Last season: We have all read about the lack of interceptions from the defensive backs last season. The Buckeyes only had 11 picks and Anderson Russell believes they dropped an additional 15. Those numbers are troubling, but not the end of the world. After all, the Buckeyes finished in passing defense (as measured by yards allowed) and we know it was not because teams were busy running on them (they only gave up 83 ypg on the ground). When measured by passing efficiency, the Buckeyes finished 4th.

As you can see from the chart, Ohio State typically held their opponents well below the average passing numbers. Only Washington and Wisconsin fared better than averaged.

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Last season: By almost any measuring stick, this group had a terrific season and I am not about to dispute that. James Laurinaitis would have been a first round choice had he decided to leave and Marcus Freeman would likely have been a day one selection. Larry Grant graduated and the 49ers drafted him in the seventh round.

Laurinaitis won the Butkus Award (controversy aside) for being the nation’s top linebacker, while leading the team in tackles for the second straight season (121 tackles). If Laurinaitis leads the team again this season it will the second consecutive three-year stretch where one player led the Buckeyes in tackles each year. (A.J. Hawk led the team in tackles from 2003-2005.) Another similar year from Lil’ Animal should land him inside the Top 10 for career tackles at Ohio State.

Marcus Freeman finished second in total tackles (109) and led Ohio State in solo tackles (66). He also forced two fumbles and broke up more passes than any player other than Chekwa.

This season: This is the definition of a logjam with a ton of talent in the linebacker meeting room each week, but there little experience and certainty beyond Laurinaitis and Freeman. Including incoming freshmen, the Buckeyes have 12 candidates for playing time this fall. Representative of this stockpiling, at least three players have practiced at and/or are said to be switching positions – Tyler Moeller (to safety), Curtis Terry (to fullback), Thaddeus Gibson (to DE). Read More...

Another humongous crowd watched the Scarlet triumph 20-7 in Ohio State’s annual spring game yesterday. In the rain, no less. The Dispatch covered it almost as copiously as it would a regular season game, so I will defer to most of their coverage. Here is a quick rundown of the hot topics in and around the game:

Quarterbacks – The main story of the game was about Joe Bauserman’s play. The redshirt freshman was 7 of 14 for 125 yards and nice TD throw. He had another TD called back on penalty. Meanwhile, Boeckman threw two interceptions. 

The focus of the story was how well Bauserman played, and I agree with Tressel when he said they are a long way from determining the backup quarterback. Was this a case of Bauserman progressing, Henton regressing, or both? Tressel had previously praised Boeckman, while Beanie thought Henton was very impressive. I hardly heard about Bauserman before the game. 

So, who benefited the most from spring practice and the game? Maybe, Terrelle Pryor (who received a big cheer yesterday). If neither Henton nor Bauserman are able to solidify the backup job with consistent play, Pryor may find himself as #2 in both jersey number and depth chart position by the end of the season with a tight grip on the '09 starting job. Undoubtedly, Pryor will have a specific package designed for him, albeit small, and if he excels with it he may become the second best option whether he knows the offense inside out.

Running Backs – Boom Herron led the scrimmage with 30 yards on 10 carries. Brandon Saine had received considerable hype throughout the spring including big production in the jersey scrimmage. He had 4 carries yesterday. What does it all mean? According to the Dispatch, not much.

Wide Receivers – Taurian Washington and Ray Small had nice games and those performances are probably the most significant of the spring game. As we have discussed before, the 3rd WR spot is wide open and any player stepping up is a good sign. Whether it is Washington, Small, Sanzenbacher, or another, somebody needs to improve because it appears the tight ends are going to be a non-factor again.

Defense - While the defensive tackles are hoping to improve and the defensive backs are shorthanded, the defense figures to be just fine. With nine returning starters back, even a slight increase in last season’s production would make the defense extremely formidable.

Last Season: For the most part, the overall defense performed better than the 2006 version. So, why didn’t always feel that way? Why was Jake Locker moving the ball at will in mid-September? How was Wisconsin cranking out multiple 70+ yard drives in the first half? Why was Illinois’ running gaming unstoppable in the fourth quarter? I know those are isolated incidents but they have stuck out for me this off-season.

