RB/WR Curtis Samuel (Buffalo Bills)

[kujirakira]

I've never indicated or suggested he was pass happy. He's talked quite a bit about balance. We've ran the ball b/c the pass offense hasn't been up to snuff.

And just to cover my own rear end for anyone else joining the convo -- Hyde didn't run 224; he had 224 touches.

 

[pnuts34]

He had that same "committee" last season, and despite the glut at RB Hyde would've had 1,500 regular season yards had he not been suspended the first three games. We had Hall, Smith, Elliott, Dunn, and Ball as the "committee" behind Hyde last year (although we red-shirted Ball due to injury), and Hyde still got the vast majority of carries. If one RB clearly rises above the rest, that RB will have a very good chance of getting 1,000 yards in a 12-game regular season.

Totally different seasons and players. Hyde was an established player coming into last year and we knew he would get a lot of touches because we didn't have that many athletes to get the ball. Next year EzE is an unknown entity and we also have dontre who has 1 full year in the system, not to mention curtis Samuel in as an early enrollee. Hyde wasn't going to be used as a committee because it was clear urban didn't have much faith in guys like smith and ball yet, and Dunn was redshirting. Next year EzE will most likely not be touching the ball as much as Hyde did, as urban and Herman would like to actually spread the ball out more, since Braxton regressed as a QB over the season and our team relied more on the running game. The offensive staff will be looking for Braxton to progress further as a QB, and be able to spread the ball around more. A 1000 yard rusher shouldn't be wanted to be honest, if our QB can get the ball in playmakers hands and they can make more plays in space. If 1 RB rose above the rest, he still will have to share touches with a number of other players if the coaches had their way and that's how urban has won NCs.

Basically I agree with everything kujirakira said.

 

[pnuts34]

We ran Hyde 224 times because he was a bad-ass, and because we could run the ball. Despite the reputation that UFM has for pass-happy offenses, he actually would prefer to run the ball if the run game is being effective...we've seen that now for the two years he's been here. If UFM thinks Elliott (or Smith, or Ball, or Dunn) is going to get 5-6 yards a pop consistently, you can best bet that Elliott we get 20+ carries in the game, unless we fall way behind real quickly. Miller is going to get his 7-8 designed runs a game. Backup RBs will get another 8-10 carries or so. The primary RB will get 20-25 carries. Add in the usual 6-8 scrambles per game by Miller, you have 40-50 running plays per game. Miller threw 255 passes in 12 games, which is just over 21 passes per game. Even if he upped his attempts all the way up to 30 a game, that still leaves 42 running plays per game (based our our running 72 plays per game last year). If we run the ball 40+ times a game, it's no stretch to expect the featured RB to get 20+ carries if he's as good as we hope Hyde's successor is...

Urban has chosen to run the ball more because our passing game has been terrible, he's even mentioned as much and adjusted the offense accordingly. No he's not a pass happy spread guy like a team at Oregon or Texas tech, but he would prefer more balance than we had last year. We literally were only a running one dimensional team and it's no wonder we lost our two biggest games at the end of the year. We were predictable. And that's something that urban hates, when a team knows what he will run. And it was obvious last year. I'm sure he would prefer to pass more, and effectively next year. I see a starter getting close to 20 carries next year, but the backups will be called upon regularly to keep the starter healthy throughout the year. Last year we were a one trick pony with hyde(though he was a great one) but I'm sure urban would have loved to run more reverses, screens, shovel passes and other creative ways to get guys like Philly, dontre, etc the ball. Problem was we didn't have many players that fit that urban mold of speed and elusiveness. Guys like Samuel, dontre in year 2, EzE, will help, as will having play at the WR position. We didn't have that in 2013 which made us rely on Hyde and Braxton's legs

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

Urban has chosen to run the ball more because our passing game has been terrible, he's even mentioned as much and adjusted the offense accordingly.

That's why Miller's in the top 15 in the country in passing efficiency.

 

[ShowMeBuck]

Look at it this way. If Urb signed Stefon Diggs in that first class do you really think Hyde would have had quite the same impact on offense last year? And that's just one player. In the last few classes we have added lots of different kind of weapons in all shapes and sizes. Heck we didn't even utilize our TEs as much as we should have. Why? Because Brax could rarely find them when appropriate plays were called. Sure Urb would love to have a brute tailback that gives you 5 yds every touch but its wrong to assume that's his sole focus. The types of players he is recruiting tells a different story. I know he has said that he is a power zone read run based guy but he still wants speed all around and open spaces for them to run.

Also pnuts, I don't think of Oregon as a pass happy team at all. They dominate on the edge run game which opens up the pass for big strikes but they are a primarily a speed, open space running team.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

Look at it this way. If Urb signed Stefon Diggs in that first class do you really think Hyde would have had quite the same impact on offense last year? And that's just one player. In the last few classes we have added lots of different kind of weapons in all shapes and sizes. Heck we didn't even utilize our TEs as much as we should have. Why? Because Brax could rarely find them when appropriate plays were called.

