2018 tOSU Offense Discussion

[ScriptOhio]

TONY ALFORD ISN'T WORRIED ABOUT KEEPING OHIO STATE RUNNING BACKS HAPPY WITH PLAYING TIME

Ohio State has two returning running backs, J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber, who have each had 1,000-yard seasons for the Buckeyes.

The Buckeyes also have another veteran running back, Antonio Williams, who Ohio State running backs coach Tony Alford describes as one of the most improved players on the entire team.

While that’s a nice luxury for Ohio State to have, it does bring up one potentially complicating question: How can the Buckeyes keep all of their running backs happy with their playing time?

Alford, however, said that isn’t a question he concerns himself with.

"I’m not a kind of guy that keeps people happy. Just ask my children," Alford said with a laugh. "I’m not into keeping people happy. The guys that deserve to play are going to play."

In this case, the Buckeyes have at least three running backs who have proved to Alford that they deserve to play, and getting each of them a substantial weekly share of carries could be difficult to accomplish. Getting each of them the amount of carries that they believe they should have will likely be impossible.

Dobbins led the Buckeyes with 194 carries last season. Weber had 101 carries, though he likely would have received a closer to equal share if not for a hamstring injury that sidelined him early in the season. Williams had 57 carries, but most of those came early in the season when Weber was banged up, as Williams was relegated mostly to mop-up duty once Weber returned to the rotation.

There’s no question that Weber and Williams would like to get more carries than they got last year, and even Dobbins would probably like to have a few more opportunities to tote the rock.

Alford doesn’t see that as a bad thing, though, because he expects all of his running backs to be competitors.

"If they didn’t want the ball and they didn’t want to play and they didn’t want to compete, then why the hell would I want them?" Alford remarked. "I don’t want to be around you as a person, let alone coach you as a player. If you’re not an alpha male, you’re not a guy that wants it, who’s hungry to succeed and compete, then why would I want you?"

Alford also believes, though, that they have all bought into Ohio State’s culture to the point that they will all support each other even though they want to play more.

"There’s three guys that are playing at a very, very high level," Alford said. "And know the offense, they know the expectation level as far as our culture and how we do things. They do it right, they’re conscientious and they help one another. So it’s very competitive. But it’s all very spirited, and they help one another."

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...o-state-running-backs-happy-with-playing-time

 

[ScriptOhio]

OHIO STATE PRACTICING TWO-BACK SETS WITH J.K. DOBBINS, MIKE WEBER DURING SPRING BALL

Ohio State has consistently produced top-tier running backs over the course of multiple decades in Columbus, and that has remained the case during the Urban Meyer era.

Carlos Hyde and Ezekiel Elliott set the standard for what the running back position could and would be at Ohio State in Meyer's speed offense, and now, the Buckeyes have two running backs that are capable of producing at an elite level.

Mike Weber's decision to come back for his redshirt junior season means Ohio State has a backfield that features two 1,000-yard backs in him and J.K. Dobbins, leaving many to wonder how the Buckeyes will split carries between the two in 2018.

Splitting up the carries doesn't seem to concern running backs coach Tony Alford, but one solution could be simply getting the players on the field at the same time, something that did not happen often in 2017. In fact, Dobbins said Monday that a two-back package for him and Weber was not installed until bowl practice of last season.

"We put it in last year during the bowl game and ran a bit of that last year," Dobbins said. "It brings explosiveness. I feel like defenses won't know what to do against it."

Ohio State used the two-back package just once against USC in the Cotton Bowl, and it resulted in a 21-yard gain, albeit from H-back Parris Campbell on an end-around reverse.

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...with-jk-dobbins-mike-weber-during-spring-ball

Just sayin': A healthy Weber and Dobbins will be the best 1-2 running back combo in college football in 2018.

 

[ScriptOhio]

VIDEOS: HEAR FROM OHIO STATE'S TONY ALFORD, MIKE WEBER, J.K. DOBBINS AND ANTONIO WILLIAMS FOLLOWING MONDAY'S PRACTICE







Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...d-antonio-williams-following-mondays-practice

 

[ScriptOhio]

FILM STUDY: RASHOD BERRY'S DEVELOPMENT AT THE 'Y' POSITION WILL BE CRITICAL TO OHIO STATE'S SUCCESS IN 2018

With much of the focus this spring has been on battles for the open spots atop the depth chart at quarterback, left tackle, and linebacker, little has been said about who will replace departing senior Marcus Baugh at the 'Y' receiver position, known to most as the tight end in Ohio State's offense.

Baugh came to Columbus as the nation's 4th-best prospect in his class at the position and did an admirable job in two years as a starter, catching eight career touchdowns (including the most famous of J.T. Barrett's 104 scoring throws). As the California native moves on to the next level, many fans eagerly anticipate the succession to a player that would seem to be his exact opposite.

