2016 tOSU Offense Discussion

[ScriptOhio]

Which Quality Does Urban Meyer Want Most In His Quarterbacks?

When it comes to a position that is dependent upon the ability to throw the ball, you would think how that player actually throws the ball would be of the utmost importance for Urban Meyer when he is looking for quarterbacks.

Does that mean the bigger the arm, the better the quarterback?

Not necessarily. In fact, arm strength isn't all that high up on the list of priorities for Meyer.

"I will tell you what we look for," Meyer said recently. "Every great quarterback — and we’ve had some great ones — the number one characteristic is competitive spirit. Number two is toughness. Number three is how they lead. Number four is intelligence. Then, number five is the ability to extend the play."

That competitive spirit is on display every time a Buckeye quarterback stands in the pocket and takes a hit, or lowers his shoulder when searching for a first down, or when they are pulling their teammates together for a big play. It is also on display in workouts and off time, and it becomes something that rubs off on their teammates.

A big arm won't make a team work harder, but a big heart certainly will.

"At that position, you have to have that because everyone is looking at you," Meyer explained. "We’ll take Joey Burrow who was nearly a state champion in basketball and was a state runner-up in football. That’s what set him apart as a competitor."

Meyer still speaks in reverence of the way J.T. Barrett took over the 2014 Penn State game once regulation ended. Playing on a sprained knee, Barrett didn't hesitate to pull the ball back and take off running when the read was there. He rallied his team and led them to victory.

Those kinds of successes begin to build a sense of calm within a team, and when a team is calm, they can handle the big moments a whole lot better.

When they aren't calm, however, that's when chaos takes root.

"We’ve seen what happens to the really skilled guy without the competitive spirit," Meyer said. "It’s awful. Not only that, it destroys your team because at that position you have to have a competitor."
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Entire article: http://theozone.net/Ohio-State/Foot...oes-Urban-Meyer-Want-Most-In-His-Quarterbacks

 

[ScriptOhio]

2016 OSU Spring Positional Recap: Offensive Line

The Buckeyes came into this spring needing to replace three starters — including an NFL First Round draft pick at left tackle. Literally and figuratively, that is a tall order, and yet it was only one of three major areas of concern.

While those three spots needed to be filled, however, there was a pretty good idea of who would fill them — or at least who would be the major contenders to fill them. That plan worked fairly well until a true freshman came along and made the coaches reexamine their thinking.

Starters Returning: Pat Elflein (C) (6-3 300, rSr); Billy Price (G) (6-4 315, rJr)

Pat Elflein made the move from guard to center over the offseason and picked it up very well. He played well enough that he also got plenty of time off during the spring, which allowed for his backup Brady Taylor to get some very good reps.

New offensive line coach Greg Studrawa said the position move has fit Elflein exceedingly well.

"Really, really comfortable," Studrawa said of Elflein's new role. "And that was my thing, was to get him in situations and snapping and doing all of the things that we ask our center to do and see how comfortable he was with the technique. He’s surpassed where I thought he would be. So getting him working and putting him in new situations every day to see something that he hasn’t seen and see how he handles it from the center spot, he’s been really good at that."

Billy Price, meanwhile, moved from the left side to the right side to accommodate a few younger guards who were more comfortable on the left side. Price spent time in the spring working on his pass blocking, which Studrawa said was an area that needed improvement.

"I sat down and looked at all of these guys and then met with them before spring ball about, ‘Here’s what I see in your game, here’s what I think you’re good at, and here’s what I think we need to work on,'" he said. "And one of the things that we needed to work on with Billy is — you know, obviously he’s a tough son of a gun and he’s strong, so he tries to overpower people — so getting him a little bit patient in his pass set was one thing that I said, 'We could work on this and you won’t get beat.' He’s done a great job and if you watch him it’s tough to beat that guy."

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

 

[ScriptOhio]

Buckeye Receivers Stepped Up as an Entire Unit This Spring

The wide receiver position at Ohio State was written about extensively this spring, and for good reason. Due to departures and injuries, players have been thrust into roles that they may not have been given a chance to take advantage of otherwise.

The good news for the Buckeyes was that each of those players took steps forward to being solid contributors this coming season. As for who took the biggest step, receivers coach Zach Smith didn't want to single out one player over the rest of his room, but he did have a few that he decided to mention.

