The Ohio State Buckeyes missed out on the College Football Playoff this year as the committee ranked them at No.5 putting them one spot away from their third appearance in the final four. Although the Big Ten Champs won’t be playing for a National Title the Buckeyes were rewarded with a showdown against Pac 12 Champs, USC.
Although not a Playoff game, the nations attention will be squarely on AT&T Stadium Friday night for a number of reasons.
Ohio State and USC carry the rich histories of traditional powers. They are both in the top ten in National Championships and two of the winningest programs in college football history with over 800 wins a piece.
Not only have these two prestigious powers been successful at the team level but they have also put on display some of the biggest stars to walk on the field at the college level. Ohio State and USC (along with Notre Dame) have had the most Heisman trophy winners of any other college football program, each with seven. And there will be no shortage of stars come Friday night in Arlington.
The big question for the Buckeyes is will they be able to stop USC star quarterback and potential No.1 pick in the upcoming draft, Sam Darnold.
Darnold ended his 2016 campaign by putting on a show by throwing for 5 touchdowns and over 400 yards in a Rose Bowl win against Penn State. That game put Darnold on the short list for the Heisman in 2017 and people were already talking about him being the No.1 pick when he decided to declare.
Although the statistics show a small regression for Darnold in 2017 he is still considered one of the top quarterbacks in college football. Over the past five games he has really upped his play throwing for nine touchdowns to just two interceptions. At 6-4, 220 pounds Darnold has all of the physical measurables you look for. He has a big arm and can make all of the throws but his most impressive skill, and the one the Buckeyes will have to be increasingly aware of, is his ability to make plays out of the pocket.
Darnold has a QBR of 68.2 when throwing outside of the pocket completing 59 percent of those passes to go with six touchdowns. When outside the pocket Darnold leads the nation in touchdown passes, yards, completions over 20-yards and first downs. It is the ability to make a play anywhere on the field that makes Darnold so dangerous.
The Buckeyes will counter with their own star quarterback and high-powered offense.
Despite not being the NFL prospect Darnold is, J.T. Barrett has been one of the greatest quarterbacks in Ohio State and Big Ten history. Barrett owns all of the Buckeye passing records and became a legend when he won the Big Ten Championship against an undefeated Wisconsin a week after having knee surgery. Barrett has thrown for more touchdowns and less interceptions than Darnold this season and while Darnold has the ability to make a play with his legs, he isn’t on the same level of J.T. Barrett. Barrett has run for over 3000 yards and 41 touchdowns in his Ohio State career. Over 700 of those yards and 10 touchdowns were tallied up in 2017.
While this game will boast two of the nations most impressive offenses, it is on the defensive side that the biggest differences can be seen.
The Buckeyes are allowing over 100 yards and touchdown less per game than the Trojans. They are lead by the nations best defensive line and another highly touted draft prospect, consensus All-American cornerback Denzel Ward.
The Ohio State Buckeyes have a chance to finish the 2017 season on the right note and set the tone for 2018. Some faces will be new, others familiar. Once again, they will be among the favorites for the 2018 National Title and there is no better way to begin that journey than by finishing this one.
What: The Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. University of Southern California Trojans When: December 29, 2017 at 8:30 PM ET Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas Watch: ESPN Spread: OSU -7.5 Over/Under: 64.5 Money Line: OSU -300, USC +240
The last time Ohio State and Wisconsin got together to battle it out for a Big Ten Championship the Buckeyes were on their third string quarterback as JT Barrett broke his ankle against Michigan in the final game of the regular season. The Buckeyes only threw the ball 17 times that day but backup to the backup, Cardale Jones completed 12 of those 17 passes for 257 yards and three touchdowns leading Ohio State to a 59-0 waxing of Wisconsin in the 2014 Big Ten Championship.
JT Barrett almost found himself in the same situation as 2014.
Barrett had surgery this past Sunday, a day after a cameraman hit him while warming up before Michigan. JT was able to play most of the game against Michigan until re-injuring his knee on a third quarter run. JT allegedly re-aggravated a meniscus issue he had been having and had it cleaned up arthroscopically.
When asked about whether the Buckeye signal caller will be able to play head coach Urban Meyer said, “He’s been cleared to play so he’s going to play in the game. He’ll practice today and be ready to go.”
If Barrett isn’t able to go or the Buckeyes need to make the call to redshirt freshman Dwayne Haskins the Ohio State offense has confidence that they won’t miss a beat.
“Whoever’s out there I feel confident,” Buckeye wide receiver Terry Mclaurin said. “I know the competitor JT is that he’s going to do whatever it takes to play in this game.”
Regardless of who is behind center the Buckeyes will have to have all hands-on deck against the Wisconsin Badgers.
The Badgers are the only undefeated team left from the power five conference and boasts one of the nations best defenses and a freshman running back, Jonathan Taylor, who leads the Big Ten in rushing. Anyone that follows Wisconsin football isn’t surprised by what the Badgers are bringing on Saturday night.
“They’re, I can’t tell you the exact ranking, but I think they’re No.1 in everything,” Meyer said. “And very good skilled athletes… Giant offensive linemen in Wisconsin. And obviously a very good challenge against an elite running back.”
Along with having the Big Ten’s leading rusher, the Badgers give up the fewest rushing yards (80.5), total yards (236.9), and points per game (12.0) in the conference.
It’s those workman like stats that really embody Wisconsin football.
The Badgers are looking at this game like any other game, and for Wisconsin that’s not just coach speak.
“We’ve obviously played in the Big Ten Championship, obviously,” Wisconsin quarterback Alex Hornibrook said. “But with the implications after this game, it’s probably a little bit bigger.”
It’s safe to say at No.4 in the nation and a spot in the Playoff at risk, yeah, for the Badgers it’s a little bit bigger.
But the Buckeyes may have more at stake than a Big Ten Championship as well.
After the most recent rankings the Buckeyes find themselves at No.8 in the nation. But more important is where Wisconsin and Alabama are.
Without a game left to play and no conference championship Alabama sits at No.5 with Wisconsin at No.4. If the Buckeyes can take care of business Saturday night it will give them a win over the No.4 team in the nation which will be their second top ten win, plus a conference championship. None of which Alabama has on their resume.
Despite Ohio State having an outside shot at the playoffs, they know that only one thing is guaranteed Saturday night.
“You can’t really worry about the playoffs,” Buckeye linebacker Chris Worley said. “Our message has been beat Wisconsin. Our message has been do what you can to win the game that week.”
