OSU Buckeyes

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- With spring practice in the books and Ohio State heading into its offseason conditioning program, BuckeyeNation is looking at the players who boosted their stock with the program the most during those 15 workouts. The offense will go first this week, followed by a handful of defenders who will be in line for heavy workloads this fall, as well.

No. 1: Chris Fields

• Who: The Buckeyes aren't yet in a position to feel truly comfortable about their depth at wide receiver, but they certainly can rest a bit easier at the end of spring practice -- and not just because a talented group of signees will be arriving this summer in time for training camp. Ohio State apparently had another potential starter under its nose the entire time, and Fields finally presented himself as a target worth throwing out with the first team with 15 productive practices that clearly caught the eye of coach Urban Meyer. Fields has only sporadically contributed much of consequence heading into his senior season, and while the Buckeyes might not have gone undefeated without his overtime-forcing touchdown last year against Purdue, that's the only score of his career at this point. It appears he has positioned himself for a chance to improve that production considerably.
• Spring progress: The relative lack of bodies on hand at receiver in spring gave Fields plenty of chances to show what he could do as a weapon in the spread offense, but he also benefited from a minor injury to Jordan Hall that opened up some reps at H-back and gave the Buckeyes yet another option to consider. Fields offered steady hands as a target, appeared much more comfortable with his routes and responsibilities and showed good speed and elusiveness once he had the football in his hands -- whether it got there through the air or if he took it as a rusher, as he did on a 6-yard touchdown carry in the spring game.
• Jockeying for position: Evan Spencer might have posted better numbers a year ago and Michael Thomas could have the greater upside as a target in the passing game, but neither left camp with Meyer calling them a starter. Fields took that honor, and if the Buckeyes had to play a meaningful game in April, he would be listed along with Devin Smith and Philly Brown as the first-team wideouts on the depth chart. That's a pretty remarkable development and a tribute to the work Fields has done since chipping in just 4 catches last season, though more competition is on the way.
• He said it: "Chris Fields, I’m going to name him starter today. I told him I would if he finished the spring, and Chris Fields has earned a starting spot on the offense -- which is amazing. He’s a wonderful guy. Last year was very inconsistent, but I know [offensive coordinator] Tom Herman feels the same way. He’s earned a starting spot." -- Meyer after the spring game
• Closing number: Fields pulled some double-duty in the closing exhibition in Cincinnati, and that heavy workload helped him pile up some yardage and continue to catch Meyer's eye heading into the summer. In all, Fields caught 5 passes for 37 yards and added 9 more yards on 2 carries with a touchdown to put a wrap on his productive camp.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- With spring practice in the books and Ohio State heading into its offseason conditioning program, BuckeyeNation is looking at the players who boosted their stock with the program the most during those 15 invaluable workouts. The offense will go first this week, followed by a handful of defenders who will be in line for heavy workloads this fall as well.