"I had a number of guys, really my whole group had a great spring," he said. "I can't single out one guy for making the biggest jump. One of the more impressive guys was Austin Mack just because he was a true freshman. That's not saying he was the best one or if he's in the conversation, but just how he performed and how he went to work every day for a kid who should be getting ready for prom was really impressive."

Much of the talk this spring was about the 'X' position, which has featured Michael Thomas the past two seasons. Mack and redshirt freshman Torrance Gibson battled throughout the spring for that spot as Noah Brown continues to make his way back from a broken leg last year.

With the attention on that side of the field, the other side kind of went unnoticed. While the X may be the go-to guy on third-and-eight, it's the receivers on the other side of the field who are responsible for the plays that gain big yards.

They might be deep threats, or they may be dragging over the middle of the field, but players like Parris Campbell, Terry McLaurin, Johnnie Dixon and James Clark all have the ability to make plays after the catch, and each of them made exactly the strides this spring that their coach wanted to see.

"It was their time," Smith said. "Terry, Parris and James Clark, it was kind of like, all right, it's your turn to kind of run the show, and they really did. Fifteen practices and didn't miss a rep, went really hard, executed at a really high level, so I'm really pleased with all three of them."

Entire article: http://theozone.net/Ohio-State/Foot...vers-Stepped-Up-as-an-Entire-Unit-This-Spring

 

[ScriptOhio]

CAN A TRUE FRESHMAN REALLY START ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE AT OHIO STATE? 'YOU HOPE YOU WOULD NOT BE IN THAT SITUATION'

Urban Meyer needs just a single finger to identify the number of offensive linemen he has coached throughout his career good enough to start as a true freshman.

"I’ve had one lineman come and start as a freshman. His name was Maurkice Pouncey," Meyer said last month. "He just came in and was different. He was so mature and so strong."

Pouncey was an integral part of what Meyer built at Florida, turning in three terrific seasons from 2007-09. He and the Gators won the BCS National Championship in 2008 and Pouncey earned All-American honors the following year. The Pittsburgh Steelers selected him 18th overall in the 2010 NFL Draft and when healthy, has never missed a start in the NFL.

So yeah, Pouncey is certainly different.

Michael Jordan is a true freshman from Canton, Michigan, that enrolled at Ohio State in January. His name became a popular one this spring (no, not because of the Crying Jordan meme) but because reporters saw him taking snaps with the first-team offense. His head coach admitted Jordan's performance surprised him.

"He doesn't know if it’s right or left sometimes, but at this point, we don't care," Meyer said of Jordan at the end of March. "Come in for extra work, enjoy the game, enjoy the practice — he's done all that. Really impressed with him."

That's all well in good, but can Jordan really start on the offensive line at a place like Ohio State? The program's recruiting classes annually sit among the nation's best, so it is not like there is a lack of talent up front.

"Michael Jordan, right now, is running with the ones," Meyer said. "You hope you would not be in that situation."

Entire article: http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-...e-you-hope-you-would-not-be-in-that-situation

 

[ScriptOhio]

Improved Receivers Will Help Buckeye Passing Game in 2016

The Ohio State passing game had its struggles last season, as evidenced by finishing 12th in passing in the Big Ten in 2015. The Buckeyes threw for nearly 60 fewer yards per game last season compared to their title team in 2014.

There were plenty of reasons for those struggles. There were two quarterbacks worried as much about the other guy as themselves. There were injuries to Noah Brown, Corey Smith and Dontre Wilson. And there was a significant amount of unproven youth.

Perhaps the one aspect that gets overlooked, however, is the sheer number of receivers who were still learning the position. Braxton Miller and Curtis Samuel were playing their first snaps as receivers in 2015. Parris Campbell was a running back in high school. Terry McLaurin spent time there as well.

Torrance Gibson redshirted while he was learning the position. Michael Thomas was the only Buckeye receiver who saw the field regularly last season who was a full-time receiver in high school.

In a given season, any one of these factors can contribute to struggles, but when you put them all together, good luck avoiding rough seas.

Ohio State quarterbacks coach Tim Beck admitted that the sheer number of receivers who used to play other positions may have played a part in slowing down the development of the passing game.

"You have great athletes but there are so many things they have to learn, the tricks of their trade, to become really good," he said. "The passing game is based on spacing and timing. If you have guys who aren't sure or they're not the right depth or the quarterback has to move around a little bit, sometimes that creates timing issues. Maybe there was some of that last year. But I think most of that has been put to bed. I've been really, really excited and pleased with what I've seen."

