Ramping UpRamping UpRamping UpMeyer, Buckeyes Enter Taxing Part Of Preseason PreparationsMeyer, Buckeyes Enter Taxing Part Of Preseason Preparations

Aug. 13, 2013Aug. 13, 2013

2 BSB Quickly Aug. 13, 2013 Cover

QuicklyQuicklyPublisher ........... Frank MoskowitzAsst. Publisher .....Becky RobertsEditor ...........................Jeff Svoboda

Staff WritersMarcus HartmanAri Wasserman

Designer/Staff WriterMatthew Hager

PhotographersSonny Brockway

Kevin DyeJosh Winslow

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On The Cover:Ohio State head coach Urban

Meyer spoke to the press Aug. 11 to start off the annual Media Day.

(Photo courtesy of Kevin Dye)

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The next print edition of Buckeye Sports Bulletin (Au-gust cover date) will be mailed Aug. 22.

Aug. 13, 2013

Aug. 10 scrimmage and spoke with Meyer about how impressed he had been with Miller’s mechanics and comfort in the pocket.

That’s exactly what Meyer has been seeing as well, and when paired with more vocal leadership out of the third-year starter, those improvements would seem to suggest a special campaign is in the off-ing for the signal caller.

“I’ve got to be careful because I just glow,” Meyer said. “I love Braxton Miller. He and (quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator) Tom Herman have some-thing really special going on right now. You can see it on the field. You can see his maturity.”

Meyer also raved about the talent pres-ent at the skill positions on the team, something that could not be said a year ago. The head coach famously labeled his passing game “nonfunctional” and labeled the entire offense with the term “clown show” in the spring of 2012 – labels that couldn’t really be argued after the team couldn’t get a single receiver to 15 catches in the 2011 campaign – but was much more optimistic about his team’s ability to score points this fall.

“We are developing some depth at receiver,” Meyer said. “Philly Brown, Evan Spencer is having his best camp – he’s a much different player than he was a year ago – and Devin Smith are our top three guys going into it. We have two very good tight ends, and then we have some other skilled athletes with Jordan Hall and then the tailback position, which we have some depth there.”

Perhaps most importantly, there are players who can play both the hybrid “H” position in the team’s offense and who can bust a big play. The return of Hall, who missed most of the 2012 campaign after suffering a lacerated foot and subsequent knee injury, provides the team with some key flexibility, as he can play both running back in place of suspended starter Carlos Hyde and the “H” spot thanks to his quick-ness and pass-catching skills.

Meanwhile, a dose of incoming fresh-men has provided a “jolt,” to use Meyer’s word, and the coach expects to see a faster team on the offensive side of the

By Jeff Svoboda

It looks unassuming.In fact, if you didn’t know it was there,

you would have no idea it’s such an important piece of grass for the Ohio State football team.

The green patch on the northwest side of Ohio State’s campus, separated from Ackerman Road and Fred Taylor Drive by a chain link fence, looks like any athlet-ics field, but from Aug. 12-17, it will forge OSU’s team into a unit that expects to contend for Big Ten and national cham-pionships.

The field, remade last fall from empty space at the request of head coach Urban Meyer, is in the midst of hosting nine practices in those six days including three different instances of two-a-day practices.

Big Ten rival Northwestern holds its football camp in Kenosha, Wis., while Illinois goes up the road from Champaign to Rantoul. Ohio State doesn’t go that far away from its home base, but to Meyer, the daily short bus trips from the Woody Hayes Athletic Center to the Ackerman field provides the chance for the team to come together in the dog days of fall camp.

“There’s a lot of reasons why we do it, but the most important is you have to feel bad before you feel good and appreciate what you’ve got, so that’s one of the rea-sons we do it,” Meyer said at the team’s annual Media Day on Aug. 11.

“I would like to go away but that’s hard to do with the video equipment and all your teaching facilities we have here, so that’s why we do it.”

Meyer will find out a lot about his team through that stretch of nine practices – the most intense preparation in advance of Ohio State’s Aug. 31 opener vs. Buffalo in Ohio Stadium – but he seemed quite pleased with what he had seen through the first week of work.

Much of that optimism centered on the growth this offseason of quarterback Braxton Miller. Former Mount Union head coach Larry Kehres – he of the 332-24-3 record and 11 national champi-onships in his college coaching career at the Division III level – was at the team’s

Buckeyes Enter Difficult Portion Of Fall Camp

Aug. 13, 2013 BSB Quickly 3Cover

have very many older guys. None of them are seniors. I expect those guys to really develop.”

