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The Buckeyes hit the practice fields of the indoor facility of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on Tuesday and today's practice saw the Buckeyes pay special attention to the second team as practice No. 6 is in the books.
It was an opportunity for many defensive players to see extra reps as well as some of the running back depth with both Bri'onte Dunn and Warren Ball focusing on most of the carries as Rod Smith saw a couple of carries as well.
Things got a little feisty as well with the team still having nine more practices (spring game included) left. Joel Hale and Corey Linsley got into it with much hooping and hollering coming from the team as things got to be pretty physical with the pads popping.
We talked with Urban Meyer after the practice to get his thoughts on how things went and as usual, he pulled no punches when talking about the progress of his team. Check it out in this free update. If you want to get our more detailed practice result, join us in the Horseshoe Lounge for Ben Axelrod's practice report. Source: BuckeyeGrove.com
Meyer concerned about defensive front seven March 27, 2013 Source: AP/News Herald - Speaking after Tuesday's indoor workout at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, Meyer said he was pleased with many players and positions as the Buckeyes approached the midpoint of spring workouts.
But he remains concerned by the fill-ins for the departed John Simon, Johnathan Hankins, Nathan Williams and Garrett Goebel on the defensive line and Zach Boren and Etienne Sabino at linebacker.
"I'm still worried about defense," the second-year coach of the Buckeyes said. "I still keep looking for Goebel and Simon and those guys up front. They're getting better though: Adolphus Washington, Noah Spence. There's some talent. You just wish there were one or two older guys up there to help them out."...
Co-Defensive Coordinator & Assistant Head Coach/Safeties Coach Everett Withers answers questions from reporters following practice on Tues. Source: The Ozone
Luke Fickell working drills with the linebackers during Tuesday's spring football practice inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. Source: The Ozone
Zach Smith, Kerry Coombs and Everett Withers coach up the Buckeyes during an intense 1-on-1 drill on Tuesday. Urban Meyer also gets involved on the first day in pads.
No one hauled in a better 2013 recruiting class than Urban Meyer and Ohio State, according to Scout.com. In all, the Buckeyes inked 24 players, including five five-star recruits. On Monday night’s "Football Report," BTN analyst Gerry DiNardo sat down with Mark Pantoni, Ohio State’s director of player personnel. How do the Buckeyes go about recruiting some of the nation’s elite talent? Find out in the video now.
Dylan Thompson is #5 for 2014 March 19, 2013 Source: Eleven Warriors - Many Chicago area targets have emerged on the Buckeyes' coaching staff's radar for the 2014 class and the first one has dropped. Montini Catholic's DL Dylan Thompson announced today that he will play his college football in Columbus.
Thompson pledged to the Scarlet and Gray while on his first visit to campus this weekend. His first looks at the university were enough to convince him it should be his home for his college years.
He was offered by Ohio State on February 7 and told me that an early commit was possible if he found the perfect situation for himself. He found it on the banks of the Olentangy.
Thompson, 6-foot-5 and tipping the scales at over 270 pounds, picked Ohio State over 10 other offers that included Ole Miss, Clemson, Illinois, Indiana, USC, Vanderbilt, Syracuse, Tennessee, Purdue, and Missouri.
The addition of Thompson could give the Buckeyes a leg up in the recruitment of two of their top targets, LB Clifton Garrett and OT Jamarco Jones. The three both work out for and represent the Core 6 Athletes organization in the Chicago area that assists kids in talent progression and obtaining exposure from college programs. All three performed in the Core 6 Showcase in Cincinnati. The next time the trio is in Ohio together it could be a permanent arrangement.
Keep an eye out in the coming days as we connect with the future Buckeye.
You can follow Dylan on Twitter at @BRONCODE59.
After practice, Coach Urban Meyer met with the media for close to 15 minutes. Among his observations and comments were the following...