What: Ohio State Buckeyes vs Wisconsin Badgers for the Big Ten Championship When: December 2, 2017 at 8:00 PM ET Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana Watch: FOX Spread: OSU -6 Over/Under: 51 Money Line: OSU -225, Wisc +220
Ask the nation what the greatest rivalry in college football is and depending on what part of the country you’re in, you could get a couple different answers. But as you scour the country there is one answer you can find almost anywhere, and only one answer is known as “The Game.”
The No.9 Ohio State Buckeyes (9-2, 7-1 Big Ten) travel to Ann Arbor this Saturday to take on the Michigan Wolverines (8-3, 5-3 Big Ten).
This game means a lot to both teams but for two very different reasons.
Ohio State sits at No.9 in the nation and although they will be playing Wisconsin for a Big Ten championship in two weeks, they still have an outside chance of making the playoff by winning out and getting some help.
The Wolverines are out of any championship hunt, but the opportunity to play spoiler to Ohio State would ease the pain of this season and give them a positive to end on. It also would also restore some respectability to “The Game” as they have lost five straight to the Buckeyes and 12 out of the last 13 games.
“We haven’t beat these guys in a while, nobody on this team has a win against (Ohio State),” Michigan safety Tyree Kinnel said this week. “It starts to get old when you don’t win.”
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh was brought in to bring respect back to the Michigan program, and although he has once again made them relevant, his 1-4 record against Michigan State and Ohio State looms over him. And coach Harbaugh is well aware of his record.
“The record is what the record is,” Harbaugh said. “Well aware of what the record is against Michigan State and Ohio State, we’re 1-4. The record [against] all other opponents is 23-3. We know what the records are.”
The best chance for Harbaugh to start to turn that record around may not even play. The Wolverines offense has started to show signs of life after making a switch to recently named starter Brandon Peters. Peters left last week’s game against Wisconsin due to a concussion. Reports say Peters is progressing and could be cleared in time for the game.
Even though Ohio State has its eyes set on a Big Ten and possibly National Championship they understand the importance of this game on its own. The week Ohio State plays the Wolverines no one utters the name “Michigan” and all “M’s” go missing in Columbus.
“The rivalry is not a one-week deal,” said coach Urban Meyer. “It’s in your blood and in your DNA.”
Senior quarterback JT Barrett will be playing his last game against Michigan and is looking forward to heading the Ann Arbor one last time.
“I don’t think it’s going to be pleasant,” Barrett said. “I’m pretty sure they’re going to hate me. You got to learn to love the hate. I like being hated sometimes. I don’t mind it. They hate us anyway.”
Ohio State center echoed Barrett’s sentiments when speaking about his leader.
“He’s a competitor. He’s one of the greatest competitors in college football right now,” Brice said. “Again, go ahead, bring on the hate. It is a rivalry.”
What: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Michigan Wolverines When: Saturday November 25, 2017 at 12:00 ET Where: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan Watch: FOX Spread: OSU -12 Over/Under: 50 Money Line: OSU -460, UM +385
After getting blown out by an Iowa team that was an 18-point underdog the hopes and dreams of a National Championship seemed all but lost for the Buckeyes. It was Ohio State’s second loss of the year and put them firmly behind a host of undefeated and one-loss teams. Despite the playoff hopes of the Buckeyes turning grim they were still in control of their Big Ten destiny. If they won out they would be playing for a Big Ten championship.
For many fans last week’s game against No.12 Michigan State was more than just a game. It was a picture into the minds of these Buckeye’s.
One of the biggest criticisms of former Buckeye coach John Cooper was that he sold Ohio State as a path to the NFL. As a result, his players didn’t always love or care about winning for Ohio State. Their focus was on making it pro. I have heard former players say that was the reason they lost to Michigan every year, despite being more talented.
With National Championship hopes almost gone, a question loomed of whether or not this Buckeye team would show up against Michigan State.
How much did they care about a Big Ten championship? How much would players from Florida or Texas care about winning for Ohio State? Remember, head coach Urban Meyer has expanded his recruiting for Ohio State farther beyond the walls of Ohio than any coach before him. And while he has been rewarded with possibly the most talented team in the nation for his efforts, the question of love for school remained.
Last week that question was answered with an emphatic statement not just to the Big Ten, but to the rest of the nation with a 48-3 dismantling of Michigan State.
From the opening drive the Buckeyes dominated the Spartans. It was easily Ohio State’s best and most balanced game this year and continued their path to a Big Ten championship.
“Credit to the leadership and the young guys following our lead,” said junior defensive end Sam Hubbard. “We had a meeting early in the week talking about the Big Ten standings and what we needed to do from here on out. It was mentioned that if we won this game we would swap as head in the Big Ten East and that was our focus.”
The other question many Buckeye’s fans had was answered Tuesday night: Will the two-loss Buckeyes have a shot to get back in the playoff hunt?
Ohio State sat at No.13 before last Saturday but with a big win and Georgia and Notre Dame both losing on Tuesday night the rankings committee moved them all the way up to No.9. It was a jump that, depending on who you talk to, gave the Buckeyes a shot to get back in the playoffs.
Without breaking down everyone’s schedule I’ll give the cliff-notes version of how Ohio State can get back to the playoff.
Obviously Ohio State needs to win out which would put them above Notre Dame and Wisconsin (moves them to #7). If Alabama wins out it means Auburn would get a third loss and Georgia would again lose (moves them to #5). Clemson and Miami will most likely play in the ACC championship game and the committee would have to drop the loser of that game just one spot to keep them in the top 4 and keep Ohio State out. Unless Clemson and Miami play a triple overtime greatest college game in history it would be tough to keep Ohio State out at that point.
So to put it simply, if Ohio State and Alabama win-out there is a real good chance the Buckeyes will find themselves in the playoff.
But all of this talk about playoffs and Big Ten championships means nothing if the Buckeyes can’t take care of business against the 2-8 (0-7 Big Ten) Fighting Illini of Illinois. And head coach Urban Meyer knows it.
“There will be zero conversation around here [about the playoff], especially when you guys talk to the players there will be zero conversation about what happened before and what’s going to happen in the future,” Meyer said. “Zero.”
After starting the year 2-0 second year head coach Lovie Smith and the Illini have dropped 8 straight. At this point in the year the only motivation the Illini have is playing spoiler and Smith is pushing that mindset.
“I think the guys are looking for a great opportunity,” Smith said. “Where we are in our season, two games left to go… you’re last road game is playing against a team like this?”
As the Buckeyes prepare for their last home game of the season the focus is on Illinois. Not Big Ten Championships. Not National Championships. All of that stuff will take care of itself as long as Ohio State takes care of business.
