2011 Akron Zips Game Preview
Preface
Welcome back, college football season, it's about time you got here! We'll start this preview by talking about the new guy in charge.
Head Coach Luke Fickell
Buckeye head coach Luke Fickell is a Columbus native. He attended Robert Frost Elementary School, Walnut Springs Middle School and graduated in 1992 from DeSales H.S. Growing up, Luke wanted to be an Olympic wrestling champion. His dad was involved in the sport, helping out Luke's uncle, Wayne, who was a wrestling coach at Bishop Watterson. Luke was a three-time undefeated state wrestling champion for DeSales. He posted records of 36-0, 31-0 and 39-0 as a sophomore, junior and senior, respectively. He was Division II Ohio state champ at 189 pounds as a sophomore and as a heavyweight as a junior and senior.
Luke played for the Buckeyes from 1992-96, redshirting the first year and then starting the next four seasons at nose guard. He started a school-record 50 consecutive games between 1993 and 1996. That record could be tied by Mike Brewster this year if he starts 14 games, which could only happen if tOSU makes the inaugural B1G Conference Championship Game in Indianapolis this December.
Fickell concluded his Ohio State career with 212 total tackles, including 26 tackles-for-loss and six sacks. During his four years in the starting lineup, the Buckeyes posted a combined record of 41-8-1 overall and were 26-5-1 in Big Ten play with a pair of Big Ten co-championships to their credit. He closed out his Buckeye career by playing through a torn pectoral muscle injury in the win over Arizona State in the 1997 Rose Bowl.
Post-graduation, Fickell spent a year on the injured reserve list with the New Orleans Saints before beginning his coaching career. After spending the 1999 season as a Graduate Assistant at tOSU, Luke was hired as the defensive line coach at Akron (this week's opponent) in 2000. After spending two seasons there, Luke rejoined the Buckeye staff and was the Special Teams Coordinator for the 2002 National Championship season. After filling roles as the LB coach, co-Defensive Coordinator, and Assistant Head Coach, Luke was named the American Football Coaches Association's Assistant Coach of the Year for 2010.
On May 30, 2011, Luke Fickell was promoted to the position of head coach of the Ohio State football team. He became the 23rd head coach in 121 years of Buckeye football.
Fickell is only the fifth Ohio State head coach in the last 60 years, after Woody Hayes (28 seasons; 1951-78), Earle Bruce (nine seasons; 1979-87), John Cooper (13 seasons; 1988-2000) and Jim Tressel (10 seasons; 2001-10). Luke is the 23rd head coach in Ohio State history. He is only the fourth Ohio State graduate (undergraduate degree) to coach the Scarlet and Gray. Sam Willaman (first year was 1929), Wesley Fesler (1947) and Earle Bruce (1979) are the others.
Luke is the sixth former Ohio State assistant coach to assume the school's head coaching position. Willaman (assisted between 1926-28), Fesler (1931-32), Carroll Widdoes (1941-43; 1946-48), Earle Bruce (1966-72) and Jim Tressel (1983-85) are the others.
The last 20 Ohio State coaches are 19-0-1 in their debuts. The last Ohio State coach to lose his debut was Jack Ryder, who suffered a 40-4 loss at Oberlin in 1892. The last Buckeye coach to lose his home opener was Alexander Lilley in 1890, the first year that tOSU had a football team.
OSU-Akron Series History
The Buckeyes lead the all-time series with Akron 6-1 overall.
1891: Ohio State 6, at Akron 0
1892: Ohio State 62, at Akron 0
1893: at Ohio State 32, Akron 18
1894: Akron 12, at Ohio State 6 (at OSU Fair)
1895: at Ohio State 14, Akron 6
2001: at Ohio State 28, Arkon 14
2007: at Ohio State 20, Akron 2
Discussing Akron's history with Ohio State means going back to a simpler time, the 1890s. Yes, those are the 'Gay 90s', in a time when that simply meant joyful. Akron started playing football in 1891, and despite winning their first game, only finished 1-4 that year, including a 6-0 loss to tOSU and a forfeit to Denison because of inclement weather. After a 3-4 season in 1892 that included a 62-0 pasting in Columbus, they got a player-coach named John W. Heisman (yes, that's him). His squad went 5-2 in '93, with a 32-18 loss to the Buckeyes, but they also won by scores of 54-2, 52-4, and 66-4 (TDs were worth 4 points back then). His penchant for running up scores was highlighted in 1916 (TDs were 6 points by then), with a 222-0 wipeout of Cumberland when he coached at Georgia Tech.
Heisman's second year at Akron was his last, and the only game they played in 1894 gave him a 12-6 win in Columbus. That result is the only victory among Akron's 1-21 all-time mark against current Big Ten teams.
Their other games against tOSU are a 14-6 Buckeye win in 1895, a 28-14 result that was the first game with Jim Tressel as head coach in 2001, and a 20-2 tOSU victory in 2007.
In Akron's modern history, they had a memorable year in 1976, the only time they've won 10 games. They lost to Montana State in the Division II Championship game. In 1980 they had a scoreless tie against Youngstown State, which contrasts a 65-62 3OT win over Eastern Michigan in 2001 (it was 52-52 in regulation).
The Zips were coached by Gerry Faust from 1986-1994, and went 43-53-3 during his tenure. He had spent the previous 5 years at Notre Dame, who would wait almost 20 years before hiring another guy that wasn't currently coaching college football.
In 2005, they won the MAC Conference Championship Game; needing an 81-yard drive in the final 1:41 with no timeouts, Luke Getsy threw a 36-yard pass to Domenik Hixon with 10 seconds left that gave the Zips a 31-30 win. They returned to Ford Field a few weeks later for their only major college bowl appearance, but fell 38-31 to DeAngelo Wililams and Memphis in the Motor City Bowl.
Akron is now coached by Rob Ianello, a former assistant at Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Arizona and Alabama. He took over in 2010, and they were only 1-11, but since they ended the season with a win over Buffalo, they currently have a longer winning streak than most of the teams in BCS AQ conferences.
Last season, the Zips' non-conference games included a 29-3 home opening loss to Syracuse; a 47-10 loss at Kentucky, and a 35-20 loss at Indiana.
Akron's all-time record against teams currently in the MAC is 123-136-6. Ohio State's all-time mark against teams currently in the MAC is 25-1, the lone loss being to the Heisman-coached Akron team in 1894. That does not include the Marshall game in 2004, since they're now in Conference USA.
Miscellaneous
Ohio State finished No. 5 in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls for the second straight season in 2010.
Ohio State is 52-5 at Ohio Stadium since the start of the 2002 season.
Ohio State has won 54 consecutive regular-season non-conference home games against teams not ranked in the AP Top 25.
Ohio State has not lost a home opener in 33 years - Sept. 16, 1978 to be exact when No. 6 Ohio State suffered a 19-0 loss to No. 5 Penn State in Woody Hayes' final season as head coach.
Ohio State has an all-time opening game record of 104-12-4. The Buckeyes' last opening day loss away from Columbus was to Miami in the 1999 Kickoff Classic in East Rutherford, N.J.
All-time, the Buckeyes are 108-8-4 in home openers since 1890. The largest opening day crowd at Ohio Stadium was 105,092 in the 2009 opener vs. Navy.
Ohio State is 30-2 in its last 32 season-openers. Both of those 0-1 starts took place in the Kickoff Classic at Giants Stadium - 1999 to Miami and 1986 to Alabama.
The Buckeyes will feature one of the youngest starting lineups in recent history with just six seniors listed as a starter or potential starter on the depth chart on offense and defense (Joe Bauserman, Mike Brewster, J.B. Shugarts, Nathan Williams, Andrew Sweat and Tyler Moeller).
Ohio State has won the Fiesta Bowl three times, the Sugar Bowl twice (one of which was vacated) and the Rose Bowl once in the BCS era. The Buckeyes join Oklahoma (Orange, Rose and Fiesta), Florida (Orange, Sugar and BCS title game) and Miami (Sugar, Rose and Orange) as the only teams to win three different BCS bowls.
Later in this preview, we'll look specifically at this year's offense, defense and special teams for both tOSU and Akron. The preview also has a totally separate section that covers the opponent's coaching staff, recruiting, traditions, and history. It also contains the Behind the Numbers and The Lighter Side sections, and can be accessed via the link at the bottom of this page.
Date and TimeHead Coach Luke Fickell
Buckeye head coach Luke Fickell is a Columbus native. He attended Robert Frost Elementary School, Walnut Springs Middle School and graduated in 1992 from DeSales H.S. Growing up, Luke wanted to be an Olympic wrestling champion. His dad was involved in the sport, helping out Luke's uncle, Wayne, who was a wrestling coach at Bishop Watterson. Luke was a three-time undefeated state wrestling champion for DeSales. He posted records of 36-0, 31-0 and 39-0 as a sophomore, junior and senior, respectively. He was Division II Ohio state champ at 189 pounds as a sophomore and as a heavyweight as a junior and senior.
Luke played for the Buckeyes from 1992-96, redshirting the first year and then starting the next four seasons at nose guard. He started a school-record 50 consecutive games between 1993 and 1996. That record could be tied by Mike Brewster this year if he starts 14 games, which could only happen if tOSU makes the inaugural B1G Conference Championship Game in Indianapolis this December.
Fickell concluded his Ohio State career with 212 total tackles, including 26 tackles-for-loss and six sacks. During his four years in the starting lineup, the Buckeyes posted a combined record of 41-8-1 overall and were 26-5-1 in Big Ten play with a pair of Big Ten co-championships to their credit. He closed out his Buckeye career by playing through a torn pectoral muscle injury in the win over Arizona State in the 1997 Rose Bowl.
Post-graduation, Fickell spent a year on the injured reserve list with the New Orleans Saints before beginning his coaching career. After spending the 1999 season as a Graduate Assistant at tOSU, Luke was hired as the defensive line coach at Akron (this week's opponent) in 2000. After spending two seasons there, Luke rejoined the Buckeye staff and was the Special Teams Coordinator for the 2002 National Championship season. After filling roles as the LB coach, co-Defensive Coordinator, and Assistant Head Coach, Luke was named the American Football Coaches Association's Assistant Coach of the Year for 2010.
On May 30, 2011, Luke Fickell was promoted to the position of head coach of the Ohio State football team. He became the 23rd head coach in 121 years of Buckeye football.
Fickell is only the fifth Ohio State head coach in the last 60 years, after Woody Hayes (28 seasons; 1951-78), Earle Bruce (nine seasons; 1979-87), John Cooper (13 seasons; 1988-2000) and Jim Tressel (10 seasons; 2001-10). Luke is the 23rd head coach in Ohio State history. He is only the fourth Ohio State graduate (undergraduate degree) to coach the Scarlet and Gray. Sam Willaman (first year was 1929), Wesley Fesler (1947) and Earle Bruce (1979) are the others.