No. 3: Michael Thomas

• Who: The sophomore receiver still might not be a finished product and he didn't leave camp with a claim to a starting job, but there's little doubt that Thomas is trending upward after a season largely spent on the sideline adapting to the college level and the responsibilities at his position. The Buckeyes have two veterans they can feel pretty confident about in Philly Brown and Devin Smith, who are both back and improved as well. Thomas is making a push for an expanded role thanks to an ability to make tough catches, run sharper routes and an apparent ability to make catches despite contact against tight coverage. At a minimum, the spread offense should include more targets in the rotation even before the new wave of signees report this summer.
• Spring progress: Thomas turned in a buzz-worthy camp in the 2012 spring practice as an early enrollee, but he certainly wasn't prepared to live up to the hype as he struggled to get a grasp on the playbook last fall. With the benefit of a full year to get acclimated and up to speed, his natural skills were put on display with more regularity during open workouts in March and April. Thomas was able to adjust to balls on deep routes and consistently haul them in with his strong hands. Passes that might have been somewhat off target on intermediate routes were snagged thanks to his size and reach, and with his weight up close to 200 pounds, Thomas wasn't pushed around by cornerbacks who bumped, and he more than held his own in one-on-one passing drills during an impressive series of workouts.
• Jockeying for position: Brown and Smith are comfortably at the top of the depth chart, just as they were at the end of last season. And while the addition of a handful of potential playmakers from the recent signing class will add to the competition in training camp, the battle for time is already heating up thanks to the emergence of Chris Fields, some development by Evan Spencer and the improved comfort of Thomas. Fields was given the third starting position coming out of spring, but Thomas isn't likely to fade away in the fall, as he did as a freshman.
• He said it: "I mean, he developed, he came along. He was a true freshman, and he wasn’t as good as I hoped he was going to be or as good as he hoped he was going to be. But the best thing that happened to him was having to deal with success and failure, and having to go into an offseason saying, ‘My God, I was nowhere near where I want to be or where this offense for my head coach needs me to be.’ It really fueled the last six months." -- wide receivers coach Zach Smith, on Thomas
• Closing number: The second spring game for Thomas wasn't quite as explosive as the first, but he still put his mark on the exhibition with another productive outing during a pass-heavy afternoon. Thomas finished with seven catches for 79 yards, including a long of 31, and had a touchdown reception that highlighted his ability to come down with the football in traffic.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- There are two standards at the disposal of Zach Smith, and they’re equally effective at getting the attention the Ohio State wide receivers coach needs from his players.

If he wants, Smith can point to the bar that historically has been set so high by the Buckeyes who have come through the program, a pitch that works as both a motivator for players on campus and a recruiting tool off it.

“There have been seven first-rounders since 1995, more than anyone else in the country,” Smith said. “I don’t think there’s been a university in the last 17 years that has produced wideouts like this place has.”

If the promise of the NFL isn’t enough, Smith can simply refer to the resume of the head coach, Urban Meyer, and the value he places on receivers in his spread offense, and the type of numbers his system can produce for those capable of playing in it.

The trick to becoming a first-round draft pick can be just as challenging as learning all of the responsibilities in Ohio State’s playbook. Neither happens overnight or even in a full calendar year, but heading into their second season under Meyer and Smith, the Buckeyes at least appear to have a better grasp on the latter.

(Read full post)

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The book is closed on Urban Meyer's second spring camp with Ohio State, and the final pages weren't short on entertainment.

The Buckeyes hit the road for their annual exhibition on Saturday, heading down to Cincinnati for a 31-14 game won by the Scarlet that featured some familiar sights for the reigning Big Ten Leaders Division champs -- and a few developments that should be encouraging for Meyer heading into the summer.

1. Braxton Miller is still developing

The coaching staff has openly wondered what it might have been able to do with an extra year molding Miller before he was thrust into action as a true freshman, and the way the junior continues to show improvement offered another reminder why that would have been so valuable.

Miller's mechanics aren't immune to breakdowns, but his footwork, accuracy and decision-making all looked noticeably better on Saturday. Granted, it was an exhibition setting and there wasn't all that much pressure on him to perform. Miller didn't have the benefit of really using his legs to make plays, though, forcing him to rely on his arm in the pass-heavy scrimmage. He passed the test with 16 completions in 25 attempts, throwing for 217 yards and a pair of touchdowns without a turnover.

2. Anticipation grows for sophomore defensive ends

The brief glimpses of what Noah Spence and Adolphus Washington could do as freshmen last fall already raised expectations for the guys tasked with replacing John Simon and Nathan Williams as the bookends up front defensively. But the talented sophomores might have sent the bar into another stratosphere as they dominated pretty much everybody who tried to get in their path on the way to the quarterback.

(Read full post)

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Last year, Ohio State led the Big Ten in scoring at 37.2 points per game. Great, right?

Not in the minds of the Buckeyes, who thought they could have fielded a much better all-around attack.

"I feel like last year we didn't play a complete game as an offense," running back Carlos Hyde said. "Some games it was all running, while others it was just passing."

Head coach Urban Meyer rarely seemed happy with the offensive production last year, outside of the running skills of Hyde and quarterback Braxton Miller. He often expressed his dissatisfaction over a lack of speedy playmakers and an inconsistent passing game.