What: Ohio State Buckeyes vs Illinois Fighting Illini When: Saturday November 18, 2017 at 3:30 PM ET Where: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio Watch: ABC Spread: OSU -41 Over/Under: 54 Money Line: OSU -16964, IL +27500
The Buckeyes have been on an emotional roller coaster the past two weeks. After completing one of the greatest comebacks in Ohio State history by beating then No.2 Penn State, the Buckeyes went on the road to Iowa and got throttled 55-24. With that loss the Buckeyes chances at a National Championship are all but finished as absolute chaos would have to happen in college football for the Buckeyes to climb their way into the top 4.
Despite their National Championship hopes being shattered the Buckeyes still control their own destiny in the Big Ten. If Ohio State wins-out they’ll make it to the Big Ten Championship game and would be a lock for one of the New Year’s Six bowl’s if they win the conference. But that path goes through No.12 Michigan State.
The Spartans come into this game on the opposite end of the spectrum after having upset Penn State last week. They are tied for first place in the Big Ten East with Ohio State and have their eyes set on the same goal.
“Where we’re at right now is pretty much where we wanted to be, in control of our own situation, or destiny, I guess,” Spartan head coach Mark Dantonio said. “We at least can control some things. That’s where you want to be in November.”
The Buckeyes biggest task will be getting past last week’s crushing loss.
“(Getting) back to the fundamentals and what we do: Executing,” said Buckeye quarterback JT Barrett who threw four interceptions last week against Iowa after throwing one previously on the year. “Move on from last week because we’d like to get it back, but we can’t. With that, we just have to grow from it, learn from it and get better.”
Defensive end Jayln Holmes also knows the importance of playing in the moment and moving on from last week, especially because he’s a senior.
“You just (have to) finish out strong,” Holmes said. “I’m a senior, it seems like yesterday I just got here. So, I (have) two more games in the ‘Shoe. I just (have to) play angry and actually take advantage of this opportunity, because I won’t have any more games left. My goal is to finish strong.”
Ohio State coach Urban Meyer has been preaching to his team all week about the implications of this top 15 matchup.
“You look at the standings, and Ohio State and Michigan State are 1, 2 in the Big Ten East,” Meyer said. “And everybody knows this game for the last, what’s our sixth year of playing them or something, usually it’s just a prize fight. So the tougher team usually wins.”
Coach Meyer spoke a lot about toughness a week ago before the Iowa game. He spoke of how the Hawkeyes were always ready to play and left everything out there on the field.
Maybe the Bucks were emotionally spent after Penn State. Maybe they didn’t take Iowa seriously or give them the respect they deserved. Either way let’s hope their minds are right coming into Saturday, or else what happened last week could happen again.
What: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Michigan State Spartans When: Saturday November 11, 2017 at 12:00 PM ET Where: Ohio Stadium, Columbus Ohio Watch: FOX Spread: OSU -17 Over/Under: 53.5 Money Line: OSU -850, MICHST +575
For the first time since the 2004-2005 College Basketball Season, there is a coach leading Ohio State's men's basketball team NOT named Thad Matta.
Thad and Ohio State parted ways after 13 seasons with the program, in that time he finished with a record of 337-123 with five Big Ten regular season titles, nine NCAA Tournament appearances including one National Championship appearance and another Final Four appearance and one National Invitation Tournament (NIT) championship. Thad left a long legacy behind that most might say faded away towards the end, failing to reach the second weekend of the tournament from 2013-2017 and having a mass exodus of great talent as well in the final years he led the Buckeye program.
On June 9,2017, a new chapter had begun in Ohio State Basketball.
The Buckeyes named former Butler Head Coach Chris Holtmann their 15th Head Coach in school history. He was the Head Coach at Butler from 2014-2017. Before that, he served as the Head Coach at Gardner-Webb from 2010-2013 and served as an Assistant Coach for Ohio University in 2008-2010.
The expectations for Ohio State Basketball this season are low, and for good reason. Chris Holtmann inherits a program that underwent a mass exodus of talent in the past few years, mostly due to unhappy players that played for Thad Matta transferring.
Obviously, the way to sustain yourself as a coach in ANY sport is simple as Al Davis once said it best (Just win, baby!). But there is a bigger task that Holtmann needs to accomplish if he wants to stay in Columbus long term.
He must win the recruiting battle, ESPECIALLY the recruiting battle in the state of Ohio.
When Thad Matta took over, he was getting the guys out of Ohio. He was recruiting the likes of Daequon Cook, David Lighty, Jon Diebler, Kosta Koufos, Aaron Craft, B.J Mullens, William Buford, Jared Sullinger; I could go on forever. He was getting these young men at the time to buy in to the process of making Ohio State much more than a football school, but making Ohio State a two sport powerhouse. The results in that time spoke for themselves. Holtmann needs to do the same.
As the years progressed, Thad's message didn't resonate with both the players he had in the program already and with the top flight statewide recruits, opting to not stay home but go elsewhere. The list of notable recruits lost to outside schools is just dumbfounding. Talents like C.J McCollum (Lehigh), Trey Burke (Michigan), Zach Price (Louisville), Kenny Kaminski (Michigan State/ Ohio University), Caris LeVert (Michigan), Nigel Hayes (Wisconsin), Luke Kennard (former Mr. Ohio Basketball; Duke), Carlton Bragg (Kansas; \Arizona State), Esa Ahmad (West Virginia), V.J King (Louisville), Nick Ward (Michigan State) and Omari Spellman (#1 recruit in Ohio, class of 2016 per 247sports.com; Villanova).
All of those players above are recruits that went on to make significant impacts to their respective schools and some of them have gone on to careers at the next level. Yet under Thad Matta? Ohio State didn't even bat an eyelash at them.
Two recruits that can help change that culture and image of Ohio State Basketball committed to Holtmann and Ohio State. Their names are Kyle Young and Kaleb Wesson.
Kyle is a 6-6 Small Forward from Massillon Jackson High School in Stark County. He was the number two prospect in the state of Ohio (per 247sports.com). He led the Jackson Polar Bears to a State Championship in 2017. He originally committed to Butler while Holtmann was the head coach, but flipped his commitment to the Buckeyes shortly after Holtmann became Head Coach.
Kaleb Wesson is a center from Westerville South, a city just north of Columbus. He was the number one prospect in the state of Ohio per 247sports.com. His dominating play last season helped lead Westerville South to State Championship Game appearance.
Getting these two recruits are a big score for Holtmann and his staff here in Columbus and it is definitely a step in the right direction for the future of the Ohio State program.
In the end, if Chris Holtmann wants to find long term success in Columbus, he must not only bring back that culture that Matta had in the beginning of his tenure in Columbus and sustain it. He can not let the talented High School players found in Ohio, go anywhere but Ohio State.
The future is bright for Holtmann and the Buckeyes program, it's now up to them to build on it.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are coming off one of the greatest comebacks in college football history. After winning in the final minutes against then No. 2 Penn State, the Buckeyes travel to Iowa to take on the Hawkeyes.