Luke is the sixth former Ohio State assistant coach to assume the school's head coaching position. Willaman (assisted between 1926-28), Fesler (1931-32), Carroll Widdoes (1941-43; 1946-48), Earle Bruce (1966-72) and Jim Tressel (1983-85) are the others.
The last 20 Ohio State coaches are 19-0-1 in their debuts. The last Ohio State coach to lose his debut was Jack Ryder, who suffered a 40-4 loss at Oberlin in 1892. The last Buckeye coach to lose his home opener was Alexander Lilley in 1890, the first year that tOSU had a football team.
OSU-Akron Series History
The Buckeyes lead the all-time series with Akron 6-1 overall.
1891: Ohio State 6, at Akron 0
1892: Ohio State 62, at Akron 0
1893: at Ohio State 32, Akron 18
1894: Akron 12, at Ohio State 6 (at OSU Fair)
1895: at Ohio State 14, Akron 6
2001: at Ohio State 28, Arkon 14
2007: at Ohio State 20, Akron 2
Discussing Akron's history with Ohio State means going back to a simpler time, the 1890s. Yes, those are the 'Gay 90s', in a time when that simply meant joyful. Akron started playing football in 1891, and despite winning their first game, only finished 1-4 that year, including a 6-0 loss to tOSU and a forfeit to Denison because of inclement weather. After a 3-4 season in 1892 that included a 62-0 pasting in Columbus, they got a player-coach named John W. Heisman (yes, that's him). His squad went 5-2 in '93, with a 32-18 loss to the Buckeyes, but they also won by scores of 54-2, 52-4, and 66-4 (TDs were worth 4 points back then). His penchant for running up scores was highlighted in 1916 (TDs were 6 points by then), with a 222-0 wipeout of Cumberland when he coached at Georgia Tech.
Heisman's second year at Akron was his last, and the only game they played in 1894 gave him a 12-6 win in Columbus. That result is the only victory among Akron's 1-21 all-time mark against current Big Ten teams.
Their other games against tOSU are a 14-6 Buckeye win in 1895, a 28-14 result that was the first game with Jim Tressel as head coach in 2001, and a 20-2 tOSU victory in 2007.
In Akron's modern history, they had a memorable year in 1976, the only time they've won 10 games. They lost to Montana State in the Division II Championship game. In 1980 they had a scoreless tie against Youngstown State, which contrasts a 65-62 3OT win over Eastern Michigan in 2001 (it was 52-52 in regulation).
The Zips were coached by Gerry Faust from 1986-1994, and went 43-53-3 during his tenure. He had spent the previous 5 years at Notre Dame, who would wait almost 20 years before hiring another guy that wasn't currently coaching college football.
In 2005, they won the MAC Conference Championship Game; needing an 81-yard drive in the final 1:41 with no timeouts, Luke Getsy threw a 36-yard pass to Domenik Hixon with 10 seconds left that gave the Zips a 31-30 win. They returned to Ford Field a few weeks later for their only major college bowl appearance, but fell 38-31 to DeAngelo Wililams and Memphis in the Motor City Bowl.
Akron is now coached by Rob Ianello, a former assistant at Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Arizona and Alabama. He took over in 2010, and they were only 1-11, but since they ended the season with a win over Buffalo, they currently have a longer winning streak than most of the teams in BCS AQ conferences.
Last season, the Zips' non-conference games included a 29-3 home opening loss to Syracuse; a 47-10 loss at Kentucky, and a 35-20 loss at Indiana.
Akron's all-time record against teams currently in the MAC is 123-136-6. Ohio State's all-time mark against teams currently in the MAC is 25-1, the lone loss being to the Heisman-coached Akron team in 1894. That does not include the Marshall game in 2004, since they're now in Conference USA.
Miscellaneous
Ohio State finished No. 5 in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls for the second straight season in 2010.
Ohio State is 52-5 at Ohio Stadium since the start of the 2002 season.
Ohio State has won 54 consecutive regular-season non-conference home games against teams not ranked in the AP Top 25.
Ohio State has not lost a home opener in 33 years - Sept. 16, 1978 to be exact when No. 6 Ohio State suffered a 19-0 loss to No. 5 Penn State in Woody Hayes' final season as head coach.
Ohio State has an all-time opening game record of 104-12-4. The Buckeyes' last opening day loss away from Columbus was to Miami in the 1999 Kickoff Classic in East Rutherford, N.J.
All-time, the Buckeyes are 108-8-4 in home openers since 1890. The largest opening day crowd at Ohio Stadium was 105,092 in the 2009 opener vs. Navy.
Ohio State is 30-2 in its last 32 season-openers. Both of those 0-1 starts took place in the Kickoff Classic at Giants Stadium - 1999 to Miami and 1986 to Alabama.
The Buckeyes will feature one of the youngest starting lineups in recent history with just six seniors listed as a starter or potential starter on the depth chart on offense and defense (Joe Bauserman, Mike Brewster, J.B. Shugarts, Nathan Williams, Andrew Sweat and Tyler Moeller).
Ohio State has won the Fiesta Bowl three times, the Sugar Bowl twice (one of which was vacated) and the Rose Bowl once in the BCS era. The Buckeyes join Oklahoma (Orange, Rose and Fiesta), Florida (Orange, Sugar and BCS title game) and Miami (Sugar, Rose and Orange) as the only teams to win three different BCS bowls.
Later in this preview, we'll look specifically at this year's offense, defense and special teams for both tOSU and Akron. The preview also has a totally separate section that covers the opponent's coaching staff, recruiting, traditions, and history. It also contains the Behind the Numbers and The Lighter Side sections, and can be accessed via the link at the bottom of this page.
Date: Saturday, September 3rd, 2011
Time: Noon ET Kick-off
Location: Ohio Stadium - "The Horseshoe" (Columbus, OH)
Constructed: 1922 (Renovated in 2001)
Seating Capacity: 102,329 (Originally 66,210)
Playing Surface: FieldTurf
Events: The Tunnel of Pride, organized by John Hicks, will take place on the field before kickoff
Time: Noon ET Kick-off
Location: Ohio Stadium - "The Horseshoe" (Columbus, OH)
Constructed: 1922 (Renovated in 2001)
Seating Capacity: 102,329 (Originally 66,210)
Playing Surface: FieldTurf
Events: The Tunnel of Pride, organized by John Hicks, will take place on the field before kickoff
Broadcast Information: TV Broadcast: ESPN: Dave Pasch (Play-by-play), Urban Meyer and Chris Spielman (Analysis), and Quint Kessenich (Sideline)
Radio Broadcast: Ohio State Radio Network (WBNS FM 97.1 The Fan in Columbus): Paul Keels (Play-by-play), Jim Lachey (Analysis), and Marty Bannister (Sideline); also on Sirius Radio
2011 Akron Zips Offensive Preview
Head coach Rob Ianello is optimistic about the season, but he brings an Akron team into Ohio Stadium that suffered their worst season since at least Gerry Faust's last campaign (1-10, 1994) and sporting one of the worst offenses in the country that now has to replace literally every skill position player from a year ago. It had to be frustrating for an offensive-minded coach like Ianello, and he is anxious to put last season's abysmal failure, which included an OT loss to Gardner-Webb, behind him. He and offensive coordinator John Latina will try and mix things up on offense with a variety of packages and formations, and will likely involve a number of people early since there are so many new faces. They will certainly get a trial by fire as they enter the proverbial Lion's Den against a team with something major to prove to the world starting Saturday.
Akron's offense was awful last year, plain and simple, ranking 119/120 FBS teams with just 268.5 YPG. To put that in perspective, 31 teams threw the ball for more YPG than that, and 6 teams even ran the ball for more YPG than that. The Zips were not good at throwing the ball (172.4 YPG, 107th) and were only slightly less bad running it (113.4 YPG, T101st). They scored a horrid 15.6 PPG, which ranked 116th nationally and scored as many as 20 points only 4 times. Oregon, who led the nation in scoring, averaged 3X that figure. Akron was 118th nationally in first downs with just 175 (14.6/G) and moved the chains just 33.9% of the time on 3rd down (T94th). Despite gaining very little through the air, the Akron offense still gave up 33 sacks (T24th most) and was one of just 6 teams to have a QB rating of less than 100. Any way you slice it, gaining 3.5 yards a carry and being unable to throw the ball is a recipe for disaster, and the Akron offense was a catastrophe in 2010. A large number of new faces will man a series of key positions this fall, and those new players will need to gel very quickly if they are going to have any hope of competing this season in the MAC, much less Saturday at the Horseshoe.
Quarterbacks
QB #8 Clayton Moore (6-1, 209, SO, Louisville HS, Louisville, MS)
It's never a good sign when an incumbent that has started roughly 20 games is beaten out by a transfer, but that's what happened this year at Akron. Patrick Nicely has thrown for over 3000 yards and 16 TDs in his Akron career, but he has also been sacked 47 times and thrown 19 INTs. After a 1-11 season last year, the staff decided it was time for a change, so enter Moore, who has a rather interesting history. After being highly recruited in 2008 he committed to Ole Miss, but a confrontation with his HS coach during a playoff game led to his immediate dismissal from the team. Ole Miss pulled their scholarship, so he had to walk on. After a year on the scout team, he transferred to perennial JUCO powerhouse Mississippi Gulf Coast, where he won the starting job and led them to the state title, throwing for almost 2400 yards and 23 TDs. He is also a threat to run on occasion, which brings an added dimension that has been lacking in the Zips attack. So it will be week one of the Clayton Moore era in Akron, and it will be a daunting christening at the 'Shoe. Moore is a quality player with loads of talent and from all accounts great character, but he has yet to play in a college game above the JUCO level and only has experience on a FBS scout team. It will be interesting to see what sort of playbook they open up (or don't open up) in the first game. On one hand with a new QB one might expect some safe throws and a somewhat straightforward scheme, but for a 1-11 team traveling to the Horseshoe to play Ohio State, is that really the way to go? Perhaps they will open it up and see what the kid has...that would be fun to watch.