Rashod Berry came to Ohio State as an unheralded, 3-star athlete destined to play for Larry Johnson as a defensive end. After two quiet seasons in Columbus, the Lorain native was known more for his exploits on the basketball court than on the field, surprising many when he earned the second spot on a suddenly shallow depth chart last fall after only playing tight end for a few weeks in training camp.

After seeing limited playing time in the first three games of the season, Berry exploded onto the scene with three catches for 57 yards and a memorable touchdown rumble in which he ran over, through, and around nearly the entire UNLV defense.

After turning that hitch route into a 38-yard jaunt to the end zone against the Rebels, Berry began seeing increased playing time at the position, distancing himself from Luke Farrell as Baugh's primary backup. As the Buckeyes went on a dominant stretch in late September and early October, scoring 50 points in four straight contests, Berry began seeing more reps with Barrett and the first-team offense, tallying six receptions for 100 yards through the first seven games.

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...ll-be-critical-to-ohio-states-success-in-2018

 

[ScriptOhio]

Barrett Void Closing, But Buckeyes Still Need a Quarterback

The ever-churning turnover of players is part of the deal with college football. Coaches prepare for it every day through recruiting, but that doesn’t always make it easy.

After four years with J.T. Barrett at the helm of the Ohio State football team, the Buckeyes have spent the spring searching for his replacement.

Dwayne Haskins, Joe Burrow, and Tate Martell have each been given the opportunity to rise to the top of the quarterback battle, and it would appear that Urban Meyer is still waiting for one of them to emerge.

While there may not yet be a starter, Meyer is seeing the slow disappearance of the overwhelming void that was left by J.T. Barrett.

“The other guys have been here. There’s guys that have been here for a while, Joe and Dwayne,” Meyer said. “Dwayne not as long as Joe, but they’ve been here for a while. Yeah, you miss J.T., but early on in spring, the void was very obvious. I don’t feel that void as much anymore, and I’m hoping that closes by the time we get to the end of summer.”

With just one week remaining, all three quarterbacks are in the middle of the stretch run. Each of them brings their own take on the position, but there doesn’t seem to be much doubt about what it will take to win the job.

“Really what we want is we want great leaders,” said quarterbacks coach Ryan Day. “But when we look at quarterbacks and we evaluate quarterbacks, we’re looking for guys who are competitors, guys who are tough, guys who are leaders, guys who have great football intelligence, and then also guys who are great decision makers. You can tell that we have different shapes and sizes, but it’s our job as coaches to come up with the right plays to emphasize what they can do best.”

 

[ScriptOhio]

JOE BURROW AND DWAYNE HASKINS LOOK TO WOW ONCE AGAIN AT OHIO STATE'S SPRING GAME

Last year, the backup quarterback battle between Joe Burrow and Dwayne Haskins was the center storyline of Ohio State's spring game.

The pair battled all spring, each trying to separate himself and earn the No. 2 spot behind J.T. Barrett, but remained deadlocked heading into the annual scrimmage.

With Barrett the uncontested starter, he played just a few series before Urban Meyer handed things off to Burrow and Haskins, allowing the pair to duel. And they dueled.

Both quarterbacks let it rip, posting remarkably similar stat lines. Burrow went 14-of-22, throwing for 262 yards and three touchdowns while Haskins went 26-of-37 for 293 yards, tossing three touchdowns of his own.

Each showed extreme accuracy downfield and unbelievable touch on the deep ball. Haskins hit Terry McLaurin for a 30-yard touchdown in the back corner of the end zone while Burrow found a streaking Johnnie Dixon and Demario McCall out of the backfield to show off his arm.

It was fun as hell to watch, but the game only furthered the notion that the two quarterbacks were very near, if not perfectly even and the backup battle a stalemate.

“I'm not prepared to say who is 2, who is 3, etc., yet,” Meyer said after the game. “I thought Dwayne and Joe Burrow played well.”

A year later, we find ourselves in a similar situation, but with much higher stakes. The battle is still dead even and the candidates remain the same – with the addition of another challenger in Tate Martell – but this time, it's not for a backup role but for the starting quarterback position at Ohio State.

When the gunslingers duel during an earlier-than-usual, likely rain-soaked spring game, they'll know it's their last opportunity of the spring to make an impression on the coaching staff and separate themselves from the other competitors.

But as easy as it is to boil down the entire quarterback battle to one performance in one rainy, practice football game, there's a whole lot more to it than that. Nobody is going to win the job off of their spring game performance alone.