Entire article: http://theozone.net/Ohio-State/Foot...eivers-Will-Help-Buckeye-Passing-Game-in-2016

 

[ScriptOhio]

FILM STUDY: BEATING PRESS COVERAGE #ZONE6 STYLE

With his aggressive philosophy, Ohio State receiver coach Zach Smith has elevated his unit and staked claim to the title of 'Wide Receiver U.' The dynamic unit leader will be put to the test this season as he coaches up a young inexperienced group of pass-catchers for the physicality of big-boy college football. How will Smith prepare them for the pressure they will face every game? It all starts on the line of scrimmage.

As a former wide receivers coach, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer expects the unit to make plays (Eleven Warriors' D.J. Byrnes recently posted several videos of Meyer coaching up pass-catchers during his time in the role at Notre Dame). There is no learning on the job in a program competing for the Big Ten title and a spot in the College Football Playoffs year in and out.

In what is quickly becoming an annual tradition, Meyer had some tough words for the unit during Spring practice. In response to a question regarding the wide receivers’ progression and preparedness for the upcoming season, he noted "After you've been here six months, if you're tagged with the term, 'you have a lot of potential,' that's really a bad thing. That means you're not very good, but you should be.”

Entering his 15th year as a head coach, Meyer knows the importance of a well-functioning passing game in his power-spread offense. A major component of his offensive identity is to pound away with a relentless running game, before taking the top off the defense with vertical routes off play action. Without legitimate downfield threats opposing defenses will sit on the vaunted Buckeye ground attack (see Ohio State’s lone regular season loss to Big Ten Champion Michigan State), clogging run lanes and rendering a dynamic offense one-dimensional.

With all that said, where will the production come from?

This year’s NFL draft demonstrated just how dominant the previous group was, as five of last season’s top six pass-catchers now sit on an NFL roster (returning junior Curtis Samuel was fourth on the team with 22 receptions). With over 80% of last season’s production departed for the NFL—and no returning starters—the opening week match-up with a Bowling Green squad that can score points in bunches looms.

Enter the Dublin, Ohio native Smith, a former quality control coach and graduate assistant under Meyer at Florida. After stops at Temple and Marshall, the young coach was brought on board to run the pass-catching unit in 2012. Ohio State’s three-time National Champion head coach knows exactly what he has in his well-respected assistant.

When putting together his initial staff after his 2012 hire, Meyer did not mince words about the importance of Smith’s hire.

After referring to the unit as “the least prepared group I’ve ever been around," Meyer went on to praise the new coach, saying “I know what a quality coach Zach is. He knows my system inside and out and he teaches the system the way I want it to be taught."

The up-and-coming coach has quickly built a recognizable brand around his unit, with current and former players swamping social media with his patented #Zone6 and #shhh hashtags. With the emphasis on ‘former’ players, Smith has his work cut out for him.

So how will opposing defensive coordinators attack his group of young wideouts?

The easiest way to get into a young player’s head is to bully him at the line of scrimmage from the first snap. If a wide receiver cannot get off the line of scrimmage, he cannot run his route and cannot get open. It is that simple.

Eleven Warriors previously analyzed press coverage philosophy and technique from a defensive perspective using current New York Giant cornerback Eli Apple. We now move on to countering this aggressive brand of pass defense at the line of scrimmage by breaking down wide receiver ‘releases.’

A release refers to how the wideout exits the line of scrimmage. Does he cut inside? Outside? Straight upfield? While route running and yards after catch get most of the attention releases are a vital portion of the toolbox, as it is impossible to run a pass route or catch the ball if the cornerback has locked up the receiver at the line of scrimmage. Look at all the great NFL pass catchers and you will see players that have mastered the technique. Quietly, there is a great deal of detail and nuance to releasing off the line (one of the reasons many skill athletes fail to make the transition to wide receiver), hence the reason many teams will press young starters.

The basic tenant of beating press coverage is that the hands and feet must work together at all times. This is the key takeaway. Against lesser competition a player can get away with less-than-stellar technique, but to the beat the best the upper and lower body must work in conjunction. We will start our breakdown by looking at each component independently (like the skill is taught), then put them together to see how they look on the field.