QB Rating: D+
Head-to-Head: Akron QB versus OSU QB (Leading returning player from 2010)
Nicely (2010): 166/336 (49.4%), 1753 yards, 10 TDs, 13 INTs, 95.3 rating; 61/-125, 1 TD
Bauserman (2010): 16/22 (72.7%), 174 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 160.1 rating; 8/1, 0 TDs
It's hard to make much of a judgement here, as Akron's 2-year starter is relegated to the bench and Ohio State has to go with a senior experienced only in mop-up duty or a true freshman. Both guys will have something to prove when they step under center. Depth is not a terrible concern for either side, as both teams have a second option to go to to change things up if necessary or in case of injury. It would not be a big surprise to see 3 or even 4 QBs on the field between the 2 teams this weekend. For now Bauserman's experience and Miller's talent carry the Buckeyes.
Edge: Ohio State
Running Backs
RB #2 Broderick Alexander (6-1, 221, SO, Eastside HS, Covington, GA)
FB #1 Nick Rossi (6-0, 231, FR, Riverside HS, Moosic, PA)
The tailback position has been detonated, as the 2-deep from last season (Alex Allen and Nate Burney) are gone. Replacing them are a pair of untested backs, Alexander and redshirt freshman Jawon Chisholm (#44, 6-0, 2010). Both backs have similar size. Alexander last played in 2009, when he was second on the team with 198 yards rushing on 59 carries and chipped in a pair of receptions in 5 games of work at the end of the season. He will be the primary option in 2011. Chisholm has no game experience, so there isn't much to go on. This is basically a "reset button" situation, so there isn't much else to evaluate until they get some games under their belt.
Austin Bailey (#40, 5-11, 244) returns after starting 5 games last season at FB, but he is listed second on the depth chart behind the freshman Rossi. Cody Grice (#36, 6-0, 256) is a bulldozer who could be used in short yardage situations. Bailey caught 7 passes last year, so the FB might get a look in the passing game.
RB Rating: F
Head-to-Head: Akron RB versus OSU RB (Leading returning players from 2010)
Bailey (2010): 2/4 yards, 0 TDs, 2.0 YPC; 7 rec/51 yards, 1 TD, 7.3 YPR
Alexander (2009): 59/198, 0 TDs, 3.4 YPC; 2 rec/3 yards, 0 TDs, 1.5 YPR
*Herron (2010): 216/1155 yards, 16 TDs, 5.3 YPC; 19 rec/180 yards, 0 TDs, 9.5 YPR
Berry (2010): 32/266 yards, 1 TD, 8.3 YPC; 0 rec/0 yards, 0 TDs, 0.0 YPR
*Hall (2010): 37/161 yards, 2 TDs, 4.4 YPC; 8 rec/83 yards, 1 TD, 10.4 YPR
Hyde (2010): 24/141 yards, 0 TDs, 5.9 YPC; 0 rec/0 yards, 0 TDs, 0.0 YPR
This is more of an incomplete for Akron, as there really isn't much to go on until the kids get a chance to play. Alexander showed some promise at the end of 2009, so he could end up being a quality back sooner rather than later. If the Zips struggle to run, don't be surprised if heralded recruit Bre Ford gets a late look...but that won't happen Saturday. There is no contest between the two teams in terms of talent, experience, or depth, even with Herron suspended. The Buckeyes have more quality tailbacks than they can play.
Note - RB Jordan Hall was suspended from this game on Thursday.
Edge: Ohio State
Wide Receivers
WR #35 Keith Sconiers (6-1, 185, SO, H.L. Richards HS, Calumet Park, IL)
WR #81 Anthony Meriwether (6-1, 199, JR, Midpark HS, Cleveland, OH)
WR #15 Jerrod Dillard (6-4, 199, SO, Adrian HS, Adrian, MI)
The Zip passing game wasn't exactly deadly, and now their top two reliable wideouts are also gone. Sconiers is the most experienced of the remaining bunch, having played in 10 games and caught 9 passes a season ago. He'll be joined by Meriwether and Dillard, both of whom also played sparingly last season. All players have decent height and are about the same size, so precise route running and quality hands will be key. Rounding out the 2-deep is Marquelo Suel (#15), a burner who spent some time at Allen Hancock Community College, where he put up some impressive numbers (1426 yards, 16 TDs) in 2 seasons after transferring from Indiana. He could be another former FBS recruit from a Big 6 conference that could make an immediate impact.
WR Rating: D
Head-to-Head: Akron WRs versus OSU WRs (Leading returning players form 2010)
Sconiers (2010): 9 catches, 75 yards, 0 TDs, 8.3 YPR
Meriwether (2010): 5 catches, 27 yards, 0 TDs, 5.4 YPR
Dillard (2010): 1 catch, 18 yards, 0 TDs, 18.0 YPR
*Posey (2010): 53 catches, 848 yards, 7 TDs, 16.0 YPR
C. Brown (2010): 8 catches, 105 yards, 1 TD, 13.1 YPR
Fields (2010): 7 catches, 23 yards, 0 TDs, 7.3 YPR
The Buckeyes are also thin here on experience, especially with the suspension of Posey. Brown and Fields played enough to get their feet we last year and they will be anxious to make a good impression. At Ohio State, the cupboard is never "bare"...can the same be said at Akron? Time will tell, but the players stepping in to starting roles are unproven and are playing on a team that struggled mightily throwing the ball a year ago. Maybe the new QB will help...but then again, maybe the QB was not the problem.
Edge: Ohio State
Tight Ends
TE #84 Ryan Ladrach (6-5, 247, JR, Orrville HS, Orrville, OH)
TE #18 Will Fleming (6-4, 240, SO, Archbishop Hoban HS, Akron, OH)
Ladrach is a local product with good size and plenty of experience. He started 5 games last season and caught 3 passes. He can also be an adequate blocker. Fleming is listed as the co-#1 on the depth chart. He did not play last year but also is a local product with good size.
TE Rating: C-
Head-to-Head: Akron TE versus OSU TE (Leading returning players from 2010)
Ladrach: 3 catches, 31 yards, 0 TDs, 10.3 YPR
Stoneburner: 21 catches, 222 yards, 2 TDs, 10.6 YPR
Fragel: 9 catches, 121 yards, 1 TD, 13.4 YPR
Ladrach was a backup and spot starter last year, so it is unclear how effective he'll be at the top of the chart. Fleming could see plenty of time but there isn't much to go on. For the first time in a while, TE is actually a position of strength for the Buckeyes, who have 2 experienced and capable players in Stoneburner and Fragel. Both can block and both are threats in the passing game. A new QB always begs the question of how involved the TEs will be in the passing game...for both teams.
Edge: Ohio State
Offensive Line
LT #76 Jarrod Pughsley (6-4, 290, SO, Lima Senior HS, Lima, OH)
LG #70 Paul Simkovich (6-3, 293, SR, Greater Latrobe HS, Latrobe, PA)
C #65 Adam Bice (6-4, 287, JR, Tri Valley HS, Dresden, OH)
RG #72 Zac Kasparek (6-5, 308, SR, New Brighton HS, New Brighton, PA)
RT #73 Jake Anderson (6-6, 305, SR, McDowell HS, Erie, PA)
This is a spot where Akron has some quality returning experience, but with a suspect running game and 33 sacks they didn't exactly set the world on fire last year. The right side of the line is the strength, where Kasparek and Anderson each started all 12 games last year. He started the year at LG for 2 games before moving to the right side for the final 10, swapping spots with Mitch Straight (#64). Anderson has started 24 straight games at RT and has played in every game during is 36 game career. He will be an anchor for this line, both in size and leadership. He is a good run blocker and a bulldozer but he like the rest of the line will need to improve on pass blocking. In the middle, Bice played in 4 games last season, so he at least has his feet wet. He is a bit undersized but has the potential to be effective in the middle, especially at run blocking. On the left side, Simkovich is a veteran who was injured last year but takes over at LG from Straight, who started 10 games there last year. He played in 7 games in 2009 but has been around the program for a while and is anxious to contribute in his final year. Pughsley appears to have beaten out Straight for the LT spot. He played in 10 games last year as a quality backup at both tackle spots, so he has some game experience to his advantage.
Straight is the top reserve, having started all 12 games last year. Patrick McCloskey (#69) played in 11 games and made 2 starts at TE last year, but has been moved to guard and is now the top reserve on the left side of the interior. Simkovich is the backup at center, while junior Vinnie Rizzo (#52) will back up the middle and RG spots. Pughsley is listed as the backup at LT, but Straight could see action there and Anderson is unlikely to be out of a game much anyway.
OL Rating: D
Head-to-Head: Akron OL versus OSU OL
The Akron line has some experience but were not very good as a whole last season. They will have to get much better, especially at pass blocking, or Moore will begin his career at Akron running for his life. With inexperienced tailbacks, it will be as important as ever for the Zip line to run block effectively. There were flashes of that last season, they will need to be significantly better this year for the Zips to move the ball at all. The Buckeyes line has been an area of concern for almost 2 decades, but again they return a bevy of talent and bring in some exciting prospects.
Edge: Ohio State
Overall Offensive Analysis
This offense was about as bad as any in college football in 2010, which is somewhat surprising with an offensive-minded head coach. The ran the ball OK at times, but both top tailbacks are gone. The QB was OK at times but he was running for his life a lot and now he is on the bench and the 2 top wideouts are gone. The offensive line has experience but they didn't play well during much of 2010. The optimist would say there is nowhere to go but up, however that may not be true this season. Yes, Moore is a formerly highly touted recruit who could breathe life into a struggling program and give it a face. On the other hand all of the other skill position guys (literally, all of them) are also new, or at least new to starting roles, so this could be a year where they bottom out even further while they gain some experience together. The Zips are a program teetering on the brink of falling into being a perennially bad team. Gerry Faust and Lee Owens managed a decent season here and there, but this is a program that hasn't won more than 7 games since 1985 and hasn't won more than 5 since 2005. It is difficult to see how this offense can improve much with a suspect line and entirely new skill players. Then again the MAC is known for QBs reinvigorating moribund fan bases (Charlie Batch at Eastern Michigan, Ben Roethlisberger at Miami, Charlie Frye at Akron, Josh Cribbs at Kent State, Omar Jacobs at Bowling Green, Dan LeFevour at Central Michigan) so Moore could prove to be just what Akron needs. Without help, however, it could be another long long season for Moore and the Zips offense. 10 years ago, Jim Tressel won his first game against Akron. Expect Luke Fickell to follow suit on the shoulders of his defense alone. If OSU kicks a FG, it could be an insurmountable lead.
