tBBC Ohio State Spring Game Reactions

[Brandon Zimmerman]

Ohio State Spring Game Reactions
Brandon Zimmerman via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

It was a painful three months since we were last able to watch the Ohio State Buckeyes take the field and play some football. The rabid fan base responded to the requests of the Buckeye coaching staff and set a new spring game attendance record with 100,189. The game played out exactly how many of us thought it would. There were some great plays by young players and some areas of concern to really focus on before the season opener.

THE GOOD

• Sophomore Malik Hooker looks like a star in the making. He had two interceptions, a pick-six, and seemed to always be in the middle of every play. The pick-six was impressive but what excited me the most was his speed. Shortly after the second half began, sophomore Parris Campbell made some guys miss and had a clear path for a touchdown but Hooker was able to take a great angle and made up a lot of ground quick.

• Freshman Joe Burrow looks like he will be a very good quarterback for the Buckeyes after Barrett leaves for the NFL. He was under immense pressure all game but continued to stay in there and make some impressive throws. He was consistently on target and has beautiful touch on the deep ball. His touchdown throw to freshman Torrance Gibson was a thing of beauty. He took some big shots and continued to get up.

• Junior Marcus Baugh was a big target for junior J.T. Barrett. He was a consistent and dependable safety valve. This may be the year the Buckeyes utilize their tight end.

• Two defensive linemen stood out to me. Jashon Cornell was an absolute dominant force up-front. The move inside was a great move and will pay off big this season. Tracy Sprinkle continued to impress. He made his presence known early and often. I think both are in good position to start this year.

• Sophomore Jerome Baker had the play of the game. With Burrow and the white team driving, Baker went up high on a pass over the middle and made a very impressive one-handed catch.

• Other Tidbits:
  • Junior kicker Sean Nuernberger booted a 57-yard field goal on his third attempt. The first two had the distance but they were wide right.
  • Denzel Ward showed off his great speed on a blitz off the edge.
  • Sophomore Marcus Lattimore, who is in line to start opposite Gareon Conley, had a interception off of junior Barrett.
  • Freshman Mike Weber ran hard and looked good. He had two touchdowns

THE BAD

• As expected, the offensive line was absolutely brutal. When you are mixing and matching people on the line, the defensive line is at the advantage and it showed. Freshman Michael Jordan looked good at guard and may seriously have a shot at starting.

• There were a few drops by some of the young wide receivers. A lot of them would have been tough catches but they were balls that should have been caught if you want consistent playing time at Ohio State. Freshman Austin Mack shows great body control on numerous contested throws but was unable to come down with the catches. Sophomore Terry McLaurin had a touchdown catch but had a few contested drops.

• I know it means nothing but Barrett was not the most accurate we have seen him. He forced a few throws when he was under pressure which resulted in interceptions or passes way off target.

PLAYERS OF THE GAME

• Offensive
  • Torrance Gibson: Two touchdowns and showed a lot of promise.
  • Joe Burrow: I was very impressed with how calm and collected he was under pressure. Three TD passes.
• Defensive
  • Jashon Cornell: He looks like he may be a big time disruptor up the middle.
  • Malik Hooker: He impressed me more than anyone else today. 2 INTs and a T

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