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...-to-wow-once-again-at-ohio-states-spring-game

 

[ScriptOhio]

Spring shows Buckeyes backfield in full bloom (and then some)

Master Teague showed solid potential in his first spring game at Ohio State.

There was already no question that Ohio State’s loaded backfield would make it perhaps the envy of every other program in the country heading into spring, and that was just based on expectations for the 1-2 punch of J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber. Throw in the clear improvement of Antonio Williams as he pushes for more than just a short-yardage role and the addition of early enrollee Master Teague and now the Buckeyes could potentially wind up riding as many as four horses.

And, just for the record, Brian Snead and touted H-back Jaelen Gill aren’t even on campus. It also doesn’t account for Demario McCall, who figures to be involved in the running game in some capacity despite primarily looking like more of a slot receiver at this point. So, if any unit qualifies as having an embarrassment of riches, Ohio State’s collection of tailbacks has to be on the short list.

Tony Alford has no shortage of candidates to handle the workload for the running game.

What exactly will the Buckeyes do with them all? Position coach Tony Alford has proven he can get creative with distributing the workload, and he might have to with Dobbins building off his remarkable freshman campaign and Weber fully healthy after struggling with a hamstring issue last season. Ohio State certainly appears willing to add Williams into that rotation, and with Teague looking mature beyond his years and coming off a spring game that included 73 yards and a touchdown, there obviously isn’t a shortage of options.

Entire article: https://www.landof10.com/ohio-state...ll-tony-alford-running-backs-depth-chart-2018

 

[ScriptOhio]

RANKING THE MOST IMPORTANT POSITION BATTLES OUTSIDE OF QUARTERBACK

By now, you have probably read enough on the Ohio State quarterback battle to where your head is spinning. Don't worry, there will plenty more on the signal-callers to come in the coming days, weeks and months leading up to the 2018 season.

Ohio State's other open position battles are still being worked out and there are still a number of candidates still fighting for the right to be called a starter for the Buckeyes.

Quarterback is without question the most important position in football, therefore it is the most important position battle still to be determined in Columbus. However, Ohio State still needs to decide on three new linebackers, a safety and a center before the season kicks off on Sept. 1.

What follows is a list of the three most important position battles (outside of quarterback) that have yet to be decided at Ohio State, and how the decisions at those positions could impact the 2018 Buckeyes.

2. CENTER

Ohio State has been spoiled with dominant play in the middle of the offense since Urban Meyer arrived in Columbus in 2012. The Buckeyes have boasted the likes of Corey Linsley, Jacoby Boren, Pat Elflein and Billy Price at center over the years, and for the first time in seven seasons, there is a serious question mark at the position.

Brady Taylor is the leader for the spot at the conclusion of fall camp, as the fifth-year senior put together a solid spring. However, the fact that Taylor has been around for five years and has yet to play a meaningful snap brings questions as to how he will perform when the bright lights are on him and he is touching the ball every play.

Redshirt freshman Josh Myers came in highly recruited last season, but an injury kept him from earning much playing time. He is the clear No. 2 option pushing Taylor, and could very well still earn the job by the time Oregon State invades Ohio Stadium.

This position is the most critical battle going on for Meyer's offense, and with the Buckeyes also breaking in a new signal-caller, it is crucial for Ohio State to get consistency and leadership from its center. Taylor will enter fall camp as the starter, but I wouldn't be shocked to see Myers take the job over at some point during the season.

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...rtant-position-battles-outside-of-quarterback

 

[ScriptOhio]

 

[ScriptOhio]

 

[ScriptOhio]

Best Guessing the Final Spring Ohio State Football Depth Chart – Offense

Having seen everything that Ohio State spring football has to show us, there is now a pretty good feel for where the two-deep stands for the Buckeyes.

Offensively, there are ORs at most positions, but only two of them are due to a decision needing to be made by the coaching staff.

Looking at the possible Ohio State depth chart following spring, it’s easy to see why Urban Meyer isn’t too concerned about quarterback. There’s too much talent around him to get hung up on uncertainty, especially when they feel good about all three of their quarterbacks.

What follows is a brief synopsis of where things stand now that spring football is in the books and the books are closed.

Quarterback
7 Dwayne Haskins, rSo OR
10 Joe Burrow, rJr
18 Tate Martell, rFr
12 Matthew Baldwin, Fr

The Wrap: The Buckeyes left camp with the coaches unable to name a starter between Joe Burrow and Dwayne Haskins because they haven’t had time to go over the data. Plus, I think the data was stashed away in a storage locker. It’s way in the back and hard to get to, so they’re just really not looking forward to digging it out.
Running Back
2 J.K. Dobbins, So OR
25 Mike Weber, rJr
26 Antonio Williams, rSo
33 Master Teague, Fr

The Wrap: Running backs coach Tony Alford says he doesn’t have a 1 or 2 between Mike Weber and J.K. Dobbins. Antonio Williams had a productive spring, and freshman Master Teague got to learn behind all three of them. Can Williams keep Teague behind him this fall? That’s a very good question.