Overall Offensive Rating: F
2011 Akron Zips Defensive Preview
Defensive Coordinator Kevin Cosgrove has joined the Akron staff this season, replacing Curt Mallory who left the Zips to return to his alma mater (Michigan). Cosgrove, a Chicago native, played college football at Benedictine College (Ill.) in 1974 before transferring to Wisconsin-Oshkosh where he played from 1976-1978. Cosgrove's first coaching position was as a graduate assistant at Illinois from 1980-83. From there he coached linebackers at Morehead State, in 1983 before returning once more to Illinois in that same capacity. In 1988 Consgrove became the Defensive Coordinator at Southeast Missouri State before leaving to coach linebackers again, this time at Colorado State under former Ohio State head man Earle Bruce. In 1990 he left CSU to join the staff at Wisconsin, where he served as Linebackers Coach until 1994. He was elevated to Defensive Coordinator in 1995 - a position he held until 2003 when he left to become the Defensive Coordinator at Nebraska (2004-07). Between his time at Nebraska and taking the job with Akron, Consgrove was Co-Defensive Coordinator at Minnesota. Consgrove has earned a reputation as a good recruiter and in 1999 was tabbed as one of the top coordinators in the game by Mel Kiper, Jr.
Cosgrove will have his work cut out for him as he tries to bring Akron's defense out of the bottom of the NCAA. Last season, for example, Akron was 99th in the nation in yards allowed (428.2/game) and 106th in scoring defense, giving up an average of 5 touchdowns a contest. The play across the defensive front has been the key issue for the Zips. They have had trouble generating pressure on opposing quarterbacks while also giving up 164.1 yards per game on the ground. This will have to change in 2011 if Akron is to become a more formidable defense. The lack of pressure up front also places the secondary in a tough spot, and Akron finished last in the MAC in passing defense, allowing 264.1 yards a game. While Zip opponents scored 29 TDs through the air they were only able to acquire 8 INTs, most of which came later in the season once Akron was able to make some progress schematically. They had been a 3-3-5 team prior to 2010 and should continue this season in their 4-3 look. It may help Akron that Ohio State will be breaking in a new QB (or two) as well as a new RB, but chances are more likely that the Buckeyes will move the ball with relative ease. The talent gap is just too wide.
Defensive Line
DE #96 Hasan Hazime (6-4, 270, Sr.)
DT #68 Dan Marcoux (6-2, 275, Sr.)
DT #80 Oren Wilson (6-3, 294, Sr.)
DE #90 John Griggs 6-5, 260, Jr.)
Akron will be replacing two of last year's starters among the front four. As indicated above, the Zips have had trouble generating pressure on quarterbacks and it will not help that their best pass rusher, Shawn Lemon, is gone. Taking Lemon's place will be John Griggs, a JUCO transfer from Nassau Community College. Griggs originally signed with the Iowa Hawkeyes before going JUCO, so he has the potential to be a force for the Zips this season. On the other end of the line is Hazime, a starter of 8 games last season. He represents the best returning pass rusher with legitimate 4.5 speed, but only recorded 2.5 sacks and 7.5TFLs last season among his 46 overall tackles. Wilson began his college career at Michigan State but was kicked off the team after he was sentenced to 21 days in jail consequent to an assault in his residence hall. There is some chance Wilson might end up switching to the offensive line, but his bigger frame should also pay dividends up the middle. Rounding out the front four is Marcoux, the teams most experienced tackle. While he saw only 6 starts last season, he played in each game, recording 1.5 sacks with 3.5 for loss among his 45 total tackles. He's athletic enough to get to the QB, but will have to show more consistency in doing so for Akron to be successful in 2011.
Also in the rotation are ends: #13 Shane Shead (6-2, 250, Sr.) and #58 Nico Caponi (6-2, 264, So.), and tackles: #91 Phil Tonga (6-4, 275, Sr.) and #97 James Harvey (6-4, 290, Sr.). Shead, a Canada native, is still in the process of learning the game and played only limited minutes last season. There is only the most sparse of information regarding Caponi available. With his size it is likely he prefers to be more of a speed rusher, but he remains a relative unknown at this time. Tonga has yet to make his mark either, but seems to be the primary backup for Marcoux. Also a JUCO transfer, time is running out for him. Harvey was the best option at nose tackle in 2009, which saw him make 23 tackles. Now a senior, he looks to improve on a 16 tackle season last year.
DL Rating: D+
Head-to-Head: Akron DL versus OSU DL
Ohio State lost Cameron Heyward to graduation (and the NFL), Dex Larimore, and will be without the services of Solomon Thomas for the first five games of the year. But the Buckeyes would have to lose a great many more players to become even with the Zips across the front. Among the returnees are John Simon, Garrett Goebel, Nathan Williams and Johnathan "Big Hank" Hankins - each of whom is far and away superior to his Akron counterpart. The Buckeyes are far better at generating pressure - even if not necessarily recording the sack - and clearly better at stopping opposing rushing attacks. Chances are the Zips will try quick hitter passing routes, employing the same formula as many teams did last season in hopes of slowing down the front four. Meanwhile, the Buckeyes will most likely enjoy success running or passing.
Edge: Ohio State
Linebackers
OLB #5 Troy Gilmer (6-1, 230, Jr.)
MLB #34 Brian Wagner (6-2, 220, Jr.)
OLB #49 Matt Little (6-3, 230, Sr.)
The clear leader among all defensive players is middle linebacker Brian Wagner. As a freshman, Wagner burst on to the scene with a 132 tackle season which he followed up last season with a 130 tackles, 2 INT campaign. In 24 career games, 15 of them have seen him make double digit tackles. Fast and athletic, he can man any of the 3 LB spots, but is far too valuable in the middle to be replaced. Expect to hear his number often this Saturday. Little has good size and could play MLB in a pinch. Not known as a flashy player, he's unlikely to make many game changing plays, but that said he is consistent and does what he can do. He had 46 stops last season. Gilmer is expected to take over the starting role this season after a 24 tackle campaign in 2010. Quick and athletic, Gilmer should be better on the blitz than he has shown in the past. He'll get his chance again this season and has the potential to become a force in the MAC.
Linebacker depth is provided by #32 ShelDon Miller (6-0, 195, So.), #1 Nick Rossi (6-0, 230, Fr.), and #50 Jamar Williams (6-2, 215, So.). Miller looks more like a DB than an LB, but might be able to provide the Zips with a speedy option for thier blitz packages. He made 28 tackles last season and looks to build on that in 2011. Rossi is a Moosic, PA native who joins the Zips this season after being recruited as either a LB or fullback. Inasmuch as the defense needs as many options as possible, LB may be his best option. Big things may be expected out of Williams. As a high school senior he recorded 162 tackles, but has yet to really make his mark in Akron. This could be the year.
LB Rating: B
Head-to-Head: Akron LBs versus OSU LBs
You don't lose Ross Homan and Brian Rolle and get better, but that said, as with the D-Line there is a significant talent gap between the Zips and the Buckeyes. While the Zips may actually have the strongest LB corps in the MAC, the Buckeyes should have a clear advantage on the field this Saturday. Over the past several seasons Ohio State has had to replace the likes of A.J. Hawk, Bobby Carpenter and James Laurinaitis, but the recruiting of the LB position has been such that the corps hardly misses a beat. With the addition of Mike Vrabel to the staff as LB coach, it's anticipated that the Buckeyes will be strong in the middle of the defense once again in 2011. The Zips LBs are going to be under pressure all season long if the front four are only as good as last season, having to make choices between assisting a secondary that has historically been torched or come up in run support to slow down opposing attacks. The Buckeyes, in contrast, should be anticipated to keep on truckin'.
Edge: Ohio State
Secondary
CB #6 Manley Waller (5-8, 165, Sr.)
FS #33 Josh Richmond (5-10, 185, Jr.)
SS #30 L.T. Smith (6-0, 186, So.)
CB #4 Anthony Holmes (6-0, 180, So.)
While much of this preview has concentrated on the front seven's relative inability to get pressure on the QB, the Zips do return 3 starters to the secondary, which should be improved overall. Waller was the lone returning starter last season and did everything he could in that role, recording a team 3rd best 52 tackles while also picking off two passes. He's not big enough to handle the more physical receivers, but he isn't afraid to make a hit and he can run with just about anyone. The other corner will be manned by sophomore returning starter Anthony Holmes. As a true freshman, Holmes was reasonably solid statistically, recording 49 tackles and leadiing the team with 3 INTs. More suited for safety, he has demonstrated an ability to stick with WRs and if nothing else gives the Zips some options in the defensive backfield. Richmond is the cousin of former NBA player Mitch Richmond who came to Akron having been a high school running back. Last season Richmond was doing a lot of learning on the job but was still 4th on the team with 49 tackles. He also recorded one interception. The new face in the secondary should be Smith, a promising player who was among the Zips better recruits. He's got good potential and isn't afraid to bring the big hit but will have to establish himself as a better option than his primary competition for the position - Bre' Ford.
The two-deep is rounded out by corners: #25 Micklos Blake, (5-10, 162, Sr.) and #31 Emmanuel Lartey (5-11, 170, So.) and safeties: #9 Doug Richardson (6-0, 180, Sr), and #23 Bre' Ford (5-11, 200, Fr.). Ford, like Richmond, was a talented running back in High School. He has very good quickness and may be able to have success as a CB, but he's built more like a safety which is where he will mostly likely make his name going forward. Lartey recorded two tackles in limited work last season. The Georgia native was among the better Akron recruits and could end up his career developing into a force. Richardson made 37 tackles last year and recorded a sack in his role as the first option off the bench. Always a decent player, 2011 provides him with an opportunity to become better than good. Blake is a JUCO transfer also from Nassau Community College. Originally from Staten Island New York, Blake brings potential and will provide decent depth if nothing else.
DB Rating: C
Head-to-Head: Akron DBs versus OSU DBs
The Buckeyes, in contrast to Akron, replace three starters. Gone are Jermale Hines, Chimdi Chekwa, and Devon Torrence - that's the bad news. The good news is, in light of the fact that Ohio State suffered several injuries in the secondary in 2010, there's few players in the DB rotation who haven't seen meaningful minutes. Prior to getting injured against the Hurricanes, C.J. Barnett was quickly establishing himself as an excellent safety. Now healthy, the sky is the limit. While Orhian Johnson should have a stranglehold on his position, the Buckeyes will also find ways to work Jamie Wood into the mix. The long and short of it is this - even though the Zips return 3 and the Buckeyes replace 3, the aforementioned talent gap is present in the secondary as well. On the corners, it's looking like Travis Howard and Bradley Roby will get the nod, with Dominic Clarke also seeing significant playing time. Howard has had problems with a shoulder injury, but has already demonstrated excellent coverage skills and could be the next in a continuing line of outstanding corners at Ohio State. Roby and Clarke have both looked good in camp and will continue their battle to establish themselves on the field. As a matter of depth, Ohio State could run out as many DBs as they have on the roster and all of them would be starters if they were enrolled at Akron. As mentioned, last season's MASH unit now is poised to reap the rewards of so many players having been pressed into action.