Urban Meyer Q&A Following Tuesday Practice
Buckeyes in pads for first time in 2013 March 19, 2013 Source: OSU Official Site - The team held its third of 15 practices this spring in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center... After a 12-day break from practicing while Ohio State students enjoyed spring break, the Ohio State Buckeyes returned to the practice field Tuesday with a session that lasted just over two hours in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
The team members were in full pads for the first time but full contact drills weren't on the agenda for this third of 15 spring practice sessions. The session opened with the prototypical tough man competition: the circle drill. A half dozen battles ensued along the west 15 yard line in the WHAC with RB Rod Smith tangling with LB Cameron Williams to lead things off and other skirmishes between WR Frank Epitropolis and CB Eli Apple, RB Warren Ball and CB Tyvis Powell, WR Evan Spencer and CB Armani Reeves, DL Adolphus Washington and OT Taylor Decker, and DL Chris Carter and OC Pat Elflein.
After practice, Coach Urban Meyer met with the media for close to 15 minutes. Among his observations and comments were the following...
RBs Coach Stan Drayton after practice Tues March 19, 2013
2013 Ohio State Spring Football Analysis March 11, 2013 Source: CollegeFootballNews.com - Why To Be Excited: Yeah, yeah, yeah, the offense is expected to be special after leading the Big Ten in scoring and with nine starters returning, but don’t sleep on a pass defense that could surprise. The secondary gave up yards but rarely got beaten deep, allowing 15 touchdown passes and coming up with 14 picks. There were a few lapses – oddly enough, Miami University, Indiana and Penn State had the best passing days against the Buckeyes – but overall the secondary did a nice job. Three starters return, and while there’s work to do up front, there’s enough athleticism to come up with a good pass rush.
Why To Be Grouchy: There might be an adjustment period up front. It’s Ohio State, so the lost star talent will be replaced by new start talent, but it’ll still sting for a while with all four starters gone including John Simon and Nathan Williams on the ends and Johnathan Hankins on the inside. Throw in the losses of linebackers Zach Boren and Etienne Sabino, and the front seven is going to be the focus throughout the spring.
What Needs Working On: Protecting Braxton Miller. The offense is loaded with talent and experience, the depth is there across the board with a terrific set of young options for the line and several good position battles for time at all the skill spots except quarterback. While Kenny Guiton proved he could come in cold and save the day against Purdue, the difference between a good season and a possible national championship run depends on keeping Miller alive and kicking. He takes way too many big pops and was sacked way too often. Being tough as nails is one thing, but he’s not built like Tim Tebow – its asking too much to expect him to last the season if he’s getting blasted.
Pre-Preseason Projected Wins: Buffalo, San Diego State, at California, Florida A&M, Wisconsin, at Northwestern, Iowa, Penn State, at Purdue, at Illinois, Indiana
Pre-Preseason Projected Losses: at Michigan
Schedule Analysis: The Buckeyes have the schedule to go unbeaten again, or they’ll at least have the ability and potential to get close. Considering California is rebuilding, San Diego State might be the most dangerous non-conference game. Buffalo and Florida A&M will be warm-ups, and they’ll need them before starting out the Big Ten schedule with the game they must have.
Michigan might be Ohio State’s biggest rival, but Wisconsin is the team that matters in the division; Ohio State can’t blow the Big Ten home opener. Going to Northwestern the week after isn’t going to be easy, but then it’s time to relax with a week off before hosting Iowa and Penn State before going to Purdue. With another week off before the finishing kick, there shouldn’t be any problems with a road trip to Illinois and a home game against Indiana. OSU will be favored in every with the possible exception of the finale. No matter what else happens throughout the year, the road trip to Michigan will be focused on all season long.
Team Concerns For 2013: Defensive line, defensive line and defensive line. Of course, it would be nice if the passing game became a bit more sophisticated, but that's not what the offense is about with Braxton Miller able to make big plays down the field when needed. The run defense improved as the year went on and the talent level is being raised by Urban Meyer, but the Buckeyes have to replace all four starters up front along with linebackers Zach Boren, Etienne Sabino and Storm Klein. It's Ohio State - there are more talents waiting in the wings - but it's going to be the concern early on.