"I'd get frustrated," Meyer told ESPN.com. "But the bottom line is, name an offense that doesn't have guys who make people miss and are dynamic with the ball in their hands, and that's not a great offense. We don't have enough."

The names on offense haven't really changed much this spring. But the hope is that with another year of understanding the system, some improved throwing and catching and maybe some reinforcements from the recruiting class, the Buckeyes will come closer to fulfilling Meyer's vision of a truly great offense.

It all starts, of course, with Miller, whose efforts to become a more accurate passer this offseason have been well documented. Ohio State also needs continued development from its receivers, which is not a very deep group right now. Meyer singled out Corey "Philly" Brown, who led the team with 60 catches for 669 yards, as someone who's becoming one of those dynamic playmakers he's seeking.

"I've tried to work on my open-field running and body control so I could cut faster," Brown said. "It's really paying off for me right now."

Brown is the clear No. 1 receiver, but he needs more help. The team has only six scholarship receivers this spring, and offensive coordinator Tom Herman said he'd only feel comfortable playing four of them for a whole game. Devin Smith made some highlight-reel catches on deep balls early last year but was less effective down the stretch, as he had only 13 receptions in the final eight games.

"People, for lack of a better term, figured him out," Herman said. "He wasn't a very versatile guy. He did a couple of things really well, but the other things that he tried to do, he was very below average. He's starting to improve some of his weaknesses to be a more complete receiver, and he has a lot of physical tools and a great attitude."

Herman said Chris Fields has had a really good spring, and Evan Spencer is a reliable target. Sophomore Michael Thomas, the star of last year's spring game, has shown flashes of his talent but needs to progress in a lot of areas. Herman called the receiver depth "a bit scary right now." But the Buckeyes recruited several receivers in this year's class, including Jalin Marshall, Dontre Wilson, James Clark and Corey Smith. They're hoping at least one or two contributes right away.

"You hate to count on [recruits] because they're usually overrated," Meyer said. "But that's why we went out and recruited them."

"We're not asking them to come in and be Jerry Rice," Herman said. "We just hope they can provide some depth and maybe add some skills that we don't currently have in that room right now."

One area certainly not lacking in depth is at running back, where Hyde returns after rushing for 970 yards and 16 touchdowns last year. Rod Smith is having a good spring, Warren Ball appears to be coming on and if sixth-year senior Jordan Hall can ever stay healthy, he'll provide lots of versatility. There was a buzz last week in practice when the Buckeyes lined up with Hyde, Smith and Ball in the same backfield with Miller in a formation Meyer cribbed from the San Francisco 49ers.

"That can give a bunch of trouble to defenses," Hyde said. "They just see three big backs in the backfield and a quarterback who can also run the ball. They don't know who's getting the ball or who's going where."

Ohio State's offensive players do know where they're going, which is different than last spring. Now in the second year of the system, Herman says he can teach his guys not just what to do but why they're doing it.

"It's not just the memorization of, 'OK, I have to line up on the left here,'" he said. "I could train a monkey to do that. What separates really good offenses from average to below-average offenses is all 11 guys understanding the big picture, the entire concept and scheme we're trying to accomplish. It's been nice to kind of dive into that with all of our players this spring."

Knowing how to change a route against a certain defensive look, for instance, should help the Buckeyes play faster this year. The coaches have challenged the players to be a Top 5 offense in the nation this year. That's a lofty goal, but remember that this team is starting from an already high level despite its flaws.

"I definitely think we can be one of the top offenses in the country if everybody takes care of business and is mistake free," Brown said.

With national signing day in the books, the next big date on the Ohio State calendar as it continues working toward an encore for an undefeated season in 2013 is spring practice. Before those workouts begin, BuckeyeNation will take a look at each position to see where the roster is at -- and where it's going.