The biggest question for the Buckeyes heading into this weekend is whether or not they have recouped from the emotionally draining comeback against Penn State. After allowing a touchdown on the opening kick-off and getting down by as much as 18, Ohio State spent the rest of the afternoon chasing points until the final minutes when they took the lead and finished off the Nittany Lions.
Buckeye wide-out Johnnie Dixon who is coming off of a two touchdown performance last week against Penn State was asked about refocusing after the epic comeback:
“We’re elite warriors,” Dixon said. “Once that assignment is over we lock in to the next one.”
Add to the comeback win the Buckeyes (7-1, 5-0 Big Ten) coming in at No. 6 in the first official Playoff rankings and there has been a lot to talk about around Columbus this week. “We’re in the hunt for a lot of big things right now,” coach Urban Meyer said. “But the target is Iowa on the road at 3:30.”
Although an 18-point favorite, Meyer is preparing his team for one of the most physical games they’ll play this weekend.
“They’re just tough. They’re like their coach,” Meyer said. “Their coach is a tough guy. They’re like the state of Iowa. They’re tough people. I love Iowa. I never met too many people or players that just don’t have the characteristics of toughness and I’m going to hit you as hard as I can.”
And by the quotes from Buckeye players this week, you can tell Meyer got that message across to his team very clearly.
“They’re a tough team,” safety Jordan Fuller said. “They get after you. A downhill running team, they take shots, they have it all.”
If Iowa is going to keep this game close they will have to control the ball the best they can to keep the high-powered Buckeye offense off the field. That starts with Hawkeye running back Akrum Wadley.
Wadley leads Iowa with 643 yards on the ground and 268 through the air on 19 receptions. He has eight total touchdowns on the year. But with the Hawkeyes starting two freshman at tackle against what many believe to be the best defensive front in the country it could be a long day for Wadley and first-year starter at quarterback, Nate Stanley.
Hawkeye coach Kirk Ferentz is aware of the battle his team is about to walk into. They Buckeyes are playing their best ball of the year and that is a lot for any team to handle.
“I do know this: If we are going to have a chance to win, we are going to have to be there in the fourth quarter and that’s going to be easier said than done. We are going to have to really fight our tails off to get there.”
What: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Iowa Hawkeyes When: Saturday November 4, 2017 at 3:30 PM ET Where: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa Watch: ESPN Spread: OSU -18.5 Over/Under: 52.5 Money Line: OSU -920, Iowa +695
The sixth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes entered their off-week firing on all cylinders and playing some of their best and most complete football of the year. The 6-1 Buckeyes have gone unscathed in Big Ten play and find themselves staring down the barrel of the toughest part of their schedule. With three ranked Big Ten opponents looming over the next five games, including this weekends showdown against No.2 Penn State, we’ll see if the Buckeyes have truly progressed since their loss to Oklahoma and preview their biggest Big Ten battle. Here are some of the biggest questions going into the final stretch of the 2017 Buckeye season:
Has J.T. Barrett and the Buckeye offense actually gotten better?
The Buckeyes have averaged 57 points per contest over their last four games. In that span J.T. Barrett has thrown five touchdowns twice, ran for three, and has 19 total scores. He is completing 71% of his passes and has zero turnovers. Barrett has even played himself back into some Heisman talk with his recent play.
But to really answer the question we must look past the numbers.
One of the biggest criticisms earlier in the year of J.T. Barrett was he didn’t look like he progressed from last year. There was no growth.
The most obvious factor for J.T.’s early struggles was a new offensive coordinator bringing a new offense to the Buckeyes. Kevin Wilson’s offense is highlighted by two components that the Buckeye’s weren’t very good at last year; tempo and big plays.
Last year Kevin Wilson’s Indiana offense threw 52 pass plays of 20 yards or more. The Buckeyes had only 33. The Buckeyes still aren’t hitting the long ball the way they want, but J.T. is getting better. Through seven games this year Barrett has completed nine passes of 20 yards or more for four touchdowns. The most encouraging part of those numbers is that four of the nine passes came last week against Nebraska.
Perhaps the most noticeable improvement in Barrett’s game is his confidence in himself, and his teammates.
One of my biggest criticisms of Barrett early in this year was his inability to give his guys a chance to make a play. Barrett looked like he was hesitant in his throws and reads. Only throwing to guys that were obviously wide-open and missing badly on throws to contested receivers.
Over the past couple games Barrett has taken advantage of the skill set and physicality of his wideouts. He is leading guys open, making crisp back shoulder throws, and tossing jump balls to his 6'4" playmaker Binjimen Victor. Fifteen different players have recorded a catch for the Buckeyes this season, nine of which have caught a touchdown.
Ohio State center Billy Price has seen the improvement and believes it’s legit.
“Right now, the offense as a whole is clicking the best it’s been in years. It’s clicking at the right moment.”
Much of Barrett’s improvement can’t be seen in the box score. He has put up big numbers ever since he was named the starter and own’s almost every relevant passing record at Ohio State. With his recent play he’s even started to sneak his name into Heisman consideration. This weekend will be his biggest test and will give Buckeye fans and the nation a good look at what type of J.T. Barrett we can expect going forward.
How much is the Buckeye secondary benefiting from weak passing attacks?
Losing three first-round defensive backs has proven to be a bigger hit than many Buckeye fans envisioned. There was no doubt to how great the Buckeye secondary was last year but replacing them with talents like Denzel Ward, Damon Arnette, and Kendall Sheffield gave many fans comfort as 2017 season approached.
Perhaps we expected too much too soon.
The beginning of the year was rough for the Buckeye secondary. In the first two games of the year the Buckeye secondary gave up a total of 806 yards and six touchdowns through the air while allowing a 67% completion percentage.
Since then the Buckeyes have allowed a quarterback to throw for over 100 yards just once and have two games with less than 20 passing yards allowed. But the competition also changed for Ohio State.
The very next game after Oklahoma threw for 386 yards against them the Buckeyes played an Army team that runs a triple option and only attempted eight passes going 2-8 for 19 yards. Add to that games against a passing attack led by a third-string quarterback for Maryland, a Rutgers quarterback with twice as many interceptions than touchdowns, and current interception leader in the Big Ten; Nebraska quarterback Tanner Lee, and you have a stretch of games that has allowed your secondary to gain some confidence and get comfortable with each other in the defensive backfield.
Bottom line is we just don’t know if the Buckeyes have improved or if the poor competition has inflated their recent numbers. But we’ll find out come Saturday when the Big Ten leader in passing yards, Trace McSorley, brings the No. 2 Penn State Nittany Lions to Columbus.