The 2013 Class Is Heavy On ... Defensive backs. It was already a fantastic class, and then came Signing Day and the pickup of running back Ezekiel Elliott, Oregon flip Ezekiel Elliott at running back and receiver James Clark. Much is being made about the haul on the defensive line, and rightly so, with Joey Bosa and Tyquan Lewis among the nation's top end prospects and Michael Hill, Donovan Munger and Billy Price three excellent tackle prospects, but the key is the secondary. It was great, and then came the signing of safety Vonn Bell to make it special. Corner Eli Apple was a nice get out of New Jersey, and Cameron Burrows and Gareon Conley are just as strong, while safeties Darron Lee and Jayme Thompson are going to someday be excellent starting safeties. Overall, this is a special class - even for Ohio State - with linebacker Mike Mitchell, receiver Jalin Marshall and tackle Evan Lyle all destined to be all-stars.
2012 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 2. That Class Was Heavy On ... Welcome to Urban being Urban. Meyer appears to have a renewed energy, and it shows with a typically great Ohio State recruiting class. Even with almost no time to work, he’s getting just about everyone he wants from Ohio and has been able to get a few key players from outside the state. In just a short time he’s putting together a monster that’s as good as any class in the country, particularly on the defensive front where he’s loading up with the best prospects for any line in America. The skill positions aren’t being ignored, but the Buckeyes need to keep building up the defense. Meyer will go more for the offensive side next year...
Ohio State linebacker Curtis Grant talks about what cost him his starting job last season and how he plans to get it back. At spring football practice on March 7, 2013.
He'd won the starting middle linebacker job for the 2012 season, then lost it after three games, and didn't get back on the field even as injuries at the position forced fullback Zach Boren to switch to linebacker.
A five-star recruit out of high school, ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the Class of 2011 by Rivals.com, he'd come to realize how different the college game is from high school.
"Nine times out of 10 coming out of high school, you're usually the man," Grant said. "So you don't get yelled at as much and you get away with a lot of stuff. But nothing goes unnoticed here."
When he lost the job, he didn't handle it well.
"I was real mad. I didn't know what to do," Grant said Thursday after Ohio State's second practice of spring football. "I would just sit back and watch and I wasn't used to that."
He'd calmed down by Christmas, but he had to decide what he wanted. When a college career gets off track, especially for a major recruit, change is often the choice. Grant said Thursday he at least considered transferring.
"Either you man up or get out," Grant said. "It's pretty straight forward. So I manned up."
That's why he's back, in the same fight he was a year ago, battling for the starting middle linebacker job on a team that once again lacks established answers at the heart of its defense. Ryan Shazier is the only returning starter at linebacker, and he's not practicing for now after having surgery on a sports hernia.
So it's Grant that's left to lead a group of sophomores that include Josh Perry and Camren Williams, who are also fighting for that middle linebacker spot.
"I'm very determined," Grant said. "Your junior year, if you don't do anything, there are no guarantees you'll have another year to do it."
Especially when the Buckeyes need him right now. And when he proved he wasn't ready to deal with the rough spots a year ago.
"That's where the maturity is showing. 'Can he respond?'" linebackers coach and defensive coordinator Luke Fickell said. "If you sat with him and talked, that's probably what he didn't do a great job of last year. That's how you learn and how you grow. That's the joy of coaching is seeing guys move through things."
Grant isn't there yet. At 6-3 and 241 pounds, he looked like he had the body of college linebacker when he stepped on campus as a freshman. But his problem has been playing stiff and not letting his instincts lead him to the play. He still doesn't look as natural as you'd want someone with those measurables to be.
Get to the right spot and find the ball.
"Everybody matures at different times," Fickell said. "It's not a lack of ability. It's having some confidence and the ability to let loose."
Fickell said that confidence can be gained during spring ball, especially if it starts with veterans like safeties Christian Bryant and C.J. Barnett and seeps into the rest of the team.
"Energy is contagious and confidence is contagious," Fickell said.
Grant said he tried to pick up on some of that last year from seniors John Simon and Etienne Sabino.
"It was like, 'John Simon never stops, so why should I?'" Grant said. "I use that as a big motivation every time I come out here. I'm not tired anymore. It's like, you've got to go get what you want."
Asked what he wants, Grant didn't say stardom. He wants to be a team player who contributes. Sabino is the most frequent comparison. Another five-star recruit whose career got off to a slow start, Sabino took a surprising redshirt in his third season as he tried to find his game and his role. It paid off. He never became an All-American, but Sabino was a reliable starter, a captain and one of Urban Meyer's favorite guys by the time he graduated.