Note - CB Travis Howard and backup S Corey Brown were suspended from this game on Thursday
Edge: Ohio State
Overall Defensive Analysis
The Zips have a long way to go before they can be considered an average defense. Hiring Cosgrave is a step in the right direction in as much as he has led some very strong defenses at schools like Wisconsin and Nebraska. That said, Minnesota - his last stop before Akron - wasn't exactly a brick wall and the talent he's dealing with at Akron isn't near that which he enjoyed with the Badgers or Cornhuskers. Still, there's not much room to go other than up and now that they've settled on the 4-3 scheme instead of the 3-3-5, improvement should be expected in 2011. It won't be enough in the opener, however. Even while the Buckeyes are replacing several key players - including Terrelle Pryor, Dan Herron and DeVier Posey - there's just no way that Akron can keep up with the Buckeyes for very long. Meanwhile, the Buckeyes have been in this position before. In 2006, for example, Ohio State had several question marks on the defensive side of the ball, but ended up doing what Ohio State does - playing lights out defense. While there have been significant changes at Ohio State, including the resignation of Jim Tressel, it's unlikely that Luke Fickell will let the defense go to garbage. The inclusion of Mike Vrabel, again, should only help.
Overall Defensive Rating: C
2011 Akron Zips Special Teams Preview
The Ohio State Buckeyes' Special Teams head into the 2011 look to both repeat last year's success and avoid last year's embarrassing missteps. The Buckeye Return units (punt and kickoff) were stellar, scoring 2 TDs - one each on kickoffs and punts - and were among the leaders in the nation. The defensive units did not do as well, ranking well below Ohio State standards as set by former head coach Jim Tressel. The Akron Zips are just looking to improve on a 2010 campaign that saw them win only 1 game.
2010 stats from NCAA.org (with NCAA rank)
Akron
Punting
Individual: Zack Campbell 81 punts for 3061 yards, 37.79 avg, 6.75 per game, 87th
Team: 81 for 3061 yards, 37.79 avg, 25 returned for 173 yard, 4.34 avg 34.67, net 90th
Punt returns
Individual: No one in the top 66
Team: 10 for 36 yards, 3.60 avg, 113th
Kickoff Returns
Individual: No one in top 100
Team: 65 for 1127 yards, 18.88 avg, 112th
Punt Return Defense: 25 for 173 yards, 6.92 avg, 37th
Kickoff Return Defense: 33 for 687 yds, 1 TD, 20.82 avg, 5 Touchbacks, 44th
Ohio State
Punting
Individual: No one in top-94 (did not reach min. # of punts/game)
Team: 46 for 1805 yards, 39.24 avg, 16 returns for 168 yds, 3 touchbacks, 34.28 net, 94th
Punt Returns
Individual: *Jordan Hall, 24 for 238 yards, 9.92 avg, 29th
Team: 30 for 289 yards, 9.63 avg, 1 TD, 39th
Kickoff Returns
Individual: *Jordan Hall - 18 for 503 yds, 27.94 avg, 1 TD, 16th
Jaamal Berry - 21 for 534 yds, 25.43 avg, 40th
Team: 40 for 1,055 yds, 1 TD, 26.38 avg, 5th
Punt Return Defense: 16 for 168 yards, 1 TD, 10.50 avg, 90th
Kickoff Return Defense: 81 for 1737 yards, 2 TDs, 21.44 avg, 9 Touchbacks, 61st
Special Teams Depth Charts
Akron (From GoZips.com)
Punter:
#8 Zack Campbell (6-2, 198, Sr., McKinley HS, Canton, OH)
#17 A.J. Fox (5-10, 211, Fr., Cardinal Mooney HS, Youngstown, OH)
Place Kicker:
#13 T.J. Marchese (5-11, 189, Jr., Coffman HS, Dublin, OH)
#17 A.J. Fox (5-10, 211, Fr., Cardinal Mooney HS, Youngstown, OH)
Kickoffs:
#36 Kevin Ivasku (6-0, 197, So., Copley HS, Copley, OH)
#17 A.J. Fox (5-10, 211, Fr., Cardinal Mooney HS, Youngstown, OH)
Long Snapper:
#43 Adam Steiner (6-2, 215, Jr., GlenOak HS, Canton, OH)
#58 Nico Caponi (6-2, 266, So., Perkins HS, Sandusky, OH)
Holder:
#8 Zack Campbell (6-2, 198, Sr., McKinley HS, Canton, OH)
#7 Patrick Nicely (6-4, 217, Jr., South HS, Willoughby, OH)
Punt Returners:
#3 A.J. Price (6-4, 195, Jr., South Lakes HS, Reston, VA)
#14 Dylan Potts (5-11, 191, So., River HS, Sardis, OH)
Kickoff Returners:
#33 Josh Richmond (5-11, 190, Jr., St. Mary HS, Passaic, NJ)
#39 Antoine Russell 5-11, 193, So., St. John's HS, Toledo, OH)
#14 Dylan Potts (5-11, 191, So., River HS, Sardis, OH)
Ohio State (Rivals)
Punter:
#17 Ben Buchanan (6-0, 195, So., Central HS, Westerville, OH)
#39 Derek Erwin (5-10, 203, Jr., Buckeye Central HS, Tiro, OH)
Place Kicker/Kickoffs:
#24 Drew Basil (6-1, 206, So., Chillicothe HS, Chillicothe, OH)
#20 Russel Doup (6-1, 180, Fr., Mt Vernon HS, Mt Vernon, OH)
Long Snapper:
#56 George Makridis (5-11, 236, So., Harding HS, Warren, OH)
#54 Bryce Haynes (6-4, 185, Fr., Pinecrest HS, Cumming, GA)
Holder:
#39 Derek Erwin (5-10, 203, Jr., Buckeye Central HS, Tiro, OH)
#14 Joe Bauserman (6-1, 233, Sr., Lincoln HS, Strasburg, VA)
Punt Returners:
#7 * Jordan Hall (5-9, 195, Jr., Jeanette HS, Jeanette, PA)
#10 Corey Brown (5-11, 170, So., Cardinal O'Hara HS, Upper Darby, PA)
Kickoff Returners:
#7 * Jordan Hall (5-9, 195, Jr., Jeanette HS, Jeanette, PA)
#80 Chris Fields (6-0, 185, So., Harvey HS, Painesville, OH)
#16 Evan Spencer (6-1, 190, Fr., Vernon Hills HS, Vernon Hills, IL)
#15 Devin Smith (6-3, 190, Fr., Washington HS, Massillon, OH)
Head-to-Head: Predicting Special Teams play, especially in the first couple of games, is a difficult proposition. The Special Teams units of most schools are made up of 2nd string players, new recruits, walk-ons or those fighting for some playing time. Given these parameters, predicting success (or lack thereof) can be a crap shoot. But we can look at program success, returning starters and coaching philosophy to make an educated guess. In that case, Ohio State should be favored in each matchup of Special Teams. The return teams were outstanding, and the return defense teams' bad statistics were perhaps skewed by 2 long TD returns (a blocked field goal was returned for a TD as well). Akron returns some starters from last year's units including the punter, but most of their stats from last year do not impress. Their return defense units were somewhat solid. With all that said, expect Ohio State's athletes to win the Special Team battle. As the season goes on will we have more information with which to give an accurate grade to the Special Teams units.
Edge: Ohio State
Note - RB/Return man Jordan Hall was suspended from this game on Thursday
Predictions2011 Akron Zips Offensive Preview
Head coach Rob Ianello is optimistic about the season, but he brings an Akron team into Ohio Stadium that suffered their worst season since at least Gerry Faust's last campaign (1-10, 1994) and sporting one of the worst offenses in the country that now has to replace literally every skill position player from a year ago. It had to be frustrating for an offensive-minded coach like Ianello, and he is anxious to put last season's abysmal failure, which included an OT loss to Gardner-Webb, behind him. He and offensive coordinator John Latina will try and mix things up on offense with a variety of packages and formations, and will likely involve a number of people early since there are so many new faces. They will certainly get a trial by fire as they enter the proverbial Lion's Den against a team with something major to prove to the world starting Saturday.
Akron's offense was awful last year, plain and simple, ranking 119/120 FBS teams with just 268.5 YPG. To put that in perspective, 31 teams threw the ball for more YPG than that, and 6 teams even ran the ball for more YPG than that. The Zips were not good at throwing the ball (172.4 YPG, 107th) and were only slightly less bad running it (113.4 YPG, T101st). They scored a horrid 15.6 PPG, which ranked 116th nationally and scored as many as 20 points only 4 times. Oregon, who led the nation in scoring, averaged 3X that figure. Akron was 118th nationally in first downs with just 175 (14.6/G) and moved the chains just 33.9% of the time on 3rd down (T94th). Despite gaining very little through the air, the Akron offense still gave up 33 sacks (T24th most) and was one of just 6 teams to have a QB rating of less than 100. Any way you slice it, gaining 3.5 yards a carry and being unable to throw the ball is a recipe for disaster, and the Akron offense was a catastrophe in 2010. A large number of new faces will man a series of key positions this fall, and those new players will need to gel very quickly if they are going to have any hope of competing this season in the MAC, much less Saturday at the Horseshoe.
Quarterbacks
QB #8 Clayton Moore (6-1, 209, SO, Louisville HS, Louisville, MS)
It's never a good sign when an incumbent that has started roughly 20 games is beaten out by a transfer, but that's what happened this year at Akron. Patrick Nicely has thrown for over 3000 yards and 16 TDs in his Akron career, but he has also been sacked 47 times and thrown 19 INTs. After a 1-11 season last year, the staff decided it was time for a change, so enter Moore, who has a rather interesting history. After being highly recruited in 2008 he committed to Ole Miss, but a confrontation with his HS coach during a playoff game led to his immediate dismissal from the team. Ole Miss pulled their scholarship, so he had to walk on. After a year on the scout team, he transferred to perennial JUCO powerhouse Mississippi Gulf Coast, where he won the starting job and led them to the state title, throwing for almost 2400 yards and 23 TDs. He is also a threat to run on occasion, which brings an added dimension that has been lacking in the Zips attack. So it will be week one of the Clayton Moore era in Akron, and it will be a daunting christening at the 'Shoe. Moore is a quality player with loads of talent and from all accounts great character, but he has yet to play in a college game above the JUCO level and only has experience on a FBS scout team. It will be interesting to see what sort of playbook they open up (or don't open up) in the first game. On one hand with a new QB one might expect some safe throws and a somewhat straightforward scheme, but for a 1-11 team traveling to the Horseshoe to play Ohio State, is that really the way to go? Perhaps they will open it up and see what the kid has...that would be fun to watch.
