overall, but he was a redshirt freshman in front of the largest crowd in the country for the first time in his life, so I didn't really expect him to come out and have a flawless performance," said Smith.

"Torrance gets away with some things because of his athletic gifts that he might not get away with if he's going against different players.

"But Torrance has some freaky talents."

Freaky talents are just what it takes to make a special receiver, even if they are a work in progress, but the progress still has to be made before the production matches the talent.

"Devin Smith got away with it a lot too," said Smith. "That's not what I need him to do because there are going to be times when that's not going to work, and that's what I'm preparing him for.

"He's just trying to learn the position, so he's trying to learn what I'm telling him then apply it. All of a sudden you throw in a chaotic atmosphere and you revert back to habits. What we're trying to teach has to become habit for him."

Gibson's conversion is in full-speed mode. How quickly he can be a full convert remains to be seen. It may take two season, and it may take two months. Smith is hoping it's the latter, because Gibson has the raw talent that could make him a convert who finds himself a starter as early as next fall.

"It certainly could happen," said Smith.

"He's not there yet, and I have a very detailed plan to get him there.

"It's just going to be a matter of if he comes along and develops to meet the criteria. There's no question it could happen, and he's got everything, and he's starting to understand. He's starting to get better and you're starting to see him do things that I want him to do. It's a matter of how quickly he can get it done."

That would be a very welcome convert for the OSU football program.

Entire article: http://theozone.net/Ohio-State/Football/2016/News/Buckeye-Receiving-Corps-Heavy-on-Converts

 

[ScriptOhio]

Best Guessing the Ohio State Post-Spring Depth Chart on Offense

Now that spring football is over for the Buckeyes, Urban Meyer will be asking for a depth chart from his assistant coaches.

Based on the spring and the spring game, the depth chart on offense should look an awful lot like this.

Quarterback
J.T. Barrett, rJr
Joe Burrow, rFr
Stephen Collier, rSo

Quarterback is pretty set right now for the Buckeyes, which is the kind of relief that nobody at Ohio State takes for granted anymore.

Running Back
Bri'onte Dunn, rSr OR
Mike Weber, rFr
Antonio Williams, FR

Urban Meyer has said that he wants Bri'onte Dunn to get the first carry for the Buckeyes this year, but Mike Weber might not let that happen.

H-Back
*Curtis Samuel, Jr
*Dontre Wilson, Sr
Parris Campbell, rSo
K.J. Hill, rFr

Curtis Samuel and Dontre Wilson were both injured during spring, so Parris Campbell and K.J. Hill spent quite of bit of time in the slot even though they might not be there in the fall.
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Entire article: http://theozone.net/Ohio-State/Foot...Ohio-State-Post-Spring-Depth-Chart-on-Offense

 

[ScriptOhio]

2016 OSU Spring Positional Recap: Quarterback

It was a good and productive spring for the Ohio State quarterbacks as everybody went in knowing their respective roles and doing their best to exceed the expectations that they were carrying.

J.T. Barrett began the spring as the unquestioned starter and that's exactly how he left camp when it was over. Joe Burrow and Stephen Collier finished strong by playing well in the spring game, giving Urban Meyer confidence that his quarterbacks will be ready when the season finally gets here.

Starters Returning: J.T. Barrett (6-2 225, rJr)

The Buckeyes only return one starting quarterback this year, which is two fewer than at this time a year ago. Looking back, this is probably a good thing.

J.T. Barrett is a captain and a leader of the entire team, not just the offense. His spring was as much about leading as it was being a quarterback.

"We look at it as he’s the veteran quarterback that’s played a ton of games here and he needs to lead this football team and improve his game," said offensive coordinator Ed Warinner. "Continue to evolve his leadership, continue to evolve himself as a player, and make others around him better. He’s self-motivated so whether he’s the heir apparent or not doesn’t really matter I don’t think to him. He’s going to work his tail off no matter what."

Barrett did what he needed to do this spring, which also included gaining a better grasp of the offense. The Buckeyes went uptempo for most of the spring and the focus was on the passing game, so this was a good month or so of work for Barrett.

Others Returning: Joe Burrow (6-3 208, rFr); Stephen Collier (6-4 225, rSo)

Joe Burrow spent the entire spring as the Buckeyes' No. 2 quarterback, showcasing his accuracy and toughness while frequently pitted against Ohio State's No. 1 defense. Despite frequent pummelings, Burrow kept getting up and taking the next snap that came his way.

Entire article: http://theozone.net/Ohio-State/Football/2016/News/2016-OSU-Spring-Positional-Recap-Quarterback

 

[ScriptOhio]

2016 OSU Spring Positional Recap: Running Back

The Buckeyes entered spring football with three scholarship running backs, which isn't all that many. Of course, over the past two seasons, Ohio State really only needed one running back, so maybe this is actually a luxury.

Ohio State will ultimately bolster their depth with carries by the H-backs and quarterback, so as long as the Buckeyes stay healthy, three tailbacks should be enough to get them through the entirety of the season.

Starters Returning: None.

Others Returning: Bri'onte Dunn (6-0 215, rSr); Mike Weber (5-10 215, rFr)

Bri'onte Dunn began the spring as the No. 1 tailback, but by the end of camp he and Mike Weber were neck and neck, and the position battle was ultimately unsettled.