There aren’t quite as many questions in the back end, but Meyer did note that a few positions are close to being filled. Junior Curtis Grant has moved into the No. 1 spot at middle linebacker, while sophomore Joshua Perry is the top strongside LB and redshirt freshman Tyvis Powell continues to hold on to the nickel role he started at in spring ball.

Meyer also seems pleased with the mind-set of his team to this point. With the team again eligible for postseason play after last year’s bowl ban, Meyer has been impressed with the Buckeyes’ focus, something the team honed while chasing down its Big Ten Leaders Division cham-pionship last season.

“Our goal is to compete for champion-ships in November,” Meyer said. “The cool thing last year is that after they told us we could (compete for the divi-sion championship), that was the same goal and we had a great year. I don’t feel any difference. I imagine when they are away from us, they hear chatter, but it’s to compete for a championship in November, so I really don’t feel any dif-ferent pulse. I think that’s a credit to last year’s group, too. They just went about their business, and that was refreshing to be around.”

In addition to taking the team photo and meeting with the media on its Aug. 11 day off, the team also got to hear from a number of speakers who addressed the players and family members on hand.

“What we do today, we have something called the Buckeye experience where a lot of former players come and talk about the great traditions of Ohio State – the Buckeye leaves, the Senior Tackle, Buckeye Grove, the Victory Bell, the fight song,” Meyer said. “The band director is going to come in tonight. It’s a special place, and I want our players to own it, not rent it. I want them to take shares, stock in Ohio State, not be a one-and-done type of player because that’s not how you win games.”

With that concluded, it was back to work for the Buckeyes, but with the sea-son opener less than three weeks away, the crucial work under the hot August sun will continue to forge the Buckeye squad.

“This next week is tough,” Meyer said. “We have nine practices in six days, so the 2013 Ohio State Buckeyes will be deter-mined by this week coming up.”

ball in 2013 after OSU placed fifth in the Big Ten last season in plays of 20 yards or more, a standing that clearly left the coach wanting more.

In fact, Meyer compared the Buckeyes to his 2006 national championship-win-ning squad at Florida. That team added impact freshmen such as Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin, while the coach’s current team has been impressed by the take-it-to-the-house ability of youngsters Dontre Wilson, Ezekiel Elliott and Jalin Marshall.

“Our thing is you don’t redshirt, you play,” Meyer said. “We’re not saving them. Guys go play. We recruit you, we tell you you’re going to play. If you don’t play, it’s

because you’re not good enough, it’s not because we’re saving you for five years down the road.”

Defensively, there continue to be a number of options on the defensive line, perhaps the most muddled position on the team. Meyer praised sophomore ends Noah Spence and Adolphus Washington as potential all-conference players, but with no seniors in the defensive line room and plenty of youth among the 19 players at that spot, there will definitely be room to grow.

“I’m seeing some progress in technique and some things that we expect, and it has to happen,” Meyer said. “We just don’t

KEVIN DYELOFTY ASPIRATIONS – Ohio State sophomore defensive lineman Adolphus Washington was mentioned by head coach Urban Meyer as a player who could be an All-Big Ten selection in his career.

2014 FOOTBALLAug. 30 vs. Navy at BaltimoreSept. 13 KENT STATESept. 20 VIRGINIA TECHSept. 27 CINCINNATIOct. 4 at MarylandOct. 18 RUTGERSOct. 25 at Penn StateNov. 1 ILLINOISNov. 8 at Michigan StateNov. 15 at MinnesotaNov. 22 INDIANANov. 29 MICHIGANDec. 6 Big Ten Champ. Game

2015 FOOTBALL(Incomplete)

Sept. 12 NORTHERN ILLINOISSept. 19 at Virginia TechOct. 3 at IndianaOct. 10 MARYLANDOct. 17 PENN STATEOct. 24 at RutgersNov. 7 MINNESOTANov. 14 at IllinoisNov. 21 MICHIGAN STATENov. 28 at MichiganDec. 5 Big Ten Champ. Game

2016 FOOTBALLSept. 3 BOWLING GREENSept. 10 TULSASept. 17 at OklahomaOct. 1 RUTGERSOct. 8 INDIANAOct. 15 at WisconsinOct. 22 at Penn StateOct. 29 NORTHWESTERNNov. 5 at MarylandNov. 12 NEBRASKANov. 19 at Michigan StateNov. 26 MICHIGANDec. 3 Big Ten Champ. Game