QB Rating: D+
Head-to-Head: Akron QB versus OSU QB (Leading returning player from 2010)
Nicely (2010): 166/336 (49.4%), 1753 yards, 10 TDs, 13 INTs, 95.3 rating; 61/-125, 1 TD
Bauserman (2010): 16/22 (72.7%), 174 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 160.1 rating; 8/1, 0 TDs
It's hard to make much of a judgement here, as Akron's 2-year starter is relegated to the bench and Ohio State has to go with a senior experienced only in mop-up duty or a true freshman. Both guys will have something to prove when they step under center. Depth is not a terrible concern for either side, as both teams have a second option to go to to change things up if necessary or in case of injury. It would not be a big surprise to see 3 or even 4 QBs on the field between the 2 teams this weekend. For now Bauserman's experience and Miller's talent carry the Buckeyes.
Edge: Ohio State
Running Backs
RB #2 Broderick Alexander (6-1, 221, SO, Eastside HS, Covington, GA)
FB #1 Nick Rossi (6-0, 231, FR, Riverside HS, Moosic, PA)
The tailback position has been detonated, as the 2-deep from last season (Alex Allen and Nate Burney) are gone. Replacing them are a pair of untested backs, Alexander and redshirt freshman Jawon Chisholm (#44, 6-0, 2010). Both backs have similar size. Alexander last played in 2009, when he was second on the team with 198 yards rushing on 59 carries and chipped in a pair of receptions in 5 games of work at the end of the season. He will be the primary option in 2011. Chisholm has no game experience, so there isn't much to go on. This is basically a "reset button" situation, so there isn't much else to evaluate until they get some games under their belt.
Austin Bailey (#40, 5-11, 244) returns after starting 5 games last season at FB, but he is listed second on the depth chart behind the freshman Rossi. Cody Grice (#36, 6-0, 256) is a bulldozer who could be used in short yardage situations. Bailey caught 7 passes last year, so the FB might get a look in the passing game.
RB Rating: F
Head-to-Head: Akron RB versus OSU RB (Leading returning players from 2010)
Bailey (2010): 2/4 yards, 0 TDs, 2.0 YPC; 7 rec/51 yards, 1 TD, 7.3 YPR
Alexander (2009): 59/198, 0 TDs, 3.4 YPC; 2 rec/3 yards, 0 TDs, 1.5 YPR
*Herron (2010): 216/1155 yards, 16 TDs, 5.3 YPC; 19 rec/180 yards, 0 TDs, 9.5 YPR
Berry (2010): 32/266 yards, 1 TD, 8.3 YPC; 0 rec/0 yards, 0 TDs, 0.0 YPR
*Hall (2010): 37/161 yards, 2 TDs, 4.4 YPC; 8 rec/83 yards, 1 TD, 10.4 YPR
Hyde (2010): 24/141 yards, 0 TDs, 5.9 YPC; 0 rec/0 yards, 0 TDs, 0.0 YPR
This is more of an incomplete for Akron, as there really isn't much to go on until the kids get a chance to play. Alexander showed some promise at the end of 2009, so he could end up being a quality back sooner rather than later. If the Zips struggle to run, don't be surprised if heralded recruit Bre Ford gets a late look...but that won't happen Saturday. There is no contest between the two teams in terms of talent, experience, or depth, even with Herron suspended. The Buckeyes have more quality tailbacks than they can play.
Note - RB Jordan Hall was suspended from this game on Thursday.
Edge: Ohio State
Wide Receivers
WR #35 Keith Sconiers (6-1, 185, SO, H.L. Richards HS, Calumet Park, IL)
WR #81 Anthony Meriwether (6-1, 199, JR, Midpark HS, Cleveland, OH)
WR #15 Jerrod Dillard (6-4, 199, SO, Adrian HS, Adrian, MI)
The Zip passing game wasn't exactly deadly, and now their top two reliable wideouts are also gone. Sconiers is the most experienced of the remaining bunch, having played in 10 games and caught 9 passes a season ago. He'll be joined by Meriwether and Dillard, both of whom also played sparingly last season. All players have decent height and are about the same size, so precise route running and quality hands will be key. Rounding out the 2-deep is Marquelo Suel (#15), a burner who spent some time at Allen Hancock Community College, where he put up some impressive numbers (1426 yards, 16 TDs) in 2 seasons after transferring from Indiana. He could be another former FBS recruit from a Big 6 conference that could make an immediate impact.
WR Rating: D
Head-to-Head: Akron WRs versus OSU WRs (Leading returning players form 2010)
Sconiers (2010): 9 catches, 75 yards, 0 TDs, 8.3 YPR
Meriwether (2010): 5 catches, 27 yards, 0 TDs, 5.4 YPR
Dillard (2010): 1 catch, 18 yards, 0 TDs, 18.0 YPR
*Posey (2010): 53 catches, 848 yards, 7 TDs, 16.0 YPR
C. Brown (2010): 8 catches, 105 yards, 1 TD, 13.1 YPR
Fields (2010): 7 catches, 23 yards, 0 TDs, 7.3 YPR
The Buckeyes are also thin here on experience, especially with the suspension of Posey. Brown and Fields played enough to get their feet we last year and they will be anxious to make a good impression. At Ohio State, the cupboard is never "bare"...can the same be said at Akron? Time will tell, but the players stepping in to starting roles are unproven and are playing on a team that struggled mightily throwing the ball a year ago. Maybe the new QB will help...but then again, maybe the QB was not the problem.
Edge: Ohio State
Tight Ends
TE #84 Ryan Ladrach (6-5, 247, JR, Orrville HS, Orrville, OH)
TE #18 Will Fleming (6-4, 240, SO, Archbishop Hoban HS, Akron, OH)
Ladrach is a local product with good size and plenty of experience. He started 5 games last season and caught 3 passes. He can also be an adequate blocker. Fleming is listed as the co-#1 on the depth chart. He did not play last year but also is a local product with good size.
TE Rating: C-
Head-to-Head: Akron TE versus OSU TE (Leading returning players from 2010)
Ladrach: 3 catches, 31 yards, 0 TDs, 10.3 YPR
Stoneburner: 21 catches, 222 yards, 2 TDs, 10.6 YPR
Fragel: 9 catches, 121 yards, 1 TD, 13.4 YPR
Ladrach was a backup and spot starter last year, so it is unclear how effective he'll be at the top of the chart. Fleming could see plenty of time but there isn't much to go on. For the first time in a while, TE is actually a position of strength for the Buckeyes, who have 2 experienced and capable players in Stoneburner and Fragel. Both can block and both are threats in the passing game. A new QB always begs the question of how involved the TEs will be in the passing game...for both teams.
Edge: Ohio State
Offensive Line
LT #76 Jarrod Pughsley (6-4, 290, SO, Lima Senior HS, Lima, OH)
LG #70 Paul Simkovich (6-3, 293, SR, Greater Latrobe HS, Latrobe, PA)
C #65 Adam Bice (6-4, 287, JR, Tri Valley HS, Dresden, OH)
RG #72 Zac Kasparek (6-5, 308, SR, New Brighton HS, New Brighton, PA)
RT #73 Jake Anderson (6-6, 305, SR, McDowell HS, Erie, PA)
This is a spot where Akron has some quality returning experience, but with a suspect running game and 33 sacks they didn't exactly set the world on fire last year. The right side of the line is the strength, where Kasparek and Anderson each started all 12 games last year. He started the year at LG for 2 games before moving to the right side for the final 10, swapping spots with Mitch Straight (#64). Anderson has started 24 straight games at RT and has played in every game during is 36 game career. He will be an anchor for this line, both in size and leadership. He is a good run blocker and a bulldozer but he like the rest of the line will need to improve on pass blocking. In the middle, Bice played in 4 games last season, so he at least has his feet wet. He is a bit undersized but has the potential to be effective in the middle, especially at run blocking. On the left side, Simkovich is a veteran who was injured last year but takes over at LG from Straight, who started 10 games there last year. He played in 7 games in 2009 but has been around the program for a while and is anxious to contribute in his final year. Pughsley appears to have beaten out Straight for the LT spot. He played in 10 games last year as a quality backup at both tackle spots, so he has some game experience to his advantage.
Straight is the top reserve, having started all 12 games last year. Patrick McCloskey (#69) played in 11 games and made 2 starts at TE last year, but has been moved to guard and is now the top reserve on the left side of the interior. Simkovich is the backup at center, while junior Vinnie Rizzo (#52) will back up the middle and RG spots. Pughsley is listed as the backup at LT, but Straight could see action there and Anderson is unlikely to be out of a game much anyway.
OL Rating: D
Head-to-Head: Akron OL versus OSU OL
The Akron line has some experience but were not very good as a whole last season. They will have to get much better, especially at pass blocking, or Moore will begin his career at Akron running for his life. With inexperienced tailbacks, it will be as important as ever for the Zip line to run block effectively. There were flashes of that last season, they will need to be significantly better this year for the Zips to move the ball at all. The Buckeyes line has been an area of concern for almost 2 decades, but again they return a bevy of talent and bring in some exciting prospects.
Edge: Ohio State
Overall Offensive Analysis
This offense was about as bad as any in college football in 2010, which is somewhat surprising with an offensive-minded head coach. The ran the ball OK at times, but both top tailbacks are gone. The QB was OK at times but he was running for his life a lot and now he is on the bench and the 2 top wideouts are gone. The offensive line has experience but they didn't play well during much of 2010. The optimist would say there is nowhere to go but up, however that may not be true this season. Yes, Moore is a formerly highly touted recruit who could breathe life into a struggling program and give it a face. On the other hand all of the other skill position guys (literally, all of them) are also new, or at least new to starting roles, so this could be a year where they bottom out even further while they gain some experience together. The Zips are a program teetering on the brink of falling into being a perennially bad team. Gerry Faust and Lee Owens managed a decent season here and there, but this is a program that hasn't won more than 7 games since 1985 and hasn't won more than 5 since 2005. It is difficult to see how this offense can improve much with a suspect line and entirely new skill players. Then again the MAC is known for QBs reinvigorating moribund fan bases (Charlie Batch at Eastern Michigan, Ben Roethlisberger at Miami, Charlie Frye at Akron, Josh Cribbs at Kent State, Omar Jacobs at Bowling Green, Dan LeFevour at Central Michigan) so Moore could prove to be just what Akron needs. Without help, however, it could be another long long season for Moore and the Zips offense. 10 years ago, Jim Tressel won his first game against Akron. Expect Luke Fickell to follow suit on the shoulders of his defense alone. If OSU kicks a FG, it could be an insurmountable lead.