Penn State travel to Ohio State 6-0 including last week’s beatdown of No.19 Michigan, 42-13, where Heisman front-runner Saquon Barkley continued to display the all-around skill set that will make him one of the top picks in the NFL draft next year.
Statistically these teams are very similar. Ohio State and Penn State rank 1-2 in the Big Ten in scoring, total offense, and passing.
As mentioned McSorley is the Big Ten passing leader but J.T. Barrett is only 41 yards behind him. Although McSorley has the edge in passing yard Barrett has 7 more passing touchdowns, and has only thrown one interception this year compared to McSorley’s five. Barrett also is a more prolific runner although McSorley is a very capable runner and is coming off his most impressive rushing game of the year with 76 yards and three rushing touchdowns against Michigan.
Despite some impressive quarterback play the heart and soul of the Penn State offense is Saquon Barkley. Barkley can do it all out of the backfield for the Nittany Lions amassing 757 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground and another 448 yards and three touchdowns receiving.
The Buckeye’s will undoubtedly see Barkley all over the field as Penn State can use their 230-pound bell-cow inside, off-tackle, or running wheel routes down the sideline. Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer is well-aware of the task of defending the nation’s leader in all-purpose yardage.
“No question, he’s the best all-purpose guy we’ve probably faced in probably, maybe my career,” Meyer said. “I’d be careful to say this, but he’s as good an all-purpose running back we’ve seen. And that’s 30 years.”
The Buckeye defense is also well-aware of how great Barkley is and the task they have in trying to contain him.
When asked about Barkley, Ohio State linebacker put it about as well as you can saying, “The dudes a monster. I’m very excited to go against him because he can do it all. Pass block, run routes, run the ball, jump over you, run through you.”
The Buckeyes got an extra week of preparation for Barkley as they are coming off a bye-week. Meyer is 20-1 coming out of a bye-week, his only loss happened in his first-year coaching, 2001, at Bowling Green State. He is 5-0 against Top 25 opponents.
Last year Penn State stunned the No.2 Buckeyes in overtime 13-6. That loss kept the Buckeyes out of the Big Ten championship game but didn’t derail their trip to the College Football Playoff. Revenge is definitely a motivator and when coach Meyer was asked about he didn’t shy away, "
They Buckeyes know the magnitude of this game. The Big Ten and National Championship implications. Someone will be on the path to the College Football Playoff after this game while the other will be praying for teams to fall for a chance to somehow find a way back in. With an early loss to Oklahoma the margin of error is much less for the Buckeyes.
“We still have that feeling in our gut of losing,” Billy Price said. “Since week two, we’ve been trying to get better defensively, offensively and on special teams. We’ve just been building it up every week, so when we go out there Saturday we’ll be ready to play.”
What: No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. No. 2 Penn State Nittany Lions
When: Saturday October 28, 2017 at 3:30 PM ET
Where: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Watch: FOX
Spread: Ohio State -6
Over/Under: 55
Money Line: OSU -245, Penn St +210
Typically a matchup of two of the top-five winningest programs in college football history would garner much more attention than the current interest in Saturday night’s showdown between Ohio State and Nebraska.
The ninth-ranked Buckeyes (5-1, 3-0 Big Ten) are holding up their end of the bargain coming off another pounding of a Big Ten opponent. The 62-14 win over Maryland is the third consecutive game the Buckeyes have scored over 50 as they have outscored their last three opponents 172-35.
J.T. Barrett was efficient in limited time completing 20-31 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns. Add 59 yards and a touchdown on eight rushes and it was a typical “Barrett-like” box score for the Buckeye signal caller.
Barrett has looked better over the past couple of weeks, giving his receivers a chance to make plays and being more accurate on some of the tougher throws.
One of the receivers benefiting from Barrett’s improved play is Binjimen Victor who led the Buckeyes with 55 yards and a touchdown off-of four catches against Maryland. Victor has caught a touchdown in each of the last three games and is starting to learn how to take advantage of his 6-4 frame over smaller defenders.
“We’re not even scratching the surface of his ability level,” head coach Urban Meyer said of Victor earlier this week. “We haven’t even seen near the ceiling of what he has, ability-wise. A great young man that’s just working at learning how to work all the time and go all the time.”
Meyer even drew comparisons of Victor to Ohio State greats Cris Carter and Michael Thomas when talking about his jump ball ability and ball skills.
“Cris Carter, years and years and years ago, when we were here together,” Meyer said. “You’ve got [Michael] Thomas was good, really good at going up and getting the ball, but [Victor’s] sheer size and wingspan… and he’s got great ball skills.”
The Cornhuskers (3-3, 2-1 Big Ten) are coming off a 38-17 loss to then-No. 9 ranked Wisconsin. This week marks the first time Nebraska had to play back-to-back top ten opponents since losing to Missouri and Texas Tech back in 2008.
Nebraska head coach Mike Riley knows that playing the Buckeyes in Lincoln will provide little comfort for what may be coming.
“It’s good to play at home for us, but you know, this is a team with a veteran quarterback that is hitting on all cylinders, very talented, well-coached and so, it is a particular challenge and it’ll be good for our team,” Riley said.
The Cornhuskers are looking for a spark offensively as they have failed to score over thirty points in all but one game this year, a 42-35 loss to Oregon. The Buckeyes are outgaining the Huskers by almost 200 yards a game and outscoring them by almost 20.
The biggest reason for the offensive struggles of Nebraska is poor quarterback play. Junior quarterback Tanner Lee leads the Big Ten in interceptions with 10 and is only completing 54% of his passes. Last week marked the second week in a row Lee led the Huskers into the red-zone only to throw a pick-six.
The last time Ohio State traveled to Lincoln they blew a 21-point lead in a 34-27 upset by the Cornhuskers. But that was 2011. Last year the Buckeyes punished Nebraska 62-3 and that game is the one in Lee’s mind.
“It was tough to watch,” Lee said of last year’s loss. “I mean, obviously they will have the same talented team as they do, as they seem to have every year. They will be quick, athletic, and strong up front. So that will be a good challenge gain for us this week.”
While Nebraska tries to fight their way to a bowl game Ohio State has a conference championship in their sights and a possible playoff-birth. Coach Riley knows this is an uphill battle for the Cornhuskers.
“They’re playing at a high-level since that one loss and outscoring opponents,” Riley said of the Buckeyes. “They’re versatile and productive offensively in almost every category, near the top [nationally] in everything. Same thing defensively, so it’s a major, major challenge for us.”