2017 FOOTBALLSept. 2 at IndianaSept. 9 TBASept. 16 OKLAHOMASept. 23 at North CarolinaSept. 30 at RutgersOct. 7 MARYLANDOct. 14 at NebraskaOct. 28 PENN STATENov. 4 at IowaNov. 11 MICHIGAN STATENov. 18 ILLINOISNov. 25 at MichiganDec. 3 Big Ten Champ. Game

Ohio State Future Schedules

2013 Ohio State Football ScheduleDate Opponent Time (ET) TV

Aug. 31 BUFFALO Noon ESPN2

Sept. 7 SAN DIEGO STATE 3:30 p.m. ABC

Sept. 14 at California 7 p.m. FOX

Sept. 21 FLORIDA A&M TBA TBA

Sept. 28 WISCONSIN 8 p.m. ABC, ESPN or ESPN2

Oct. 5 at Northwestern 8 p.m. ABC, ESPN or ESPN2

Oct. 19 IOWA 3:30 p.m. ABC, ESPN or ESPN2

Oct. 26 PENN STATE 8 p.m. ABC, ESPN or ESPN2

Nov. 2 at Purdue TBA TBA

Nov. 16 at Illinois TBA TBA

Nov. 23 INDIANA TBA TBA

Nov. 30 at Michigan TBA TBA

Dec. 7 Big Ten Title Game 8:17 p.m. FOX

6 BSB Quickly Aug. 13, 2013 Insider

“Any of us that have ever had chil-dren go through teenage years know that there’s a growing period there,” Hinton said. “Sometimes you have to put your thumb on them really hard, and absolutely we’re very disappointed that it happened and very disappointed in the choice, but part of it is you have to learn and grow. You do the discipline part just as you would as a parent.”

OSU Donates PSU Bowl Money To Local Charities

Ohio State announced in early August that it will donate its share of the Big Ten’s bowl payout normally due to Penn State to local children’s charities, with $150,000 going to the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Center for Family Safety and Healing and $31,344 to Court Appointed Special Advocates of Franklin County.

The money, provided by the Big Ten with the mandate that it go to help child-focused organizations in the Columbus area in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse scandal that involved Penn State, will go a long way to helping the central Ohio community.

“It was an easy decision to fund the Center for Family Safety and Healing and CASA,” OSU athletics director Gene Smith said. “They are powerhouse resources for families and children in crisis and are so very worthy of community investment. The work they do is critically important to helping restore the lives of children and families in need. It is our hope that in sup-porting their incredible work, others will follow suit.”

While Nationwide Children’s is one of the most visible entities in central Ohio, CASA is an organization that trains indi-viduals to advocate in the court system for children suffering from violent abuse and severe neglect.

CASA president Greg May told BSB he was not sure exactly how the money would be spent but explained that his organiza-tion generally spends about $1,000-1,200 in helping each child.

“So theoretically I think we could say there’s going to be somewhere between 20 and 30 extra children that will be helped from this money,” May said. “One of the other things that we may use this money for – the heart and soul of our organization are the volunteer guardians that we recruit, screen, train and then assign cases. We have over 200 active volunteer guardians, we call them CASAs – that stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates.

suffering a torn ACL that knocked him out for the rest of the year.

He was still limited by the injury in spring practice, but OSU co-defensive coor-dinator and safeties coach Everett Withers said after spring ball that he was looking forward to the return of both Murray and fellow 2012 defensive back signee Devan Bogard, who also spent the offseason rehabbing from knee surgery.

“We need them back for camp because I think if we can do that it will allow us to build some depth at a position that we need it,” Withers said in May.

In the only practice open to the media so far this preseason (Aug. 7), Murray was part of the second-team defense playing the team’s nickel back role.

Also part of the second team was Bradley Roby, a conspicuous member of that group considering he was an All-Big Ten selec-tion last season as a sophomore and has been projected as an All-American this season by more than one group.

Cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs con-firmed assumptions Roby’s status as a sec-ond-teamer is a result of his involvement in an incident at a bar in Bloomington, Ind., in late July.

Asked how he is approaching handling Roby during preseason camp and if he will be available for the season opener Aug. 31 against Buffalo, Coombs chose to answer only the former question.

“My approach is to coach him really hard every day at whatever he does,” Coombs said. “I think there’s great value for all of our guys whenever you can go against the best the offense has to offer. If we’re going ones against twos, who would that be? That would be Philly (Brown) and Devin (Smith), right? Maybe I can get some work in with the twos.