So it's not yet time to write off Grant, especially when he said he knows where he went wrong last year.
"I got too complacent," Grant said. ''That's the only thing I can say. I couldn't handle the glory, I guess, of being a starter. I should have kept working harder."
If he gets back in the starting lineup, Grant said that won't happen again.
Ohio State assistants Mike Vrabel and Everett Withers working with their defensive position groups during the first day of spring practice in Columbus. Source: The Ozone
Ohio State assistant coach Kerry Coombs is always getting after someone at practice. His first targets of the spring were kicker Drew Basil and freshman corner Eli Apple. Source: The Ozone
Ohio State recruiting: State Secrets, 3/8 - One big visitor March 8, 2013 Source: Land-Grant Holy Grant - Ohio State played host to a 6-foot 5-inch, 260-pound bruiser from Lakota East on Thursday while the SEC's top two programs offered scholarships to several Buckeye targets. Check out the recruit's reactions and all of Thursday's recruiting news...While Coach Urban Meyer was coaching up the troops and hosting LaRubbio, Nick Saban and Les Miles made some serious moves, offering several key 2014 Buckeye targets. 4-star outside linebacker Dillon Bates, 4-star wide receiver Derek Kief, and 3-star cornerback Chris Lammons were offered by the Alabama Crimson Tide yesterday, and all expressed their excitement via twitter:...The Michigan State Spartans played host last night to two Buckeye targets, one of which was a recent (but short in duration) Ohio State commit. Ex-Buckeye commit and 4-star defensive end Lawrence Marshall joined wide receiver Maurice Ways for a visit to East Lansing:...
"If we put together a good D-line and linebackers, I think we'll have a good team. If not, we won't. It's pretty simple." - Buckeyes HC Urban Meyer
Buckeyes HC Urban Meyer press conference after Ohio State first football practice of the Spring, Tuesday March 5, 2013
Buckeyes storm through first practice March 5, 2013 Source: OSU Official Site - The winter weather forecasted for central Ohio and the Midwest hadn't hit Columbus when the Ohio State Buckeyes took to the practice field Tuesday afternoon for the first of 15 spring practices. Regardless: there was a flurry of activity inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center as coach Urban Meyerand his staff welcomed the team, including 51 lettermen, to its initial session in preparation for the 2013 football season.
The Buckeyes went through a 25-period session in the "Woody" in front of about 50 members of the media and another 30 or so coaches from smaller colleges around the Midwest. The offense was in scarlet jerseys with gray pants. The defense was in white jerseys. The quarterbacks wore black jerseys and those recovering from injuries were in orange.
Punting drills with senior kicker Drew Basil leading the way led off the practice with lots of positional drills following. The practice closed with passing game exercises that included some fine throws by Braxton Miller, a spectacular reception from "H" back Jordan Hall over the middle and a couple of interceptions by standout cornerback Bradley Roby.
"I thought Braxton Miller had one heck of a day," Meyer said. "His fundamentals and his footwork were not very good last year, but it was fantastic today."
Meyer met with the media for about 15 minutes in the team room following the practice. (See his comments above)...
Urban Meyer didn't say the goal was a national championship, but its clear what the Buckeye's goals are this coming season. Austin Ward of ESPN BuckeyeNation explains.
Spring Practice Insider: Roby Steals the Show March 5, 2013 Source: The Ozone - Brandon Castel's report on the defense: Welcome Back Roby, A New Star is Born?, Man in the Middle, Odds and Ends, Depth Charting the Defense...
The bowl ban is lifted, and the scary part is a 12-0 team returns a lot of pieces. The coaching staff returns intact. There are 51 letterwinners back. Nine offensive starters return from a crew that led the Big Ten with 37.2 points per game. Included is Miller, who randomly found himself on a Sports Illustrated cover last month and is a Heisman Trophy candidate.
There's not much reason to think that Ohio State won't be favored in every game it plays until the regular-season finale at Michigan. The defense has to replace seven starters including almost the entire front seven, but if the new defense can survive a September trip to Cal and a home game against Wisconsin, it should be just fine for the rest of the season. It's not like the Buckeyes don't have talented players to step in.