Dunn battled an ankle injury and classes kept him from participating fully in every practice. He only has 48 carries to his credit in four years at Ohio State, but he has also been the unfortunate tailback behind two greats in Carlos Hyde and Ezekiel Elliott.

There is no more waiting in the wings for Dunn. If he wants the job, he has the opportunity to go out and win it. Everything now is up to him.

"Bri’onte Dunn, I’m so impressed with him," Urban Meyer said this spring. "We all know a couple years ago there wasn’t a whole lot of conversation about him. Just to see his family come around practice like they did on Saturday bright eyed because they know he’s doing right. Doing right in the classroom, doing right really everywhere."

What does Dunn need to do to win the job?

"Just keep playing," running backs coach Tony Alford said. "Just keep playing and keep producing. When you’re tapped on the shoulder, make a play. When we tap you on the shoulder, make the block. Be in the right place at the right time. Right now he’s been doing those things. Now does he have to get better? Absolutely. Is he a finished product? No way. That’s coaching, though. That’s on me. If he doesn’t get there, then that’s a knock on his coach."

If all of the No. 1 reps were tallied this spring for every practice, it wouldn't be a stretch to think that Weber actually received more than Dunn. If Weber can prove to be the more durable of the two backs, then he could simply win the job by default.

Weber is a slashing back who has power and balance, but he's still young and he has to continue getting better.

"He’s done a nice job," Alford said. "He’s done very well. He’s playing faster. I think a lot during the fall he was trying to figure it out, wide-eyed, if you will. He’s playing a lot faster because I think he understands what we’re looking for and what we want right now, so he’s done a nice job. He’s got to keep getting better though."

Newcomers: Antonio Williams (5-11 215, Fr.); Demario McCall (5-11 180, Fr)
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Entire article: http://theozone.net/Ohio-State/Football/2016/News/2016-OSU-Spring-Positional-Recap-Running-Back

 

[ScriptOhio]

FACING A DROPOFF IN PROVEN PERFORMERS, WINNING THE WEEKLY TURNOVER BATTLE COULD BE BIG THIS FALL

With the Ohio State infomercial that was the NFL Draft having come and gone, the reality that Urban Meyer and company return just three starters on each side of the football must be faced.

Yes, the current roster is loaded with bluechip talent complemented by some quality – if not quantity – returnees highlighted by quarterback J.T. Barrett but a lack of proven commodities is cause for concern.

It might not be science but I think it's a fair assumption to believe losing up to 15 NFL-caliber players likely decreases Ohio State's margin for error heading into the upcoming season. As such, reducing potential negative impact in key stats such as turnover margin could be crucial in validating the phrase "we don't rebuild, we reload".

Of course, like any statistic, turnover margin can't be evaluated in a vacuum but knowing how turnovers can change the momentum of a game and therefore influence the overall success of a season, I looked back at each year since Meyer's arrival in Columbus to see how the Buckeyes stacked up nationally.

Entire article: http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-...eekly-turnover-battle-could-be-huge-this-fall

 

[ScriptOhio]

2016 OSU Spring Positional Recap: Receivers and Tight Ends

The story of the spring for the Buckeye receivers, H-backs and tight ends was more about who wasn't available than who was and how they played.

Injuries knocked out the top four receivers for Ohio State, and a lack of depth at tight end drew some of the focus toward the three future freshmen tight ends who will arrive in the fall, rather than two tight ends who were actually taking reps.

It was a fairly disjointed spring for the Buckeye receivers, but it certainly allowed the players one notch lower on the depth chart to get some very necessary work all camp long.

Starters Returning: None.

Others Returning: Torrance Gibson (6-4 205, rFr); K.J. Hill (6-0 195, rFr); Terry McLaurin (6-1 200, rSo); Corey Smith (6-1 195, 6th); Alex Stump (6-3 202, rFr); A.J. Alexander (TE) (6-2 235, rFr); Dontre Wilson (HB) (5-10 195, Sr); Curtis Samuel (HB) (5-11 200, Jr); Johnnie Dixon (5-11 194, rSo); Parris Campbell (6-1 205, rSo); Noah Brown (6-2 222, rSo); James Clark (5-10 185, rJr); Marcus Baugh (6-5 255, rJr)

Where to begin? Projected starters Noah Brown and Curtis Samuel were held out all spring long, as was possible starter Corey Smith. H-back Dontre Wilson also missed most of spring dealing with an injury. Urban Meyer called them the top four receivers on the team, and none of them were able to go this spring.

That did, however, leave opportunities for everybody else. Parris Campbell and Terry McLaurin shined in the spring game, and Torrance Gibson didn't do too badly either with his two touchdowns. K.J. Hill did quite a bit despite playing with a cast on his hand and wrist all spring long.

"I think it's very important," McLaurin said of having a big spring game. "Coach Meyer talked about this being the biggest game of our lives. He wanted to see how we came out here and competed in front of 100,000, the first team ever to do that in a spring game, so it was huge not only as individuals but as a unit.

"We wanted to go out whether we were Scarlet or Gray, we just wanted to make plays. I feel like Joe did a great job of putting my team in a position to make plays and we just wanted to go out there and make the plays. I feel like we did. We did some great things this spring and I feel like this was the cherry on top. We have some things we want to get better on, we're going to watch the film."

Entire article: http://theozone.net/Ohio-State/Foot...ing-Positional-Recap-Receivers-and-Tight-Ends