“And at the corner position with it being an individual skill-set it doesn’t matter if you’re a one or a two, and I don’t think it matters in the totality of our defense. What matters is that you line up on that play and do your job to the best of your ability.”

Lastly there is Marcus Baugh, a fresh-man tight end also in the doghouse as a result of being arrested for underage consumption and using a fake ID at a Columbus bar in July.

Baugh is suspended for the season opener but is practicing with the team, and tight ends coach Tim Hinton said he remains in the running for playing time this season at a position that includes veterans Jeff Heuerman and Nick Vannett as well as redshirt freshman Blake Thomas.

Meyer AddressesPersonnel Issues

Ohio State’s annual Media Day included several personnel updates, the most nota-ble coming from head coach Urban Meyer, who announced a sophomore defensive back is suspended while an incoming fresh-man will not play this season.

The latter is Donovan Munger, a 6-3, 290-pound defensive lineman from Shaker Heights, Ohio, who missed summer class-es and workouts because of an NCAA Clearinghouse issue. That has been worked out and Munger will join the team Aug. 14, but Meyer announced a medical issue will keep him from playing this season.

“He had a blood clot, so he will not play this fall,” Meyer said. “He’s not been cleared to play, but he will be in school and he gets here this week, which is good to get him here and get going. He was cleared by the clearinghouse.”

Munger was a four-star recruit and the No. 22-ranked defensive tackle in the nation by Scout.com.

Less certain is the status of Najee Murray, a sophomore defensive back from Steubenville who is sidelined indefinitely with what Meyer termed “a training camp issue.”

Murray was a four-star recruit and the 20th-ranked cornerback in the nation in 2012. Among a handful of players to ver-bally commit to be a Buckeye between the period of time after Jim Tressel was forced out as head coach in May 2011 and the day Meyer was hired in late November, he is an OSU Scholar-Athlete who has yet to choose a major.

Murray played in the first six games last season – mostly on special teams – before

INSIDER

Aug. 13, 2013 BSB Quickly 7Insider

He returned a punt 71 yards for a score in the third quarter then caught a 36-yard touchdown pass in the fourth. He finished with two catches for 59 yards.

“We knew that we have a bunch of guys that can play,” Sanzenbacher told reporters in Atlanta after the game. “Unfortunately, we have had some injuries early in camp, but thankfully they’re not that serious and it gives the rest of us an opportunity to get reps in games.”

In the same game – a 34-10 Bengals win – Buckeye great Mike Nugent kicked a pair of PATs and made a 32-yard field goal.

Dan “Boom” Herron, part of a crowded picture at running back that includes a pair of rookies in fellow All-Big Ten selection Rex Burkhead from Nebraska and North Carolina standout Gio Bernard, ran eight times for 30 yards late in the game.

Reid Fragel is on the Bengals roster, but the offensive lineman missed the game with a knee injury.

The number of former Ohio State play-ers vying for NFL jobs shrank by one following the opening weekend of the pre-season as the Tennessee Titans released defensive lineman/linebacker Thaddeus Gibson.

Prior to the first round of preseason games, offensive lineman Justin Boren was released by the Denver Broncos, who then placed him on season-ending injured reserve after he cleared waivers. Boren was unable to practice because of a toe injury. In addition, the Vikings released rookie linebacker Nathan Williams on Aug. 6 in order to sign former Purdue player Stanford Keglar.

Oden To Attempt ReturnWith Defending NBA Champs

Greg Oden, the 2007 Big Ten Freshman of the Year during his only season at Ohio State, will attempt to salvage his NBA career with the two-time defending cham-pion Miami Heat this season.

The signing became official Aug. 7 when the club announced the move following a courtship that reportedly also included the Cleveland Cavaliers and Dallas Mavericks, among other teams.

“After many months of discussion, eval-uations and speaking with Greg, we felt it was a perfect time for him to make his comeback and re-enter the NBA with the Miami Heat,” team president Pat Riley said.

Oden was the No. 1 recruit in the coun-try coming out of Indianapolis Lawrence North in 2006 and chose to enter the NBA

“Particularly, we need African-American and Hispanic males just to balance things out. The great majority of our existing volunteer CASAs are female. We’ll take anyone that wants to volunteer and become a CASA, but in order for us to really do more good for abused and neglected boys, it would be nice for us to be able to connect with them with a male CASA.”