What needs to happen this spring
The big issue is on defense. Not much issue in the secondary, where three starters including tremendous cornerback Bradley Roby return. The front seven needs a ton of work.
The entire front four is gone, including defensive end John Simon, the Big Ten defensive player of the year, and tackle Johnathan Hankins, a second-team AP All-American. Ohio State always seems to have NFL-caliber defensive linemen, so the line should end up being OK. Sophomores Noah Spence and Adolphus Washington played plenty in the rotation last year. Defensive end Joey Bosa is a four-star recruit, and maybe he'll get a chance in the fall. But they key in spring is sorting out who will contribute early in the season on the line, as well as figuring out who will start at linebacker alongside Ryan Shazier. No other returning linebacker got significant reps in 2012...
5 Most Important Spring Practice Position Battles March 4, 2013 Source: Bleacher Report - Outside Receiver Corey Brown and Devin Smith led the OSU wideouts last season from the perimeter, but Brown will move to the slot per Brandon Castel of The-Ozone.net.
With Brown moving to the slot and Jake Stoneburner graduating, there is a void opposite of Smith at the edge wideout.
Experienced receivers Evan Spencer and Michael Thomas will be among the favorites for the position through the spring, with JUCO commit Corey Smith jumping into the race in the fall.
Spencer and Thomas have had mixed success, so one of the two will need to have a big spring to help out Devin Smith and Corey Brown in the passing game.
Punter Considering Jim Tressel was the coach not too long ago, it's pretty surprising to see that the punter would become a major concern.
Kicker Drew Basil is likely to assume punting duties in addition to place kicking, but keep an eye out for receiver Frank Epitropoulos, who was a punter at Upper Arlington H.S. outside of Columbus.
Basil or walk-on Kevin Niehoff are among the favorites, but don't sleep on Epitropoulos, who can provide a unique threat if OSU decides to run fake punt packages. Meyer may never run one, but Epitropoulos can at least give them a threat.
Right Tackle
The Buckeyes don't have many holes to fill on offense, but their biggest will be at the right tackle position after converted tight end Reid Fragel graduated.
OSU has a pair of young tackles vying for the starting job in sophomore Taylor Decker and redshirt freshman Kyle Dodson.
Decker saw spot time early last season before falling out of the rotation, and Dodson is healthy after rehabbing from the shoulder surgery he had before enrolling last year.
While Decker may be the more balanced tackle, Dodson has plenty of power in his game that should give him just as good a chance to win the job.
Linebacker Ryan Shazier is the only returning front-seven starter this season. And even though he is one of the most talented linebackers in the country, he needs a lot of help.
The Buckeyes do have a lot of young players with potential already in Columbus, including sophomores Josh Perry, who saw the most time of the 2012 recruits at the position, Camren Williams and David Perkins.
Junior Curtis Grant may get one last crack at it despite losing his starting job three weeks into the 2012 season and looking nearly invisible when he was on the field.
Whoever wins the job in the spring will have to fend off a pair of talented freshmen in Mike Mitchell and Trey Johnson, who will both enroll in the summer.
Defensive Line It's rare that a team has to completely replace an entire starting unit. Unfortunately, that's the case this year as the Buckeyes have to replace their entire defensive line from the 2012 season.
Sophomores Noah Spence, Tommy Schutt and Adolphus Washington are expected to have big years and live up to their respective billings. Another player who should be able to step in is junior Michael Bennett, who was outstanding in replacing John Simon against Michigan.
Other players like J.T. Moore, Joel Hale, Steve Miller and Se'Von Pittman are also in contention for jobs, though most are somewhat unknown commodities.
This year's freshman class is very deep at defensive line, including two camp attendees Tyquan Lewis and Tracy Sprinkle. Lewis is more of a pure pass-rushing end, but Sprinkle has the size and motor to move all over the defensive front...
Burning questions for spring practice March 3, 2013 Source: Columbus Dispatch - It is time to turn the page for the Ohio State football team. Its undefeated 2012 season is history. Irreplaceable leaders such as John Simon and Zach Boren must be ... well, replaced.