WIDE RECEIVERS

• Who's back: A valuable, versatile piece of the offense is gone, and Jake Stoneburner's size and ability to line up all over the formation will be missed. But the hybrid receiver-tight end didn't exactly produce as often as the Buckeyes were anticipating in his lone season in Urban Meyer's offense, and the two guys who truly carried the load in the passing game are both coming back and poised to take another step forward after upping their production last fall. Corey "Philly" Brown showed marked improvement from the beginning of the year to the end, and Devin Smith put his chemistry with Braxton Miller and knack for clutch receptions on display much more often as a sophomore. Behind those starters, Evan Spencer and rising sophomore Michael Thomas started gaining more trust from the coaches at the end of the perfect season and could start pushing for more work in the spring.
• New face: The cavalry is coming, but it hasn't arrived yet. The Buckeyes made speedy weapons at the skill positions a top priority on the recruiting trail, and the haul they landed could easily impact the spread offense right away with hype building already for Jalin Marshall, Dontre Wilson, James Clark and Corey Smith. But none of those guys will be on the field during spring workouts, leaving critical practice reps for the returning veterans.
• Projected spring depth chart: Brown's role could shift a bit to feature more work in the slot, a role that running back Jordan Hall or reserve Chris Fields could potentially play as well, as the Buckeyes tinker with matchups and formations. Spencer could then move into a starting role at the 'Z' spot where Brown was listed a year ago, with Smith backed up again by Thomas at the other spot.
• Numbers game: The approach was about as different as could be, but in terms of yardage, Smith and Brown wound up essentially in the same place. Brown vastly improved his number of receptions as a junior, going from 14 to 60 and claiming the team lead by doubling Smith's total. But Smith's ability to streak behind defensive backs and track down the ball produced almost as twice as much yardage per catch as Brown averaged -- with the two combining in the end for 90 catches, 1,287 yards and 9 touchdowns.
• One to watch: Early enrollment gave Thomas a jump on learning the system and a stage to showcase his skills in the spring game a year ago, with the latter in particular taking the buzz about his potential to another level after wowing the crowd at Ohio Stadium with 12 receptions for 131 yards. That performance perhaps put some unfair expectations on a true freshman, and he wasn't ready to meet them in his first campaign while finishing with 3 catches for 22 yards. But those extra workouts a year ago and another full slate of offseason conditioning could start paying some dividends heading into his sophomore season, and setting the table with productive workouts in March and April will be critical with more competition for playing time on the way.
• He said it: "I think we were built a little differently. But to say we never had talent, I never said that. We maybe didn't have the home-run hitter [with] explosiveness, open-space players on offense, but you know what, some guys really grew up and did a good job for us. 'Philly' Brown did a nice job, but we don't have enough. When you're running an offense where you want three or four split guys all the time and you only have one or two, that's not enough. I think we're starting to get a little bit of that built up." -- Meyer on signing day

Heading into the new year and offseason workouts, BuckeyeNation will look at some holes left by the departing Ohio State veterans and potential candidates to fill them.