H-Back
21 Parris Campbell, rSr OR
14 K.J. Hill, rJr
30 Demario McCall, rSo
80 C.J. Saunders, rJr

The Wrap: K.J. Hill was out this spring with a shoulder injury. Parris Campbell enjoyed the spring as a member of the 2,000 Rep Club. Demario McCall showed what he’s capable of in the spring game with 11 catches for 165 yards and a touchdown. Perhaps even more noteworthy, both McCall and Campbell showed significant improvement as deep-ball receivers this spring.

X Receiver
11 Austin Mack, Jr OR
9 Binjimen Victor, Jr
15 Jaylen Harris, So

The Wrap: Jaylen Harris made some noise in camp, but this is still Austin Mack and Binjimen Victor’s island. Victor closed the spring well. Mack is a mature leader now. Harris is still going to be heard from this season, however.

Z Receiver
83 Terry McLaurin, rSr OR
1 Johnnie Dixon, rSr
87 Ellijah Gardiner, rFr

The Wrap: It was a steady spring for veterans Terry McLaurin and Johnnie Dixon. They’re all saying the right things, but they both have plenty to prove this season. Ellijah Gardiner is still young, but will grow this year because he’ll finally be able to get onto the field.

Tight End
89 Luke Farrell, rSo
38 Rashod Berry, rJr OR
81 Jake Hausmann, rSo

The Wrap: Urban Meyer mentioned a week or two ago that Luke Farrell had surged above everyone else. It was a surprise, but not a huge upset. The knock on Rashod Berry has always been consistency. They will continue to work with him on that. Jake Hausmann had a solid spring.

Entire article: https://theozone.net/2018/04/final-ohio-state-football-depth-chart/

 

[Jaxbuck]

Antonio Williams is gone


No such thing as too much RB depth imo. Continue to recruit the position.

 

[ScriptOhio]

Centers of Attention Still Not Settled for Buckeyes

If we are to believe Ohio State offensive line coach Greg Studrawa, the Buckeyes don’t yet know who their starting center is going to be this season.

There is a standard to uphold at Ohio State. And even though Buckeyes Pat Elflein and Billy Price have won the last two Rimington Trophies as the nation’s top center, the standard began well before they took over.

For over two decades, the Buckeyes have had a continuous lineage of talent and production at what Urban Meyer calls “the Apex of the offense.”

In just about every sport, if a team is strong up the middle, they can go far. It works in baseball, hockey, basketball, and it definitely works in football. The Ohio State football program has been strong up the middle over the years, and it presents a feeling of calm and confidence for the coaches and the offense as a whole.

Now, with Price off to the NFL this week, that surety of knowing who is next is gone. And for the first time this century, the Buckeyes will leave spring football without knowing who their center will be in the fall.

Fifth-year senior Brady Taylor had a solid spring and the early lead, but sophomore Josh Myers closed the gap by the end of the spring.

Myers’ positive play muddied the situation which seemed early on to be fairly settled. Now, Studrawa doesn’t know whohis center is going to be this fall.

“I don’t. That battle is continuous,” he said at the conclusion of spring practice. “Both those guys are playing well. Josh Myers really the last two weeks was outstanding. Struggled the first two, but last two weeks, including in the spring game, he was outstanding and Brady has been steady. So those two guys are going to go right through the summer and right through to camp battling it out for that spot.”

Entire article: https://theozone.net/2018/04/centers-not-settled-buckeyes/

 

[pnuts34]

Out of any group of the offense that should be most happy with Haskins being the starting QB, it should be the RBs. Barrett had 165 carries last season, if that number were cut in half, than that's even more carries to split between Dobbins, Weber and hopefully Campbell/McCall(who only had a staggering 24 carries between the 2 of them ). Haskins at QB gives a more balanced, and really a stronger running game, since the primary runners will once again be the RBs, and not the QB. Even if cuts Haskins carries to around 100, that's still a lot of touches for Dobbins and Weber in the offense

 

[bukIpower]

Totally off topic... just watched the va tech 2015 game and I can't believe how much talent that offense had. Zeke, CJ and JT, Michael Thomas and Braxton...dear god...

That said we are just as dangerous this year... more depth at tailback, every WR, no QB battle, and 4 returning starters on the OL (technically 3 but 4 with Bowen back). God forbid if Ruckert comes to play and is game ready.

With the running game being disguisting and a killer play action we should really be good here from game 1... can't wait!