But also gone is the postseason ban that prevented Ohio State from winning the Big Ten title or playing for the national championship. With most of the offense and defensive secondary back, Ohio State has been anointed as a legitimate contender for the national title. On Tuesday, Ohio State begins spring practice, which will culminate with the spring game in Cincinnati. Ohio Stadium is unavailable because of maintenance work.
As the Buckeyes start preparation for the 2013 season, they must begin to answer several pressing questions. Beat writers Tim May and Bill Rabinowitz will take turns addressing six of them.
Who could be a breakout performer on offense?
May: Certainly it won’t be Braxton Miller, he of the Sports Illustrated cover, who last year set the season school record for total offense. Nor will it be running back Carlos Hyde, who came within a whisper of a 1,000-yard season. But it could be fifth-year senior Jordan Hall. He was expected to be the hybrid slotback in the spread before a cut foot in the summer delayed his debut, and then a knee injury cut his season short after 21/2 games. With blue-chip recruits Jalin Marshall and Dontre Wilson headed this way in the summer, Hall — elected a co-captain last season — needs to reassert why coach Urban Meyer and offensive coordinator Tom Herman had such grand plans for him this time a year ago. Without such a consistent slotback presence in 2012, the new offense only scratched the surface of its on-paper capabilities.
Who replaces Reid Fragel at right tackle?
Rabinowitz: With four starters back, the offensive line should be a major strength after its surprisingly impressive performance last year. Fragel, the final piece of last year’s puzzle after a successful conversion from tight end, leaves a large void. But the Buckeyes are confident they can fill it. Taylor Decker gave a stiff challenge to Fragel as a true freshman last year. Decker has the size, strength and smarts to step in and be effective. But don’t overlook Chase Farris. He was one of the few Buckeyes backup offensive linemen who impressed Meyer with his steady improvement in practice. Whoever doesn’t win the job at right tackle probably will be the top replacement anywhere on the line.
The Buckeyes were fortunate in 2012 that their starters were durable. Expecting that again might not be realistic, and other reserves must emerge as viable players.
What is the biggest task facing the defense?
May: It is establishing the rotation on the line, which lost all four starters: John Simon, Johnathan Hankins (left early for the NFL draft), Garrett Goebel and Nathan Williams. The first line going into Tuesday probably will be Noah Spence at the Leo end, Tommy Schutt and Adolphus Washington at the tackles, and Michael Bennett at the strong-side end. Bennett, a junior, is the old man of the group; the others are sophomores. He has been hindered by nagging injuries the past couple of years and still seems hampered a bit. Like the other three, he was a blue-chip recruit just a couple of years ago and could emerge as a leader on a defense that lost seven starters. Linebacker Jamal Marcus actually might gain a strong look at defensive end, and Joel Hale — along with Steve Miller, J.T. Moore and Se’Von Pittman — will contend for time. Of keen interest will be the play of Tracy Sprinkle and Tyquan Lewis, two pass-rushing early enrollees from the 2013 recruiting class, which was ranked in the consensus top three nationally.
Who will play alongside Ryan Shazier at linebacker?
Rabinowitz: As 2012 progressed, Shazier added discipline to his extraordinary dynamic playmaking ability. The junior-to-be outside linebacker figures to contend for Big Ten defensive player of the year honors. But around him are huge question marks. The biggest is at middle linebacker. The Buckeyes desperately wanted Curtis Grant to seize control of the position last year, but he didn’t. Grant has the physical skills befitting a former five-star recruit and is purported to be a hard worker, but it simply hasn’t clicked for him. Now is the time for Grant to make it happen. The other top contender probably is Camren Williams, who battled injuries as a freshman. Replacing Etienne Sabino at strong-side linebacker also will be crucial. Joshua Perry is likely to get the first crack at it, though Marcus and David Perkins have a chance to compete, as well. If no one takes control of those vacancies, they could be filled by freshmen Mike Mitchell and Trey Johnson, who arrive in the summer. To expect either to earn a starting job in the fall probably would reflect failures of veterans to step up to the challenge.
How will the team address its concerns at punter?