WIDE RECEIVER

• Who: The transformation into the ultimate mismatch didn't quite materialize after Jake Stoneburner moved from tight end to wide receiver, and he wasn't able to equal his dynamic red-zone production from his junior season during his senior campaign with Ohio State. But while Stoneburner went through some rough patches and perhaps didn't give the Buckeyes everything they might have hoped for after moving him around the formation, he was still dangerous at times as a target with 16 catches and four touchdowns and leaves a 6-foot-5 hole to fill on the perimeter. And even when his own statistics weren't all that impressive, Stoneburner still found ways to make an impact by throwing around his 245-pound frame and improving as a run-blocker to help the Buckeyes explode on the ground.
• By the numbers: Not exactly known for his speed, Stoneburner still tied for the longest reception of the season after darting down the middle of the field for a 72-yard touchdown that effectively sealed a road victory at Penn State in October. That huge strike offered a reminder of the big-play ability Stoneburner brought to the position, which prompted the move in the first place. It was maybe also somewhat bittersweet for the Buckeyes, who might have liked to see it more often -- that dash against the Nittany Lions represented 27 percent of his yardage for the season.
• Job description: The Buckeyes need somebody capable of stressing coverage in the middle of the field, keeping defenses honest against both the threat of the run and allowing Devin Smith and Corey "Philly" Brown room to operate on the outside. Ohio State had few problems putting up points and obviously finished with a perfect record, but the offense could potentially become even more prolific if it can tap into some space across the middle of the field with a big, fearless target who can offer a reliable set of hands for quarterback Braxton Miller and the ability after that to do something extra with the football in his grasp.
• Top candidates: Given his responsibilities previously when exclusively at tight end or the diverse package of duties he had as a senior, it might take a combination of guys to fill Stoneburner's void. At tight end, the Buckeyes already know what they have in Nick Vannett and Jeff Heuerman and have plenty to feel good about there. Chris Fields flashed in a limited role as Stoneburner's official backup at the "H" wide receiver, but Michael Thomas could be an option to watch after breaking into the rotation more regularly at the end of his freshman season. The rising sophomore has a good relationship with Miller and the kind of size at 6-foot-2 that combines with impressive athleticism to make for a difficult defensive assignment, which gives him a shot at becoming the No. 3 option statistically.
• One to watch: Evan Spencer won't exactly be emerging from nowhere after finishing fourth on the team with 12 catches during the perfect season, particularly after finishing strong down the stretch with the majority of his production coming in the final five games. That late burst offered a glimpse at the kind of weapon Spencer could be in the passing game, and while he obviously doesn't have the same body type as Stoneburner, he should still be able at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds to chip in some blocks for the run game and win his share of matchups after another offseason to build his game.

Ohio State coach Urban Meyer made it clear Monday: he's not going to change Braxton Miller.

"You let him be him," Meyer said.

It could result in more moments like the one late in the third quarter Saturday against Purdue, when Miller writhed in pain on the turf after being slammed on his neck. While no one hopes it results in another trip to the hospital, the quarterback's style of play as a runner keeps the ambulance team on alert.

Miller has taken fans' breath away with his dynamic running skills in Meyer's spread offense this season. He also has had Buckeye Nation holding its breath a few times.

It's hard to have one without the other, especially as Ohio State tries to develop more reliable offensive weapons around its best player. Meyer noted Monday that if other offensive players step up, Miller will have to do less, thereby reducing his injury risk. Interestingly enough, Ohio State got several out-of-nowhere contributions -- notably from wide receiver Chris Fields -- after Miller left Ohio Stadium in an ambulance.

Fortunately, Miller is OK. Meyer said the sophomore quarterback has a "very, very sore neck," and had a whiplash-like feeling at the time. But after all the tests came back negative, Miller will return to the practice field Tuesday. He's expected to start Saturday night against Penn State.

"We are trying to balance it," Meyer said. "We don't go crazy with him running the ball. At some point, though, you have to try to move the ball a little bit. We're very cognizant of that."

Meyer is still "very concerned" about Miller taking big shots, as the quarterback has in games against Michigan State, Nebraska and Purdue to name a few. Asked if the trend is symptomatic for quarterbacks in his offense, Meyer noted that former Florida star Tim Tebow took some shots, while Chris Leak, Alex Smith and Josh Harris did a better job of staying out of harm's way.

"He doesn't go down very easily, and he's a competitive guy," Meyer said of Miller. "The good thing is, he usually bounces right back up. This one was a tough one. … He just is a dynamic athlete. He's more difficult to bring down."

The Ohio State coaches can tell Miller to keep his well-being in mind -- to run out of bounds after getting a first down, maybe even to slide once in a while. They can limit him to 12-15 carries rather than 18-20. But it's not in Miller's nature to go down easily. Miller's natural ability to break tackles and find running room when none seems to be available also leads to fewer safe plays.

Asked if Miller's injury issues will have any impact on his play calling against Penn State, offensive coordinator Tom Herman said, "None. We've got to win the game. ... That won't factor into any of our decisions."

This is Ohio State's reality in 2012 as it tries to build scoring threats around Miller. For long stretches, he has been the Buckeyes' offense.

If that's the case going forward, there will be more breathtaking runs -- and more breath-holding hits. Bring your oxygen.