In an effort to help, I will continue with the budget graphic illustrations. They help me reconcile the Buckeyes performance over the past few years. Let me know how you feel about them.

Let’s start with what I consider the most basic defensive line statistic: rush yards against per game. Most defensive tackles are not sack machines. They clog two gaps and break down running games. Sure, many ends are terrors off the edge, but in college football, where quarterbacks are more mobile, the ends top job is to stop the run.

The Ohio State defense improved against the rush on per play and per game bases. I think the Buckeyes faced higher quality rushing teams in 2006, but I view these statistics as equivalent over then last two season. But what about 2003 and 2005? Was the talent level that much better in those years? The 2003 yards per game stat is ridiculously low.

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Last season: The Ohio State offense virtually reinvented itself in 2007. The O-line was no exception. There were personnel losses but the all-important tackles returned, which allowed the Buckeyes offensive line to put up substantially similar numbers.

The following graphs illustrate the 2007 offensive line's results, and in a couple of categories the results are almost identical to the 2006 offensive line. The 2007 version continued the trend of the last few years.



The Buckeyes finished 29^th in the nation in sacks allowed. Not too bad. And, many of the teams finishing ahead of Ohio State had a more mobile quarterback or used that position as a rushing option (see West Virginia). Read More...

Here is the bad news: The Big Ten Network will be broadcasting the Ohio State spring game on April 19th. Here is the worse news: It will be tape delayed until 11:00 p.m. that night with an encore presentation on at 6:00p.m. on the 20th.

And, the kicker? You will only be able to watch the game live online at BTN’s site. I am sure no one will have problems with that.

The BTN is hosting Big Ten Tonight: Spring Football Showcase on April 19th at 1:00 p.m. It is a 3 ½ hour extravaganza with the crack staff of Dave Revsine, Gerry DiNardo, and Howard Griffith covering the action from the spring games at Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin (all while wolfing down Jimmy John’s, of course). The other three schools - Michigan, Minnesota and Northwestern – are holding their spring games on different dates, which will be covered accordingly. Sorry Michigan fans, because you are holding your game at Saline High School, the BTN will only be showing highlights and interviews from the game on that evening's Big Ten Tonight program. Read More...

Last season: For the fourth consecutive year, Ohio State did not produce a 1,000-yard receiver. Not since Michael Jenkins’ 1,076-yard season in 2002, has an Ohio State wide out cracked the mega mark. And, it took Jenkins 14 games to get there. In fact, the Buckeyes have only had four 1,000-yard receivers ever (Jenkins, David Boston, 1998, Terry Glenn, 1995, and Cris Carter, 1986). I cannot believe I just typed that.

In that span, the Buckeyes have produced seven first-round draft picks at the position (not including Cris Carter), as well as a Heisman Trophy winning quarterback. By contrast, Michigan has had twelve 1,000-yard receivers in its history, with one every season since 1998 with the exception of 2006.

As Vince Lombardi would say, “What the hell is going out there?”

The easy answers include Ohio State’s balance, depth, and inclination to run the football. Nevertheless, if run-first teams like Michigan could do it, why not OSU? Read More...

Ohio State does not start spring practice for a while. Meanwhile, the Buckeyes return the majority of its statistic-producing players from last year. In fact, the team returns almost identically in most categories. Ohio State returns 95% of its passing yardage (2436/2565 yards), 99% of rushing (2532/2563 yards), and 99% of receiving (2551/2565 yards). The defense is stacked as well with 762 of 850 tackles returning (90%).

Those are incredible numbers. After initially looking at those figures, I thought there was no way I could write this piece. "How could there be any position battles on a team that returns virtually intact; one that went to the National Title game, to boot?"

By virtually anyone's standards, Ohio State was great last year. For the players, coaches, and many fans the Buckeyes came up just short. Therefore, maybe a little shakeup is necessary. In fact, I heard rumblings of Antonio Henton getting some snaps in practice and potential playing time in the title game. Does that suggest the coaches were looking for new answers before last season was even over? And, what will they do with an entire off season to think about it?