May: When OSU ran out of room in its 2013 class and thus tried to delay the signing of long-time commitment Johnny Townsend of Orlando, Fla., the punter opted to sign the next day with Florida. The chances were very good he was going to walk right in and become the starting punter for the Buckeyes, who lost Ben Buchanan. But they have a couple of capable legs, not the lesser of which belongs to kicker Drew Basil. As he showed during pregame warmups last season, he can do both jobs, though that might not his preference, or the coaches’. Reserve wide receiver Frank Epitropoulos was a standout punter at Upper Arlington, but he has been bothered by injuries for the past year. If the coaches add punting to Basil’s chores, he might be relieved of kickoff duty by Kyle Clinton, who has proved he can boom it.
Are the receivers ready to take the next step?
Rabinowitz: From 2011 to ’12, the Buckeyes’ wide receivers went from embarrassingly unproductive to decent. But adequate play isn’t sufficient if Ohio State is to become as explosive as it should be in Meyer’s spread. Devin Smith has game-breaking speed but needs to have more-consistent hands and be more adept at gaining separation from defensive backs. Corey Brown found his niche as a short-yardage receiver.
He became better at breaking tackles later in the year, but there’s still room for improvement. Evan Spencer had some good moments and is capable of more. Michael Thomas was a star last spring but mostly a nonfactor once the season started. With freshmen reinforcements coming in the summer, the holdover receivers will want to make an impression now.
Make up for the 15 bowl practices lost because of NCAA sanctions, replace seven starters on defense, take quarterback Braxton Miller from good to great, develop more playmakers, run the unbeaten streak to 25 games, make the Big Ten title game for the first time and, maybe, win a national title in Urban Meyer's second year, just as he did at Florida and Jim Tressel did with the Buckeyes.
High bar? Sure. But it comes with success and the belief that everything in year two of a coach's system has to be easier.
"It's just the year two of not having to deal with, 'Here's what we call this formation,'" offensive coordinator Tom Herman said while describing how working with Miller will change. "Just the speed and progress should be a lot faster than it was ever was. So it'll be a little neat to get the signals out of the way and just work on refinement rather than just knowledge."
It all starts Tuesday with the first day of spring football practice.
The switch to semesters at Ohio State has led to spring ball starting earlier, rather than in April. The spring game will be April 13 in Cincinnati because of renovations at Ohio Stadium. Still the Buckeyes will have gone 101 days since they were on a football field together -- that 26-21 win over Michigan on Nov. 24 that finished off a 12-0 year.
Meyer talked a lot -- a whole lot -- about the blow the Buckeyes were absorbing by missing bowl practice. That's valuable time to develop depth and get a read on young players for the following year, not just to prep for a bowl opponent.
"We have to catch up 15 practices by August, or we're not as good as our rivals, so we have to find those," Meyer said.
Meyer said he'll know by August if the Buckeyes made them up or not. When they hit the field at 4 p.m. Tuesday, the opener with Buffalo on Aug. 31 will be 179 days away. There's plenty of time. And plenty to live up to.
With that, here are five questions, five prominent players to watch and five young guys to keep an eye on when it gets real on Tuesday.
Five questions
1. Are the playmakers going to change much?
The Buckeyes gained 423.8 yards per game last season, 47th in the nation and third in the Big Ten. Not bad, but it can get better, not just because of a greater understanding of the system, but because nearly everyone's back.
Of the 5,085 yards gained in 2012, they lose just 370 with the graduation of tight Jake Stoneburner, fullback Zach Boren, punter Ben Buchanan (who ran for six yards on a fake) and the transfer of receiver Verlon Reed, who gained 13 yards. That means 92.7 percent of the offense returns.
But some of the guys with the ball in their hands will change. Newly-signed receiving recruits Jalin Marshall, Dontre Wilson, James Clark and Corey Smith could get on the field and make a difference, at least in spots.
"I can see them right now that they can come in and catch a couple passes and make some gains," Miller said, "so I can't wait till they get here."
None of those four will be around for spring ball, though, and neither will running back recruit Ezekiel Elliot. In the end, it's more important for the experienced guys to improve. But come August, the young guys could push them.