Yeah, and Dontre Wilson was supposed to come right in and light it up, and didn't. In fact, other than Hyde, no one (other than Miller) really lit it up on offense, especially the true freshmen...Elliott had the best overall performance in my eyes. So much for those that came in the class of 2013, eh? And since we've added even more in 2014 (all yet-to-be-proven at the college level), we're now never going to have another 1,000-yard rusher. Well, I bet we will, and very likely this season.

Since this thread is about Samuel, and not Elliott, I'm done with this unless someone else splits this mess off.

 

[ShowMeBuck]

I never said we wouldn't have another 1,000 yard rusher. I just don't think we will have one quite like Hyde at 1,500. Curtis will add a different dimension unless Urb recruited him solely to be a locker room guy.

 

[bucknut11]

... spread the ball around more. A 1000 yard rusher shouldn't be wanted to be honest, if our QB can get the ball in playmakers hands and they can make more plays in space. If 1 RB rose above the rest, he still will have to share touches with a number of other players if the coaches had their way and that's how urban has won NCs.

When Meyer first got hired, I saw these numbers. I don't think many would argue if OSU could replicate that production...

Florida 2008 rushing totals
Tebow 673
Harvin 660
Rainey 652
Demps 605
Moody 417

That Gator team finished tenth in the nation in rushing, averaging 231.14 yards on the ground per game. They carried the ball five more times than the Buckeyes that season and rushed for 734 more yards and 21 more touchdowns in the process.

Ozone

 

[pnuts34]

When Meyer first got hired, I saw these numbers. I don't think many would argue if OSU could replicate that production...

Florida 2008 rushing totals
Tebow 673
Harvin 660
Rainey 652
Demps 605
Moody 417



Ozone

And that's precisely the point I was trying to make. And that's what an urban Meyer offense at its zenith will provide. And we could substitute those nameswith braxton, EzE, dontre, samuel, smith, dunn, etc
And the passing efficiency argument for Braxton is irrelevant because he was still a pedestrian QB for a number of games last year and could barely pass for 200yds against bad teams

 

[gregorylee]

C-U-R-T-I-S S-A-M-U-E-L T-H-R-E-A-D

( l )

( l )

( l )

 

[LovelandBuckeye]

C-U-R-T-I-S S-A-M-U-E-L T-H-R-E-A-D

( l )

( l )

( l )

Thank you!!!!!

 

[Taosman]

When Tress was here we kept hearing every year about the "next Ted Ginn Jr." The fact we never had a "next" points out how rare those kinds of guys are. But, recruiting is a lot about "branding' your style and the whole "next Percy Harvin" is part of that. Samuel looks like he could be that "brand" of player. But the Ted Ginn Jrs and Percy Harvins are a very rare breed.

 

[pnuts34]

When Tress was here we kept hearing every year about the "next Ted Ginn Jr." The fact we never had a "next" points out how rare those kinds of guys are. But, recruiting is a lot about "branding' your style and the whole "next Percy Harvin" is part of that. Samuel looks like he could be that "brand" of player. But the Ted Ginn Jrs and Percy Harvins are a very rare breed.

And you can tell that urban uses that to his advantage in letting certain players like dontre and Curtis know that they could be the next Percy harvin when recruiting them. And it's been working. Let's just hope they can even be half as good, and well be set up great on special teams and on offense

 

[kujirakira]

That's why Miller's in the top 15 in the country in passing efficiency.

screen screen screen deep screen mid-range screen

Starting with the Illinois game, when the passing game regressed:
Illinois 13/29 150yds
Indiana 11/17 160yds
scUM 6/15 133yds
MSU 8/21 101yds
Clemson 16/24 234yds

The passing game rebounded some against Clemson, but with Brax playing through injury and the team w/flu bug* it just wasn't enough.
Simple rankings also don't tell the full story... our Defense ranked 28th. Does anyone honestly think it was that good?

*I remember the broadcasters stating at least 1 player was on an IV just that morning. Our OL and DL both looked out of sorts and I can't help thinking it was the flu.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

screen screen screen deep screen mid-range screen

Starting with the Illinois game, when the passing game regressed:
Illinois 13/29 150yds
Indiana 11/17 160yds
scUM 6/15 133yds
MSU 8/21 101yds
Clemson 16/24 234yds

The passing game rebounded some against Clemson, but with Brax playing through injury and the team w/flu bug* it just wasn't enough.
Simple rankings also don't tell the full story... our Defense ranked 28th. Does anyone honestly think it was that good?

*I remember the broadcasters stating at least 1 player was on an IV just that morning. Our OL and DL both looked out of sorts and I can't help thinking it was the flu.

Apparently you missed the part about this being the Samuel thread and that non-Samuel discussion needs to stop.