He added that the additional funds would likely help the group recruit, screen and train more volunteers.

“Our numbers are adequate,” May said, “but we’ve got our sights set on improving our demographic profile a little bit so I would say some of that money is going to go to do that.”

Former Ohio State running back Calvin Murray is on CASA’s board, and May said that he was pleased his organization ended up as one of the charities helped by the OSU donation.

“The exposure that we’re getting from this is just as valuable as the money that we’re getting,” he said. “When Ohio State puts their stamp on something, that means something in this town.”

Sanzenbacher, Pryor Headline Buckeyes In NFL

Of the 45 former Ohio State football players on NFL rosters when the league’s first round of preseason games began Aug. 8, Dane Sanzenbacher and Terrelle Pryor turned in the performances that grabbed the most headlines.

Pryor, a third-year quarterback for the Oakland Raiders, completed 6 of 10 passes for 88 yards playing in relief of starter Matt Flynn in his team’s opening preseason game Aug. 9 against the Dallas Cowboys. The three-year Ohio State starter threw an interception in the end zone and led a drive that resulted in a field goal. He also ran for 31 yards on three carries.

“It was just me being greedy,” Pryor said of his interception. “I looked at the pictures and I could have ran it easy. That was just me being greedy.”

The Raiders won by a 19-17 score on a last-minute field goal.

Former Ohio State cornerback Chimdi Chekwa had four tackles for the Raiders while veteran Buckeye Will Allen started at strong safety for the Cowboys but did not record a stat.

A third-year wide receiver in camp with the Cincinnati Bengals, Sanzenbacher scored two touchdowns while taking advantage of playing time Aug. 8 against Atlanta afforded by several injuries in the receiving corps.

draft after helping lead the Buckeyes to the Final Four and a national runner-up fin-ish. The 7-footer averaged 15.7 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game for the Scarlet and Gray.

“I am very excited and happy to be here,” Oden said after signing a two-year deal worth a reported $2.1 million. “I’m thankful to the Miami Heat organization for bringing me in, and I’m ready to get to work.”

The Portland Trail Blazers chose Oden with the first pick in the draft but never saw a return on their investment as multiple knee injuries limited him to 82 games in three seasons. He started 60 games and averaged 9.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks for the Blazers.

Oden missed all of the last three sea-sons. He is expected to be a role player at most for the Heat, who despite winning the past two championships lack depth in the frontcourt.

“It’s a great challenge for him,” Riley said. “We know all about his past injuries, but we feel that there is a huge upside and the possibility of him helping us. That’s why we took the risk. We will continue his program, and then we will tackle basketball issues after that.”

BSB 2013 Electronic Issue ScheduleJan. 11Jan. 15Jan. 18Jan. 25Jan. 29Feb. 1Feb. 5Feb. 8Feb. 19March 5March 19April 2April 9May 7May 14May 21May 28June 18

July 16July 26July 30Aug. 6Aug. 13Aug. 30Sept. 6Sept. 13Sept. 20Sept. 27Oct. 4Oct. 18Oct. 25Nov. 1Nov. 15Nov. 22Nov. 29Dec. 6*