2. Can the defense be good enough?
While nearly everyone is back on offense, with nine starters returning, the defense lost seven starters, including the entire line.
The four leading tacklers are back in linebacker Ryan Shazier, safety Christian Bryant, cornerback Bradley Roby and safety C.J. Barnett, but 45.5 percent of the tackles from last season have left in the form of Johnathan Hankins, John Simon, Zach Boren, Etienne Sabino and others. There's a lot of young talent ready to step in, but it took a while for a veteran defense to get the basics down last season. A new crew might fix that problem immediately. Or a young group could struggle even more.
3. Does Braxton Miller look any different?
Meyer threw down the gauntlet for Miller after the end of last season.
"If he becomes fundamentally the best quarterback in America, I think he will be the best quarterback in America. I think it'll be comical what he'll do," Meyer said. "But he's not there yet."
Every little thing with Miller will be tested this spring, from footwork to reading the defense to making better decisions while scrambling. Meyer will have his eyes on all of it.
4. How do you motivate a team that didn't lose last year?
Motivation will be much harder in year two, especially with what Meyer has called "a huge void" to fill with leadership. In 2012, Meyer could tell the Buckeyes they were forgotten and disrespected coming off a 6-7 year plagued by NCAA sanctions. Now coming off perfection, he'll have to use another theme. He said "truth and fundamental improvement," would be the mantra.
5. Who's going to punt?
This is a real thing. Once recruit Johnny Townsend changed his mind and went to Florida, the Buckeyes were put in a bit of a bind. Kicker Drew Basil is listed as both the kicker and punter for now, but swinging your leg isn't just swinging your leg. The two skills are completely different motions, and if you're doing both, you just can't be as good at either as if you were focusing on one.
There could be a new player found to answer this over the summer -- a fan emailed a suggestion this week -- and redshirt freshman Frank Epitropoulos could get a shot. But this might be the most real question of all right now.
Five players to watch • 1. Adolphus Washington: The sophomore defensive lineman could be a star in the making. He’ll certainly start. At 6-3 and 289 pounds, the Buckeyes need him to be a Cameron Heyward-like presence.
• 2. Curtis Grant: A five-star recruit, he hasn’t panned out for two seasons. The Buckeyes almost moved him to defensive end, but instead they’ll give him another shot at middle linebacker. It could change the defense if it finally clicks for him.
• 3. Bradley Roby: Instead of leaving for the NFL, Roby returns as maybe the best player on the team. Meyer said he’s as good as any corner in America when at his best. If he makes the jump, he’ll give a young line more time to get to the quarterback.
• 4. Jordan Hall: The 2012 captain is back as a fifth-year senior. After four seasons at running back, Hall will shift to the slot. Freshmen Jalin Marshall and Dontre Wilson will also play there, but Hall will get a good long look this spring.
• 5. Jeff Heuerman: The junior tight end is a physical specimen, and graduated tackle Reid Fragel Tweeted that Heuerman will be the next Rob Gronkowski, “but better. Mark my words.”
Five new guys • 1. Taylor Decker: The sophomore should take over for Fragel at right tackle as the only new starter on an offensive line otherwise made up of seniors — Jack Mewhort, Andrew Norwell, Corey Linsley and Marcus Hall.
• 2. Camren Williams: The sophomore should fight Curtis Grant at middle linebacker. Right now, linebackers are Ryan Shazier and lot of unknowns.
• 3. Cam Burrows: The freshman cornerback is in early and could replace Travis Howard, though junior Doran Grant is the leading candidate.
• 4. Eli Apple: Same as Burrows. The two corners were major signings in the 2013 recruiting class and they could wind up at least as the second-team corners this season.
• 5. J.T. Barrett: Already enrolled, the QB is limited by an ACL injury suffered in high school. But a speech he gave while recruits were visiting in the fall is already something of an OSU legend. His natural leadership should help the QB meeting room, despite his youth.
The Ohio State Pump Up! CB coach Kerry Coombs delivers recruiting pitch of the decade!
"If we put together a good D-line and linebackers, I think we'll have a good team. If not, we won't. It's pretty simple." - Buckeyes HC Urban Meyer