What: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers When: Saturday October 14, 2017 at 7:30 PM ET Where: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska Watch: Fox Sports 1 (FS1) Spread: OSU -24 Over/Under: 58 Money Line: OSU -2500, Neb +1400
The J.T. Barrett led Buckeyes put together their most complete game of the season as they pounded Rutgers 56-0. This was the second year in a row the Silver Bullets pitched a shutout against the Scarlet Knights who have lost the last two years to the Buckeyes by a total of 114-0.
Barrett, who threw three touchdown passes, tallied 286 yards through the air making him Ohio State’s career passing yardage leader.
“I think it’s a tremendous honor,” Barrett said on his record. “I came to Ohio State, I always wanted to be a quarterback there, and win football games and be productive. This is a great honor and I’m just going to focus on winning football games.”
Northeast Ohio product Demario McCall led the Buckeyes in rushing, taking full advantage of his opportunity, with 103 yards and a touchdown on eleven carries. McCall also did some damage in the passing game with a 35 yard touchdown catch.
Mike Weber made the most of his carries piling up a career-highthree touchdowns while J.K. Dobbins only got six carries in a game that got out of hand quickly for Rutgers and allowed the Buckeyes to get others involved.
The tenth ranked Ohio State Buckeyes (4-1, 2-0 Big Ten) enter this Saturday as another heavy favorite as the Maryland Terrapins (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) come to Columbus.
The Terrapins opened the 2017 campaign with a big upset on the road against #23 Texas and are coming off a 31-24 road win in their Big Ten opener against Minnesota.
Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer knows that this Terrapin team isn’t the same one the Buckeyes rolled over 62-3 last year.
“Playing a very good Maryland team that beat Texas,” Meyer said. “And came back with their third-string quarterback and really looked much improved against Minnesota. A very good team.”
That third-string quarterback is Max Bortenschlager, a sophomore who will now lead the Terrapins the rest of the year after season-ending knee injuries to Tyrrell Pigrome and KasimHill.
“I’m feeling good after the win, but that only lasts so long,” said Bortenschlager. “Just have to look forward to this week and just have to build off last week.”
Inadvertently, Buckeye quarterback Dwayne Haskins played a big part of Bortenschlager getting to Maryland. When Haskins, who was a local kid originally committed to Maryland, flipped to Ohio State a scholarship opened up. Bortenschlager, who was committed to Buffalo at the time, was convinced by Maryland offensive coordinator Walt Bell to come to the Terrapins. While Bortenschlager isn’t as flashy and Pigrome and Hill, he’s steady, plays within himself, and knows what his coaches need from the quarterback position.
In Maryland's win against Minnesota Bortenschlager attempted just two throws of 20 yards or more and ended with only 154 yards passing. But he also threw two touchdowns and did not throw an interception.
“I think he was confident and comfortable with the game plan,” Maryland coach DJ Durkin said. “That’s Max. He’s the same guy. He’s got a quiet confidence about him, and he went out and played that way.”
Helping take the pressure off of Bortenschlager is running back Ty Johnson whose 34 yard touchdown run put the Terrapins ahead of Minnesota with a 1:10 left last week. Johnson, who leads Maryland in rushing with 411 yards on the year, totaled 130 against the Gophers to go along with what proved to be the game-winning touchdown.
The Buckeyes defense will also have to lock down the Terrapins leading receiver D.J. Moore.
Moore had a big game against Minnesota with eight catches for 90 yards and a touchdown. Moore has 30 receptions on the year to go along with 403 yards and five touchdowns.
Durkin, a former assistant coach for Urban Meyer, knows the task is tall for the Terrapins. Maryland will have to try and stop the No. 5 total yardage and 11th ranked scoring offense in the nation. Add to that the problem of trying to rack up points against the No. 16 scoring defense and it could prove to be a long day for the Terrapins. But Durkin knows that the bigger the challenge, the bigger the opportunity.
“It’s going to be an unbelievable opportunity this weekend,” Durkin said. “This is a great football team that we’re playing, and I mean that -- great.”
What: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Maryland Terrapins When: Saturday October 7, 2017 at 4:00 PM ET Where: Ohio Stadium, Columbus Ohio Watch: FOX Spread: OSU -30.5 Over/Under: 60 Money Line: OSU -12500, Maryland +5000
The temperature wasn’t the only thing scorching last Saturday at Ohio stadium as the Buckeye offense finally showed what it could look like against the Rebels of UNLV.
Ohio State (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) dropped to number eleven in the polls despite a thirty-three point victory which featured J.T Barrett throwing five touchdown passes to five different receivers. The Buckeyes threw seven touchdown passes to seven different receivers including one of over 20 yards from Barrett and two of over 20 yards from Dwayne Haskins. A total of 13 players recorded a catch for the Buckeyes. In less than a half of work J.T. Barrett threw for 209 yards which moved him into second place all-time for passing yards at Ohio State.
The Buckeyes return to Big Ten play this weekend as they travel to Rutgers (1-3, 0-1 Big Ten) for prime-time game under the lights.
Rutgers has had a rough start to the season going 1-3 and often shooting themselves in the foot on offense. Head Coach and former Buckeye defensive coordinator Chris Ash is aware of the Scarlet Knights mistakes on offense.
“We’re just our own worst enemy right now on offense in those situations. In games against some really good opponents, and we can’t do that,” Ash said. “We can’t have those self-inflicted mistakes that we continue to have that doesn’t allow us to sustain drives and create momentum that we want and need as we move forward.”
Ash knows that if Rutgers wants to start to click on offense they’re going to have to clean up their mistakes. That is going to be tough to do with a Buckeye defensive front that is one of the most talented and deepest in the nation.
“They have always had high-level players, players that are going to go on and be high draft picks or go to the NFL, and obviously be great college players,” Ash said. “But it’s the depth that they have at the D-line that makes it such a special defensive unit.”
For the Buckeyes, they can continue to fine tune their passing game against a Rutgers team that lost their top cornerback, Blessuan Austin, to a season ending knee injury last week.
While Rutgers will be trying to fill the void of losing their best corner Ohio State will be getting healthier. Mike Weber, last year’s leading and 1000 yard rusher, will be returning from a hamstring injury that has slowed him early this season.
Defensively the Buckeyes will continue to try and clean up their play in the secondary. They haven’t been tested since week two against Oklahoma and the inexperience is showing with three pass interference calls last week against UNLV. They shouldn’t get much of a test from Rutgers either.
The Scarlet Knights are led by Louisville transfer quarterback Kyle Bolin. The Scarlet Knights are only averaging 163 yards passing on the young season and Bolin has thrown double the amount of interceptions to touchdowns, 6-3.
The Buckeyes biggest concern is going to be keeping Janarion Grant bottled up. Grant will most likely be a game time decision after suffering a concussion against Morgan State and didn’t make the trip to Nebraska last week. Grant is a wide receiver/kick returner who displays a good combination of speed and athleticism. When asked if he was concerned about Grant not being able to go against Ohio State Ash said “As of right now, no.”