Overall Offensive Rating: F
2011 Akron Zips Defensive Preview
Defensive Coordinator Kevin Cosgrove has joined the Akron staff this season, replacing Curt Mallory who left the Zips to return to his alma mater (Michigan). Cosgrove, a Chicago native, played college football at Benedictine College (Ill.) in 1974 before transferring to Wisconsin-Oshkosh where he played from 1976-1978. Cosgrove's first coaching position was as a graduate assistant at Illinois from 1980-83. From there he coached linebackers at Morehead State, in 1983 before returning once more to Illinois in that same capacity. In 1988 Consgrove became the Defensive Coordinator at Southeast Missouri State before leaving to coach linebackers again, this time at Colorado State under former Ohio State head man Earle Bruce. In 1990 he left CSU to join the staff at Wisconsin, where he served as Linebackers Coach until 1994. He was elevated to Defensive Coordinator in 1995 - a position he held until 2003 when he left to become the Defensive Coordinator at Nebraska (2004-07). Between his time at Nebraska and taking the job with Akron, Consgrove was Co-Defensive Coordinator at Minnesota. Consgrove has earned a reputation as a good recruiter and in 1999 was tabbed as one of the top coordinators in the game by Mel Kiper, Jr.
Cosgrove will have his work cut out for him as he tries to bring Akron's defense out of the bottom of the NCAA. Last season, for example, Akron was 99th in the nation in yards allowed (428.2/game) and 106th in scoring defense, giving up an average of 5 touchdowns a contest. The play across the defensive front has been the key issue for the Zips. They have had trouble generating pressure on opposing quarterbacks while also giving up 164.1 yards per game on the ground. This will have to change in 2011 if Akron is to become a more formidable defense. The lack of pressure up front also places the secondary in a tough spot, and Akron finished last in the MAC in passing defense, allowing 264.1 yards a game. While Zip opponents scored 29 TDs through the air they were only able to acquire 8 INTs, most of which came later in the season once Akron was able to make some progress schematically. They had been a 3-3-5 team prior to 2010 and should continue this season in their 4-3 look. It may help Akron that Ohio State will be breaking in a new QB (or two) as well as a new RB, but chances are more likely that the Buckeyes will move the ball with relative ease. The talent gap is just too wide.
Defensive Line
DE #96 Hasan Hazime (6-4, 270, Sr.)
DT #68 Dan Marcoux (6-2, 275, Sr.)
DT #80 Oren Wilson (6-3, 294, Sr.)
DE #90 John Griggs 6-5, 260, Jr.)
Akron will be replacing two of last year's starters among the front four. As indicated above, the Zips have had trouble generating pressure on quarterbacks and it will not help that their best pass rusher, Shawn Lemon, is gone. Taking Lemon's place will be John Griggs, a JUCO transfer from Nassau Community College. Griggs originally signed with the Iowa Hawkeyes before going JUCO, so he has the potential to be a force for the Zips this season. On the other end of the line is Hazime, a starter of 8 games last season. He represents the best returning pass rusher with legitimate 4.5 speed, but only recorded 2.5 sacks and 7.5TFLs last season among his 46 overall tackles. Wilson began his college career at Michigan State but was kicked off the team after he was sentenced to 21 days in jail consequent to an assault in his residence hall. There is some chance Wilson might end up switching to the offensive line, but his bigger frame should also pay dividends up the middle. Rounding out the front four is Marcoux, the teams most experienced tackle. While he saw only 6 starts last season, he played in each game, recording 1.5 sacks with 3.5 for loss among his 45 total tackles. He's athletic enough to get to the QB, but will have to show more consistency in doing so for Akron to be successful in 2011.
Also in the rotation are ends: #13 Shane Shead (6-2, 250, Sr.) and #58 Nico Caponi (6-2, 264, So.), and tackles: #91 Phil Tonga (6-4, 275, Sr.) and #97 James Harvey (6-4, 290, Sr.). Shead, a Canada native, is still in the process of learning the game and played only limited minutes last season. There is only the most sparse of information regarding Caponi available. With his size it is likely he prefers to be more of a speed rusher, but he remains a relative unknown at this time. Tonga has yet to make his mark either, but seems to be the primary backup for Marcoux. Also a JUCO transfer, time is running out for him. Harvey was the best option at nose tackle in 2009, which saw him make 23 tackles. Now a senior, he looks to improve on a 16 tackle season last year.
DL Rating: D+
Head-to-Head: Akron DL versus OSU DL
Ohio State lost Cameron Heyward to graduation (and the NFL), Dex Larimore, and will be without the services of Solomon Thomas for the first five games of the year. But the Buckeyes would have to lose a great many more players to become even with the Zips across the front. Among the returnees are John Simon, Garrett Goebel, Nathan Williams and Johnathan "Big Hank" Hankins - each of whom is far and away superior to his Akron counterpart. The Buckeyes are far better at generating pressure - even if not necessarily recording the sack - and clearly better at stopping opposing rushing attacks. Chances are the Zips will try quick hitter passing routes, employing the same formula as many teams did last season in hopes of slowing down the front four. Meanwhile, the Buckeyes will most likely enjoy success running or passing.
Edge: Ohio State
Linebackers
OLB #5 Troy Gilmer (6-1, 230, Jr.)
MLB #34 Brian Wagner (6-2, 220, Jr.)
OLB #49 Matt Little (6-3, 230, Sr.)
The clear leader among all defensive players is middle linebacker Brian Wagner. As a freshman, Wagner burst on to the scene with a 132 tackle season which he followed up last season with a 130 tackles, 2 INT campaign. In 24 career games, 15 of them have seen him make double digit tackles. Fast and athletic, he can man any of the 3 LB spots, but is far too valuable in the middle to be replaced. Expect to hear his number often this Saturday. Little has good size and could play MLB in a pinch. Not known as a flashy player, he's unlikely to make many game changing plays, but that said he is consistent and does what he can do. He had 46 stops last season. Gilmer is expected to take over the starting role this season after a 24 tackle campaign in 2010. Quick and athletic, Gilmer should be better on the blitz than he has shown in the past. He'll get his chance again this season and has the potential to become a force in the MAC.
Linebacker depth is provided by #32 ShelDon Miller (6-0, 195, So.), #1 Nick Rossi (6-0, 230, Fr.), and #50 Jamar Williams (6-2, 215, So.). Miller looks more like a DB than an LB, but might be able to provide the Zips with a speedy option for thier blitz packages. He made 28 tackles last season and looks to build on that in 2011. Rossi is a Moosic, PA native who joins the Zips this season after being recruited as either a LB or fullback. Inasmuch as the defense needs as many options as possible, LB may be his best option. Big things may be expected out of Williams. As a high school senior he recorded 162 tackles, but has yet to really make his mark in Akron. This could be the year.
LB Rating: B
Head-to-Head: Akron LBs versus OSU LBs
You don't lose Ross Homan and Brian Rolle and get better, but that said, as with the D-Line there is a significant talent gap between the Zips and the Buckeyes. While the Zips may actually have the strongest LB corps in the MAC, the Buckeyes should have a clear advantage on the field this Saturday. Over the past several seasons Ohio State has had to replace the likes of A.J. Hawk, Bobby Carpenter and James Laurinaitis, but the recruiting of the LB position has been such that the corps hardly misses a beat. With the addition of Mike Vrabel to the staff as LB coach, it's anticipated that the Buckeyes will be strong in the middle of the defense once again in 2011. The Zips LBs are going to be under pressure all season long if the front four are only as good as last season, having to make choices between assisting a secondary that has historically been torched or come up in run support to slow down opposing attacks. The Buckeyes, in contrast, should be anticipated to keep on truckin'.
Edge: Ohio State
Secondary
CB #6 Manley Waller (5-8, 165, Sr.)
FS #33 Josh Richmond (5-10, 185, Jr.)
SS #30 L.T. Smith (6-0, 186, So.)
CB #4 Anthony Holmes (6-0, 180, So.)
While much of this preview has concentrated on the front seven's relative inability to get pressure on the QB, the Zips do return 3 starters to the secondary, which should be improved overall. Waller was the lone returning starter last season and did everything he could in that role, recording a team 3rd best 52 tackles while also picking off two passes. He's not big enough to handle the more physical receivers, but he isn't afraid to make a hit and he can run with just about anyone. The other corner will be manned by sophomore returning starter Anthony Holmes. As a true freshman, Holmes was reasonably solid statistically, recording 49 tackles and leadiing the team with 3 INTs. More suited for safety, he has demonstrated an ability to stick with WRs and if nothing else gives the Zips some options in the defensive backfield. Richmond is the cousin of former NBA player Mitch Richmond who came to Akron having been a high school running back. Last season Richmond was doing a lot of learning on the job but was still 4th on the team with 49 tackles. He also recorded one interception. The new face in the secondary should be Smith, a promising player who was among the Zips better recruits. He's got good potential and isn't afraid to bring the big hit but will have to establish himself as a better option than his primary competition for the position - Bre' Ford.
The two-deep is rounded out by corners: #25 Micklos Blake, (5-10, 162, Sr.) and #31 Emmanuel Lartey (5-11, 170, So.) and safeties: #9 Doug Richardson (6-0, 180, Sr), and #23 Bre' Ford (5-11, 200, Fr.). Ford, like Richmond, was a talented running back in High School. He has very good quickness and may be able to have success as a CB, but he's built more like a safety which is where he will mostly likely make his name going forward. Lartey recorded two tackles in limited work last season. The Georgia native was among the better Akron recruits and could end up his career developing into a force. Richardson made 37 tackles last year and recorded a sack in his role as the first option off the bench. Always a decent player, 2011 provides him with an opportunity to become better than good. Blake is a JUCO transfer also from Nassau Community College. Originally from Staten Island New York, Blake brings potential and will provide decent depth if nothing else.
DB Rating: C
Head-to-Head: Akron DBs versus OSU DBs
The Buckeyes, in contrast to Akron, replace three starters. Gone are Jermale Hines, Chimdi Chekwa, and Devon Torrence - that's the bad news. The good news is, in light of the fact that Ohio State suffered several injuries in the secondary in 2010, there's few players in the DB rotation who haven't seen meaningful minutes. Prior to getting injured against the Hurricanes, C.J. Barnett was quickly establishing himself as an excellent safety. Now healthy, the sky is the limit. While Orhian Johnson should have a stranglehold on his position, the Buckeyes will also find ways to work Jamie Wood into the mix. The long and short of it is this - even though the Zips return 3 and the Buckeyes replace 3, the aforementioned talent gap is present in the secondary as well. On the corners, it's looking like Travis Howard and Bradley Roby will get the nod, with Dominic Clarke also seeing significant playing time. Howard has had problems with a shoulder injury, but has already demonstrated excellent coverage skills and could be the next in a continuing line of outstanding corners at Ohio State. Roby and Clarke have both looked good in camp and will continue their battle to establish themselves on the field. As a matter of depth, Ohio State could run out as many DBs as they have on the roster and all of them would be starters if they were enrolled at Akron. As mentioned, last season's MASH unit now is poised to reap the rewards of so many players having been pressed into action.
