I have been remiss in posting my take-aways from the OSU Spring Game. To my reader, I apologize. Unfortunately, this isn't my 8:30 - 4:30 gig, so things get in the way of blogging.
But if you hadn't heard, the OSU Spring Game took place Saturday, April 21st. And if you haven't heard, I am really surprised, because the turnout for the Spring Game was an astonishing 81,112 people. That was the highest for all of the NCAA football programs. And looking around the stadium, people filtered in pretty steadily until 15 minutes after the start of the game, filling up a good portion of C-Deck. Not too shabby for a cold and rainy day in Columbus, Ohio.
And in that cold and rain, Coach Urban Meyer came out on the field wearing shorts!
I have been to a few spring games at OSU, so I was interested to see whether the first Spring Game under the Urban Meyer era was any different. So despite the bleak weather, my husband and I braved the elements and sat in the rain through about 3 quarters of spring football. And if I wasn't pumped up for next season before...
I am now.
Before the game started, I was expecting to seeing the infamous Hive at mid-field. I have always enjoyed watching the players get revved up before the games. So as they gathered mid-field before the game, a part of me smiled that Tradition was being upheld. And all of a sudden, the Hive parted in the middle, and two OSU players took their stances opposite one another, as if they were playing a one-on-one football scrimmage.
Interesting.
As we watched, pair after pair of players took a stance across from each other, as the players surrounding them in a ring looked on and cheered.
So somewhat the same, with a new twist. I can get into that.
Then the players lined up to start the game. Anyone who was there can correct me if I am wrong, but I didn't see any returns on punts throughout the game. So as far as player safety goes, it looks like Urban is covering his bases, because the QBs were considered down by (sometimes minimal, or not-even-real) contact.
And much to my surprise, Urban wasn't pacing the sidelines in his I-must-still-think-I-am-in-Florida-or-I-wouldn't-be-wearing-shorts-on-a-40-degree-day-in-April-in-Ohio-shorts. No, Coach Meyer lined up in what appeared to be an official's stance, about 10 to 15 feet behind the offensive line, as if he was scrutinizing every aspect of the play personally.
I can definitely get into that.
How many times have we heard people complain that Coach Tressel (and even Coach Fickell, to some extent) failed to make adjustments during a game? And didn't we all watch as Florida, under a certain un-retired coach, dismantled a Buckeye team in the National Championship years ago because that OSU team failed to make adjustments? This is all streaming through my head as I watch Urban Meyer pull his QB, RB, OL, etc., aside throughout the game, coaching them immediately about the execution of any play he didn't quite like.
Then, midway through the 2nd quarter, as Basil lined up to kick a field goal, Urban Meyer was standing RIGHTNEXTTOHIM. I said to the husband, "No pressure." His retort? "He needs to feel some pressure. Why do you think our kicking game is so bad?" Good point.
And to top that off, Meyer then decided he was going to test that kicking game, backing up Basil 5 yards progressively and making him repeat each distance until he successfully made a field goal. The crowd seemed to like the challenge, but it really got them riled up when Meyer lifted his arms, urging them to cheer louder.
So, all-in-all, Meyer impressed me in the Spring Game. He seems to have implemented subtle changes to improve the competitive spirit in the players. I didn't see any miracles on the field, but I did see a lot of fun-filled sparring.
Moving on to some of the players...
Braxton Miller, our young star QB, started out with a bang and ended with a fizzle. He seemed sharp and elusive at the beginning of the game, but even though his stats were good, what I saw on the field was still a collection of athletic skills -- not necessarily an overwhelming quarterback. He ran well, and there were times that the down-by-sorta-kinda-contact hurt him, because it looked like he would have made a play, but someone on the DL got a piece of his jersey. But overall, I am still frustrated by the lack of patience in the pocket and how Braxton stares down his first option receiver, leading to broken plays and interceptions.
Kenny Guiton looked even more impressive, perhaps because we didn't see much of him last season, and anyone looks pretty great compared to Bauserman. But he made solid decisions, and he advanced through his progressions very well. He isn't quite as quick on his feet as Miller, but what he lacks in track skills, he makes up for in confidence and poise. If nothing else, he gives us another solid QB option.
Regarding the runningbacks, Carlos Hyde was average. The offensive line still isn't wowwing anybody with their blocking, so I think that is what people really want to see improvement in this season. The person who really stuck out toting the rock was Bri'onte Dunn, our shining new star. His cuts were impressive, and he will be exciting to watch.
The receivers were average, and the tight ends were targeted often, though they had a little bit of trouble connecting with the QB. There is no star pass-catcher, but they all serve their purposes. It will be interesting to see if any of them can get good separation against star corners.
Speaking of corners, and the defense as a whole, while we didn't get to see the defensive unit as we will see it in the Fall (with the return of Nate Williams as a solid complement to Jon Simon), they got good pressure on the QBs throughout the game and the corners picked off the QBs a couple of times. Defensive prowess is never easy to judge in a game where you have to be careful who you hit, but they looked pretty sharp overall.
I am really excited to see where this goes in the coming season.
In the meantime, I am thrilled that I will be attending the Women's Football Clinic on June 9th! It will give me an opportunity to meet the coaches, see informational sessions, and even strap on some shoulder pads and go through a few drills. I think it will give me some great insight for the blog. =) Stay tuned!