Ash is going to need Grant and anyone else he can get to suit up as it’s going to be all hands on deck this Saturday night when the Buckeyes come to town.
What: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights When: September 30, 2017 at 7:30 PM ET Where: High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, NJ Watch: Big Ten Network Spread: OSU -30.5 Over/Under: 54 Money Line: OSU -10000, Rutgers +4000
This Saturday the #10 Ohio State Buckeyes (2-1, 1-0 Big Ten) will welcome the Rebels of UNLV (1-1, 0-0 Mountain West) to the Shoe. The Buckeyes will be a heavy favorite this weekend as they continue to try and get their offense firing on all cylinders.
Last week Ohio State rolled to a 38-7 victory over Army. J.T. Barrett threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns while adding 32 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Freshman sensation J.K. Dobbins scored two touchdowns while running for 172 yards on only 13 carries.
Buckeye fans even got to see a little glimpse of the future (a future some want sooner than later) as redshirt freshman Dwayne Haskins got some garbage time late in the fourth quarter. Haskins made the most of his time going 4/4 for 46 yards. Although he didn’t get much time the talent was obvious as Haskins showed off the arm that made him a top five pocket passer coming out of high school.
Although it was a comfortable win against Army, the Buckeye offense still didn’t look like a national championship offense. And with Army running the triple-option and only throwing eight passes, the Ohio State secondary didn’t get challenged. Buckeye fans can find solace in knowing that head coach Urban Meyer sees what the rest of us watching. When asked what areas of his team need to get better head coach Urban Meyer said, “Pass defense and continued growth on offense.”
Dating back to last season the Rebels have given up at least forty points in their last five games. Through two games this year UNLV is allowing 414 yards and 29.5 points a game.
Offensively the Rebels have relied on their ground game averaging 350 yards a game with junior Lexington Thomas leading the way with 341 yards and five touchdowns on the year.
Despite some gaudy offensive numbers this year the Rebels find themselves as forty-point underdogs on the road in Columbus. Head coach Tony Sanchez knows that they’re going to have to get creative to stay close to the Buckeyes saying, “We’re going to have to be aggressive, take some shots down the field, think outside the box a little bit to give ourselves an opportunity.”
What: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. University of Las Vegas Rebels When: Saturday September 23, 2017 at 12:00 PM ET Where: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio Watch: Big Ten Network Spread: OSU -40 Over/Under: 65 Money Line: OSU -60000, UNLV +20000
Ohio State will look to regroup after a tough loss at home to the hands of Baker Mayfield and Oklahoma. At 1-1 and ranked #8 the Buckeyes are still in great position to win the Big Ten and solidify a spot in the playoff but unless they get their offense figured out. But with the strength of the Big Ten this year (four teams currently in the top ten) the Buckeyes and J.T Barrett are going to have to play better or they won’t stand a chance.
If you read my season preview you know that I highlighted the two biggest changes on this Ohio State team to talk about. The new look Kevin Wilson offense, and the secondary.
So far through two games the offense has left something to be desired. And although there has been debate about what the problem is, and plenty of blame to go around, I feel the biggest issue is J.T. Barrett’s lack of growth from last year to this year.
J.T. Barrett has been great for the Buckeyes. He is a tremendous leader. He owns most if not all relevant records for Ohio State quarterbacks. But the young man has maxed out his potential. He has shown no growth from last year to today as a quarterback.
There is a group of people that say that the biggest problem is the receivers aren’t getting separation, and I do agree that they are not doing a good enough job of creating space.
But there are two problems with only focusing on that argument.
Number one, Barrett is missing plenty of wide open shots. Watching the first two games this year there have been a couple times I have stood up ready to celebrate a touchdown only to watch the sail over the wide-outs head by five yards.
Secondly, J.T. Barrett does not give his wide receivers opportunities to make plays.
These are all four-star guys with good size. Austin Mack is 6'2". Binjimen Victor is 6'4". Parris Campbell and KJ Hill are both at least six feet. Even if they aren’t getting great separation as a quarterback you need to put the ball in a position for your play makers to make a play.
Despite the calls for Ohio State to make the move to Dwayne Haskins, head coach Urban Meyer as stood firm in his confidence in Barrett. When talking about what players give them the best opportunity to win after the Oklahoma loss Meyer made it clear what he thought about Barrett compared to Haskins saying, “right now it’s not even a question.”
Ohio State’s offense hasn’t been the only disappointment this year. The Buckeyes secondary is missing Lattimore, Hooker, and Conley more than they thought they would.
After giving up 410 yards through the air to Indiana and another 386 to Baker Mayfield and Oklahoma, the Buckeyes secondary is ranked dead last in the FBS. Through two games opponents have completed 67% of their passes against Ohio State and have thrown for 6 touchdowns.
The talent in the defensive backfield is unquestionable. But the inexperience is proving to be tough for Ohio State to overcome.
“I think we played a good football team and we didn’t play nearly as well as we could,” Greg Schiano said after the loss to Oklahoma. “So credit to them, but we need to get better quickly.”
Ohio State’s secondary will get a week off from getting torched as the Black Knights of Army bring their triple option offense to Columbus on Saturday. Although 2-0 Army has only completed two passes this season, they may be tempted to throw a little more against the vulnerable Buckeye secondary.
Coming into Saturday the Black Knights are averaging 42 points a game and 417 yards rushing. When you look at the triple-option, you get exactly what you see. Their leading rusher is senior quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw. Coach Jeff Monken knows that if Army is going to stay in this game and have a chance to win they’re going to have to run that option perfectly.
“We’ve got to run the ball if we’re going to be successful,” Monken said. “We’re not going to win bunch of games if we chuck it all over the place. We’ve got to pick our spots. We tried to pick them on Saturday, but we had a couple of opportunities that we missed… But we’re going to hit some of those too sometimes. We’ll keep taking our shots every once in a while.”
What: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Army Black Knights When: Saturday September 16, 2017, 4:30 PM ET Where: Ohio Stadium, Columbus Ohio Watch: FOX Spread: OSU +30 Over/Under: 53 Money Line: OSU -10000, Army +4000
It took Ohio State a half of football to find their rhythm against Indiana and put the Hoosiers to bed in week one. After looking out-of-sync for the first thirty minutes the Buckeyes came out and lit the field on fire in the second half. Ohio State won’t have the luxury of a half to work out the kinks against the #5 ranked Oklahoma Sooners as they head to Columbus Saturday night.
This time last year Ohio State went in to Norman and put a beating on Oklahoma, 45-24.