Note - CB Travis Howard and backup S Corey Brown were suspended from this game on Thursday
Edge: Ohio State
Overall Defensive Analysis
The Zips have a long way to go before they can be considered an average defense. Hiring Cosgrave is a step in the right direction in as much as he has led some very strong defenses at schools like Wisconsin and Nebraska. That said, Minnesota - his last stop before Akron - wasn't exactly a brick wall and the talent he's dealing with at Akron isn't near that which he enjoyed with the Badgers or Cornhuskers. Still, there's not much room to go other than up and now that they've settled on the 4-3 scheme instead of the 3-3-5, improvement should be expected in 2011. It won't be enough in the opener, however. Even while the Buckeyes are replacing several key players - including Terrelle Pryor, Dan Herron and DeVier Posey - there's just no way that Akron can keep up with the Buckeyes for very long. Meanwhile, the Buckeyes have been in this position before. In 2006, for example, Ohio State had several question marks on the defensive side of the ball, but ended up doing what Ohio State does - playing lights out defense. While there have been significant changes at Ohio State, including the resignation of Jim Tressel, it's unlikely that Luke Fickell will let the defense go to garbage. The inclusion of Mike Vrabel, again, should only help.
Overall Defensive Rating: C
2011 Akron Zips Special Teams Preview
The Ohio State Buckeyes' Special Teams head into the 2011 look to both repeat last year's success and avoid last year's embarrassing missteps. The Buckeye Return units (punt and kickoff) were stellar, scoring 2 TDs - one each on kickoffs and punts - and were among the leaders in the nation. The defensive units did not do as well, ranking well below Ohio State standards as set by former head coach Jim Tressel. The Akron Zips are just looking to improve on a 2010 campaign that saw them win only 1 game.
2010 stats from NCAA.org (with NCAA rank)
Akron
Punting
Individual: Zack Campbell 81 punts for 3061 yards, 37.79 avg, 6.75 per game, 87th
Team: 81 for 3061 yards, 37.79 avg, 25 returned for 173 yard, 4.34 avg 34.67, net 90th
Punt returns
Individual: No one in the top 66
Team: 10 for 36 yards, 3.60 avg, 113th
Kickoff Returns
Individual: No one in top 100
Team: 65 for 1127 yards, 18.88 avg, 112th
Punt Return Defense: 25 for 173 yards, 6.92 avg, 37th
Kickoff Return Defense: 33 for 687 yds, 1 TD, 20.82 avg, 5 Touchbacks, 44th
Ohio State
Punting
Individual: No one in top-94 (did not reach min. # of punts/game)
Team: 46 for 1805 yards, 39.24 avg, 16 returns for 168 yds, 3 touchbacks, 34.28 net, 94th
Punt Returns
Individual: *Jordan Hall, 24 for 238 yards, 9.92 avg, 29th
Team: 30 for 289 yards, 9.63 avg, 1 TD, 39th
Kickoff Returns
Individual: *Jordan Hall - 18 for 503 yds, 27.94 avg, 1 TD, 16th
Jaamal Berry - 21 for 534 yds, 25.43 avg, 40th
Team: 40 for 1,055 yds, 1 TD, 26.38 avg, 5th
Punt Return Defense: 16 for 168 yards, 1 TD, 10.50 avg, 90th
Kickoff Return Defense: 81 for 1737 yards, 2 TDs, 21.44 avg, 9 Touchbacks, 61st
Special Teams Depth Charts
Akron (From GoZips.com)
Punter:
#8 Zack Campbell (6-2, 198, Sr., McKinley HS, Canton, OH)
#17 A.J. Fox (5-10, 211, Fr., Cardinal Mooney HS, Youngstown, OH)
Place Kicker:
#13 T.J. Marchese (5-11, 189, Jr., Coffman HS, Dublin, OH)
#17 A.J. Fox (5-10, 211, Fr., Cardinal Mooney HS, Youngstown, OH)
Kickoffs:
#36 Kevin Ivasku (6-0, 197, So., Copley HS, Copley, OH)
#17 A.J. Fox (5-10, 211, Fr., Cardinal Mooney HS, Youngstown, OH)
Long Snapper:
#43 Adam Steiner (6-2, 215, Jr., GlenOak HS, Canton, OH)
#58 Nico Caponi (6-2, 266, So., Perkins HS, Sandusky, OH)
Holder:
#8 Zack Campbell (6-2, 198, Sr., McKinley HS, Canton, OH)
#7 Patrick Nicely (6-4, 217, Jr., South HS, Willoughby, OH)
Punt Returners:
#3 A.J. Price (6-4, 195, Jr., South Lakes HS, Reston, VA)
#14 Dylan Potts (5-11, 191, So., River HS, Sardis, OH)
Kickoff Returners:
#33 Josh Richmond (5-11, 190, Jr., St. Mary HS, Passaic, NJ)
#39 Antoine Russell 5-11, 193, So., St. John's HS, Toledo, OH)
#14 Dylan Potts (5-11, 191, So., River HS, Sardis, OH)
Ohio State (Rivals)
Punter:
#17 Ben Buchanan (6-0, 195, So., Central HS, Westerville, OH)
#39 Derek Erwin (5-10, 203, Jr., Buckeye Central HS, Tiro, OH)
Place Kicker/Kickoffs:
#24 Drew Basil (6-1, 206, So., Chillicothe HS, Chillicothe, OH)
#20 Russel Doup (6-1, 180, Fr., Mt Vernon HS, Mt Vernon, OH)
Long Snapper:
#56 George Makridis (5-11, 236, So., Harding HS, Warren, OH)
#54 Bryce Haynes (6-4, 185, Fr., Pinecrest HS, Cumming, GA)
Holder:
#39 Derek Erwin (5-10, 203, Jr., Buckeye Central HS, Tiro, OH)
#14 Joe Bauserman (6-1, 233, Sr., Lincoln HS, Strasburg, VA)
Punt Returners:
#7 * Jordan Hall (5-9, 195, Jr., Jeanette HS, Jeanette, PA)
#10 Corey Brown (5-11, 170, So., Cardinal O'Hara HS, Upper Darby, PA)
Kickoff Returners:
#7 * Jordan Hall (5-9, 195, Jr., Jeanette HS, Jeanette, PA)
#80 Chris Fields (6-0, 185, So., Harvey HS, Painesville, OH)
#16 Evan Spencer (6-1, 190, Fr., Vernon Hills HS, Vernon Hills, IL)
#15 Devin Smith (6-3, 190, Fr., Washington HS, Massillon, OH)
Head-to-Head: Predicting Special Teams play, especially in the first couple of games, is a difficult proposition. The Special Teams units of most schools are made up of 2nd string players, new recruits, walk-ons or those fighting for some playing time. Given these parameters, predicting success (or lack thereof) can be a crap shoot. But we can look at program success, returning starters and coaching philosophy to make an educated guess. In that case, Ohio State should be favored in each matchup of Special Teams. The return teams were outstanding, and the return defense teams' bad statistics were perhaps skewed by 2 long TD returns (a blocked field goal was returned for a TD as well). Akron returns some starters from last year's units including the punter, but most of their stats from last year do not impress. Their return defense units were somewhat solid. With all that said, expect Ohio State's athletes to win the Special Team battle. As the season goes on will we have more information with which to give an accurate grade to the Special Teams units.
Edge: Ohio State
Note - RB/Return man Jordan Hall was suspended from this game on Thursday
BB73's prediction: 41-6, Ohio State
Buckeyeskickbuttocks' prediction: 45-7, Ohio State
Bucklion's prediction: 31-6, Ohio State
Bucky Katt's prediction: xx-xx, Ohio State
DaddyBigBucks's prediction: 52-0, Ohio State
jwinslow's prediction: 45-3, Ohio State
JCOSU86's prediction: 48-7, Ohio State
Low score wins the year long battle of prediction supremacy! (Difference of actual scores versus predicted scores. 10 point penalty for picking the losing team.)
Buckeyeskickbuttocks' prediction: 45-7, Ohio State
Bucklion's prediction: 31-6, Ohio State
Bucky Katt's prediction: xx-xx, Ohio State
DaddyBigBucks's prediction: 52-0, Ohio State
jwinslow's prediction: 45-3, Ohio State
JCOSU86's prediction: 48-7, Ohio State
Low score wins the year long battle of prediction supremacy! (Difference of actual scores versus predicted scores. 10 point penalty for picking the losing team.)
Congrats to last year's winner: DaddyBigBucks
Previous Game Result: (tOSU 31, Arkansas 26)
(218) DaddyBigBucks's prediction: 34-24, Ohio State (5 + 213 last week = 218)
(234) Bucklion's prediction: 27-21, Ohio State (9 + 225 last week = 234)
(233) Bucky Katt's prediction: 27-23, Ohio State (7 + 226 last week = 233)
(239) jwinslow's prediction: 31-28, Ohio State (2 + 237 last week = 239)
(240) JCOSU86's prediction: 31-27, Ohio State (1 + 239 last week= 240)
(258) Buckeyeskickbuttocks' prediction: 34-17, Ohio State (12 + 246 last week = 258
(311) BB73's prediction: 58-56 (7OT) Ohio State (57 +254 last week = 311)
Scores are adjusted for weeks missed. Participant must take the highest score from the week they missed.
Previous Game Result: (tOSU 31, Arkansas 26)
(218) DaddyBigBucks's prediction: 34-24, Ohio State (5 + 213 last week = 218)
(234) Bucklion's prediction: 27-21, Ohio State (9 + 225 last week = 234)
(233) Bucky Katt's prediction: 27-23, Ohio State (7 + 226 last week = 233)
(239) jwinslow's prediction: 31-28, Ohio State (2 + 237 last week = 239)
(240) JCOSU86's prediction: 31-27, Ohio State (1 + 239 last week= 240)
(258) Buckeyeskickbuttocks' prediction: 34-17, Ohio State (12 + 246 last week = 258
(311) BB73's prediction: 58-56 (7OT) Ohio State (57 +254 last week = 311)
Scores are adjusted for weeks missed. Participant must take the highest score from the week they missed.
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