Let’s start with the wide receiver stance:

• The front leg should be up on the line of scrimmage with the knees over the toes. Roughly 80% of the weight should rest on the balls of the feet to prevent rocking and false stepping
• The back leg is aligned straight back behind the receiver with the remaining body weight resting on the shoelace. The heel should be off the ground to aid in a quick first step
• The arms should never be down at the sides. Coaches will teach a variety of locations, but as long as the receiver's arms are above his waist he will be prepared to attack the cornerback’s hands.
• The hips and shoulders will be square and pointed straight downfield. If the upper and lower body are out of alignment the receiver limits his ability to execute a ‘three-way-go’ (release inside, outside, or straight upfield).

Some coaches will teach the pass-catcher to bring the back leg slightly forward and squared when facing press coverage. The altered stance can aid the receiver in the footwork he must execute at the line, but this coaching point varies by program.

Read the entire article (with several video illistrations): http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-...be-the-nfls-2016-offensive-rookie-of-the-year

 

[dozenmonkeyz]

BUT, BUT, SCHMAILS!!!!!!!

Looking forward to some of these young guys blowing up this year. Really think with JT back to form it's going to end up being a fun offensive year.

 

[Bestbuck36]

If the offense gets 65+ plays per game this season they'll be a juggernaut. Can't have 3 and Outs the way we did this past year with the youth everywhere. Last year they were around 66-68 I believe with the two outliers being only (45) for MSU and a whopping (85) vs ND. Dead in the middle of that consistently should me a whole lotta wins for this offense. Half of this is predicated on the defense getting off the field I know but I have a ton of confidence on that side of the ball this season.

 

[ShowMeBuck]

Something not a lot of people talk about is, despite all the weapons last year it was the lowest scoring offense of the Meyer era. That's pretty remarkable when you think about it. And still we were very close to (should have) making the playoffs.

3 biggest culprits to the dip in production to me:

1. We lost Herman
2. Had a nagging QB battle
3. Sorely missed downfield blocking (injuries to C Smith and N Brown really hurt)

If the last 2 games were any indication, the play calling situation may be remedied. JT is the clear leader at QB and we should have much better downfield blocking this year.

The way I see it, we should clearly improve over the 3 biggest things holding us back last year. So, despite not having studs like Zeke, Thomas, Brax, etc there is a very good chance the offensive production actually increases.

And if I added a 4th culprit to the dip in production it would be a lack of a deep ball threat at WR and again, I see a better chance at improving it with this years roster than last year.

 

[Jaxbuck]

Part of me has a very hard time seeing how they get better after losing Ezekiel Elliot.

I get the WR corp could be much better and all that but Zeke was a once in a blue moon kind of talent.

 

[ShowMeBuck]

Part of me has a very hard time seeing how they get better after losing Ezekiel Elliot.

I get the WR corp could be much better and all that but Zeke was a once in a blue moon kind of talent.

I get that. And Zeke is clearly the X factor but the fact remains that even with him it was the worst offense under Urbs. I seriously think it picks up a bit next year. Play calling, no perimeter blocking, etc are huge factors too.

 

[pnuts34]

Part of me has a very hard time seeing how they get better after losing Ezekiel Elliot.

I get the WR corp could be much better and all that but Zeke was a once in a blue moon kind of talent.

I feel like the same thing was said after losing Braxton to the year and losing Hyde to the NFL in 2014, yet we won an NC. Urban has shown a great ability to simply reload. I have a lot of faith in Weber and Dunn to get it done on the ground. It'll be a different style than what Zeke brought to the table, and fewer long HR runs, but I think it'll be successful nonetheless. And also throw in JT's running the ball which is a big threat as well.

 

[Systems_id]

I feel like the same thing was said after losing Braxton to the year and losing Hyde to the NFL in 2014, yet we won an NC. Urban has shown a great ability to simply reload. I have a lot of faith in Weber and Dunn to get it done on the ground. It'll be a different style than what Zeke brought to the table, and fewer long HR runs, but I think it'll be successful nonetheless. And also throw in JT's running the ball which is a big threat as well.

Beat me to it. I had a hard time seeing how our run game (and offense) would be better without Brax and Hyde. Then JT went on to break a couple of B1G records.

 

[pnuts34]

Beat me to it. I had a hard time seeing how our run game (and offense) would be better without Brax and Hyde. Then JT went on to break a couple of B1G records.

The offense in 2014 under JT ran probably the most efficient was the most explosive since 2010.

 

[ShowMeBuck]

Nobody new who the hero in the half shirt was in 2014. Just sayin.