Here is a look at some potential battles in spring practice and beyond:

1. Kickoff Returner: Ohio State finished 117th in the nation in kick returns. Seriously, only New Mexico State and Northern Illinois were worse (they won 6 games combined). The Buckeyes averaged only 17.6 yards/return. That is unbelievably bad for team that is overwhelmingly talented. In addition, it is a great departure from previous seasons (2006 - 34th; 2005 - 18th; 2004 - 11th). Sure, Ginn was not back there anymore, but these numbers are even lower than could be expected.

Their average was four yards less than their opponents were averaging. On its own, that is not a huge deal, but for a coaching staff that puts such a premium on field position, having to start "score-answering" possessions at your 20 (or less) is difficult for any offense. I am not sure if it is the blocking, returners, or both, but I hope something remedies it this spring. No player is off limits to put back there.

2. Outside Linebacker: Quietly, Larry Grant was very good. At least I thought so. Grant's 51 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 5 sacks, and 1 interception seem to support that conclusion, too. There are plenty of candidates to take over at his position outside – Ross Homan, Austin Spitler, Thaddeus Gibson, Brian Rolle, and even Curtis Terry. Homan and Gibson were the most highly touted, Spitler saw the most time in 2007, and Terry has been with the program forever. Gibson, Terry, and Rolle seem better suited to play outside, while Spitler and Homan are more MLB-type players. Then again, I think you put your best 11 defenders out there regardless of the physicals. Gibson seemed to be coming on at the end of the year, so I would look for him to make a move in the spring. No matter what, this will produce a very good starter.

3a. Tight End: Remember all the talk of getting the tight end position more involved in the 2007 offense? Apparently, that involvement meant 32 receptions for 263 yards. Jake Ballard (13-149) and Rory Nicol (16-84) are difficult matchups for LBs, and Brandon Smith (3-30) is capable. So, what gives? Their production did pick up over the second half of the season (19-159), but Nicol's performance at Penn State (39 yards) was the best performance of the season. Yikes!

Without a consistent No. 3 WR (see below), the spotlight shines brighter on the tight ends. If Nicol and Ballard can stay healthy and improve their all-around games, the Buckeyes' ability to throw to the middle of the field would increase dramatically. In addition, it would allow Robiskie and Hartline to work some deeper routes, which is Boeckman's best throw.

3b. No. 3. WR: I thought Ray Small would have this locked up by now (along with return duties). Small had 20 receptions for 267 yards and 2 TDs in 10 games last season, but I rarely felt his impact. Down the stretch, it seemed like he and Sanzenbacher were neck and neck. Taurian Washington and Devon Torrence have a year under their belts, so they may be ready to make a big splash this spring. This is Small's position to lose, but he is going to have plenty of competition.

4. Defensive End: Gholston took his 15.5 sacks and bench press record to the NFL, so the Buckeyes need a new defensive end. As long as Cameron Heyward (editor's note: he is my favorite player) is on the team, half of the DE tandem is all set. But the other side is a little up in the air. Lawrence Wilson has the first shot at reclaiming his starting spot, but that injury was tough and you never know how players will bounce back. I am hoping Wilson makes a total recovery because of his combination of skill and experience. Robert Rose and Alex Barrow will fill the two-deep in the spring, but Ohio State is thin at this spot right now. Wilson and Rose have had injuries recently, so I see a nice opening for Keith Wells, Willie Mobley, and Nathan Williams to see time early.

5. Kicker: I am not unhappy with Ryan Pretorius but I could help noticing that Aaron Pettrey was getting kickoff duty down the stretch. So, I am guessing he has the stronger leg. Pettrey is most likely not the next Nugent, but I think Pettrey will be doing everything he can to reclaim the job he lost before the 2007 season. I think this could be the most underrated battle in the spring.

6. Quarterback: I have no credible evidence that the coaches were toying with the idea of giving Antonio Henton snaps in the BCS Championship Game. But I do have credible evidence that Boeckman struggled down the stretch. Personally, I would love to see Henton (or possibly Pryor) get serious playing time in 2008. The dual threat quarterback, or at least the dual QB system, is helping teams from Florida to Oregon, LSU to Illinois. It goes back to something I said earlier in this post - putting your best players on the field. If Henton is bringing a productive, unique wrinkle to the offense I think he should be out there.

Finally...

Oden For Obama: For the political junkies among you, I received notice from a reader today that Greg Oden endorses Barack Obama.