Baker Mayfield was a Heisman hopeful and went on to throw two interceptions, including a pick-six. Mayfield hasn’t forgotten what happened.
“Everybody that was here for last year’s huge loss definitely remembers that. And we talked about it during camp,” said Mayfield. “We’ve never been here for a team to sing their fight song on our field. Quite frankly it’s just embarrassing. It’s embarrassing.”
Mayfield understands the magnitude of this top-five matchup, and thinks that these two teams could meet up again at the end of this season.
“If you want a sneak peek at who’s going to be playing for a national title… you want to tune in to the one,” Mayfield said.
Ohio State understands that Oklahoma is coming in looking for revenge.
“Our approach to this game is it’s the biggest game of the year,” said wide receiver Parris Campbell, whose 74-yard touchdown catch helped the Buckeye offense get on track. It’s a big-time opponent, a top-10 matchup. We have to prepare that way. These guys are probably going to come in here with a chip on their shoulder from last year’s game.”
Oklahoma will have their hands full with Campbell and the rest of the Ohio State offense. But despite the second half offensive explosion, new offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson knows there is a lot of work to be done.
“Early we sputtered,” Wilson said. “I thought several times we called some plays that got us behind chains, and we left some points on the board. Sever third-down and manageables, we didn’t manage.”
Behind true freshman J.K. Dobbins 181 yards on the ground and three touchdowns and 304 yards through the air from J.T. Barrett, the new look offense of Kevin Wilson showed just how lethal it could be. Add the Buckeyes leading rusher from last season, Mike Weber, back into the mix and Ohio State will be ready to give a repeat performance from last year and put themselves on the path to another shot at a national championship.
What: Ohio State Buckeyes vs Oklahoma Sooners When: September 9, 2017, 7:30 PM ET Where: Ohio Stadium, Columbus Ohio Watch: ABC Spread: OSU -7 Money Line: OSU -300, OK +240 O/U: 65
The Ohio State Buckeyes ended the 2016 season with a 31-0 ass-thumping to the hands of the eventual National Champion Clemson Tigers. With a new look to the secondary and a revitalized offense the 2017 Buckeyes will look to leave last year behind them and gear up for another championship run.
New Look Secondary
The Buckeyes have a huge task in front of them in trying to replace three first-round defensive backs. Junior safety Damon Webb will be the only returning starter. Although Webb didn’t get the attention that first-round studs Marshon Lattimore, Malik Hooker, and Gareon Conley received, he still had a solid year earning honorable mention All-Big Ten honors and returning an interception for a touchdown. As the only returning starter Webb will have to step up as a player and a leader in the Ohio State secondary.
Denzel Ward will be the Buckeyes #1 corner this year as he makes his case to be the Buckeyes next first-round talent. Although not technically a starter last year, don't tell cornerback coach Kerry Coombs that. Ward played a lot last year as he was used heavily in cornerback coaches Kerry Coombs’ three-corner rotation.
"I would prefer it if you guys referred to him as the third starter at corner because that's what he was," Coombs said earlier this year. We had a true three-man rotation."
And if there is any doubt as to how good Ward can be, Coombs confidence in him is not lacking. "I'm telling you he as good as the other two [Lattimore and Conley]. He doesn't have to say it. I'm telling you that. I think he believes it, he just doesn't have to say it."
Opposite Ward will be redshirt sophomore Damon Arnette. Arnette was mostly used as a nickel corner last year, playing in all 13 games, although early season struggles caused his playing time to dwindle. Despite his struggles last year, the Buckeyes are high on Arnette’s talent, and swagger. Coombs said earlier this summer that Arnette reminds him of a recent Buckeye star.
“He has got charisma, he has got juice,” Coombs said. “He will remind you of Bradley Roby when he’s on the field with the swagger and the way he plays. I love that about him.”
Along with Ward and Arnette Ohio State fans will see a lot of junior college transfer Kendall Sheffield. Sheffield originally committed to Alabama as a five-star recruit but transferred to Blinn College after he redhirted his freshman season. As a highly touted transfer, he committed to Ohio State back in January of this year.
With the addition of Sheffield and growth of Ward and Arnette, the Buckeyes will display a trio of ultra-talented corners to fill the void left by Lattimore and Conley.
Alongside Damon Webb at safety, Jordan Fuller and Erick Smith have been listed as co-starters. Smith is entering his senior season and has the most experience of the two. Fuller is entering his sophomore season and has the most potential to make a Hooker-like impact roaming the secondary.
Perhaps the biggest addition to the Ohio State offense this year is new offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson.
Ever since Tom Herman left Ohio State after the 2014 season, the Buckeyes have lost some of that big-play explosiveness they were known for. In Herman’s final season as offensive-coordinator the Buckeyes had 56 pass plays of 20 yards or more. That is was the most in head coach Urban Meyer’s five years with the Buckeyes. Since then Ohio State has had just 38 in 2015, and 33 in 2016. Anyone who has watched the Buckeyes the last couple years has seen the obvious decline in big-strike pass plays.
Enter Kevin Wilson.
Kevin Wilson, who resigned as head coach of Indiana last season, is looking to regain that type of down-field aerial attack for the Buckeyes.
At the same time the Ohio State passing attack was regressing, Wilson’s offense at Indiana was posting seasons of 60 pass plays of 20 yards or more in 2015, and 52 in 2016.
It’s a fast-paced offense. An offense predicated on big play action fakes leading to downfield scores. An offense that will without-a-doubt average more plays per game and more yards per play than the Buckeyes have the past two seasons. An offense that will look to regain the form that won them a National Championship back in 2014.
This Thursday night Wilson will get his chance to showcase his offense against his former team, Indiana.
The Hoosiers are coming off of a 6-7 season which was highlighted by a 24-21 win over then #10 Michigan State in overtime. While typically game one of the season is used to iron out the wrinkles against a lower level opponent, Indiana will not have that luxury this year. They are going to have to hope the Buckeyes have A LOT of wrinkles to iron out and hopefully catch them at the right time. But with Ohio State’s new additions and a bad taste left in their mouth from last season, there may not be a “right time” for any opponent this season.
When coming up with this preview I noticed a theme. I kept remembering the good times of years ago.
I remembered Tom Herman’s offense and big plays downfield.
I remembered Hooker ball hawking and Lattimore and Conley locking guys down.
This season will look to bring us new memories, and hopefully, if just for a moment, make us forget.
What: Ohio State vs. Indiana When: Thursday 8/31/17, 8:00 PM ET Where: Bloomington, Indiana Watch: ESPN Megacast including traditional broadcast on ESPN and six additional viewing experiences including a coaches film room on ESPNEWS and others Spread: OSU -21.5 Over/Under: 57.5 Money Line: OSU -2000, IU +1250