* – Tentative

CLT

8 NOAH SPENCE, 6-3, 247, SO.34 Jamal Marcus, 6-2, 230, So.94 Rashad Frazier, 6-4, 271, Jr.

92 ADOLPHUS WASHINGTON, 6-3, 292, SO.88 Steve Miller, 6-3, 252, Jr.

51 JOEL HALE, 6-4, 309, JR.72 Chris Carter, 6-4, 341, So.

63 MICHAEL BENNETT, 6-3, 285, JR.90 Tommy Schutt, 6-2, 303, So.

1 BRADLEY ROBY, 5-11, 192, JR.13 Eli Apple, 6-1, 188, Fr.19 Gareon Conley, 6-2, 170, Fr.

CB

12 DORAN GRANT, 5-11, 191, JR.26 Armani Reeves, 5-10, 197, So.

CB

71 COREY LINSLEY, 6-3, 297, 5TH SR.50 Jacoby Boren, 6-2, 287, So,65 Pat Elflein, 6-2, 293, R-Fr.

79 MARCUS HALL, 6-6, 315, 5TH SR.55 Tommy Brown, 6-4, 310, So.

74 JACK MEWHORT, 6-7, 308, 5TH SR.76 Darryl Baldwin, 6-6, 307, Jr.

78 ANDREW NORWELL, 6-6, 319, SR.69 Eric Kramer, 6-4, 295, Jr.

68 TAYLOR DECKER, 6-7, 315, SO.57 Chase Farris, 6-4, 300, So.

86 JEFF HEUERMAN, 6-6, 250, JR.81 Nick Vannett, 6-6, 255, So.

9 DEVIN SMITH, 6-1, 198, JR.83 Michael Thomas, 6-3, 199, So.

X

2 CHRISTIAN BRYANT, 5-10, 192, SR.20 Ron Tanner, 6-0, 200, So.

DENTDTLEO

TERT

K

P

LG RG

24 DREW BASIL, 6-2, 210, SR.39 Kyle Clinton, 6-1, 216, Jr.23 Tim Scott, 5-11, 185, Jr.

95 CAMERON JOHNSTON, 6-0, 185, FR.24 Drew Basil, 6-2, 210, Sr.

3 COREY BROWN, 6-1, 201, 5TH SR.7 Vonn Bell, 6-1, 190, Fr.

DIME

37 JOSHUA PERRY, 6-4, 243, SO.38 Craig Fada, 6-0, 226, So.

14 CURTIS GRANT, 6-3, 241, JR.44 Mike Mitchell, 6-4, 225, Fr.

48 Joe Burger, 6-2, 238, So.

10 RYAN SHAZIER, 6-2, 222, JR.37 Joshua Perry, 6-4, 243, So.

WLB MLB SLB

S S

BSB’s Projected Preseason Camp Depth Chart

Punt Returner: 10 Philly Brown, 9 Devin SmithKickoff Returners: 2 Rod Smith, 25 Bri’onte Dunn

Long Snappers: 41 Bryce Haynes, 56 George MakridisHolders: 13 Kenny Guiton

4 C.J. BARNETT, 6-1, 203, 5TH SR.3 Corey Brown, 6-1, 201, 5th Sr.

QB

RB

2 ROD SMITH, 6-3, 238, JR.25 Bri’onte Dunn, 6-0, 222, So.28 Warren Ball, 6-1, 222, R-Fr.

5 BRAXTON MILLER, 6-2, 215, JR.13 Kenny Guiton, 6-3, 208, 5th Sr.12 Cardale Jones, 6-5, 241, R-Fr.

Z

10 PHILLY BROWN, 6-0, 187, SR.6 Evan Spencer, 6-2, 206, Jr.

H

7 JORDAN HALL, 5-8, 197, 5TH SR.80 Chris Fields, 6-0, 200, 5th Sr.

23 TYVIS POWELL, 6-3, 201, R-FR.11 Adam Griffin, 5-8, 183, Jr.

STAR

A.J. Hawk

John Epitropoulos

Justin Zwick

Ryan Miller

William WhiteDimitrious Stanley

James Laurinaitis

Craig Krenzel

Raymont Harris

Kirk Herbstreit

Mike DossTom Cousineau

Anthony SchlegelScoonie Penn

Jim Cordle

Brutus BuckeyeJJ Sullinger

Dane Sanzenbacher

Malcolm Jenkins

Eddie George

Archie Griffin

Bobby Carpenter Hopalong Cassady

Kurt Coleman

Jake Ballard Michael BrewsterTodd Boeckman Zach Boren

John Simon

Robert Smith

The 7th annual Buckeye Cruise for Cancer sets sail from Tampa, Florida on Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas on a 5-day, 4-night cruise to Grand Cayman! Over one million dollars was raised on last year’s cruise to support cancer research, bringing the total raised to 3 million dollars!

The cruise will bene t the rban and Shelley eyer Fund for Cancer ����������������� �������� ,���� ��������� ,������,�� ���� �� ���� �� ,������

ospital and Solove Research ns tute This fund is dedicated to the recruitment of cancer research e perts to The ames, so that we con nue to have the best and brightest minds at Ohio State

February 20 - 24, 2014

To book a cabin or for more informa on call 4-7 - 4 *Athletes subject to change.

By Ari Wasserman

Ohio State enters the 2013 season as a favorite to compete for a national cham-pionship, but that doesn’t mean the team isn’t – like every other team in the country – facing personnel questions.

Through Aug. 12, media members watched a practice and have had multiple times to interact with head coach Urban Meyer and members of his staff. With that in mind, BSB takes a look at who is step-ping up at each position with an overall evaluation of what we’ve seen so far.

QuarterbackStepping up: Multiple members of the

Ohio State coaching staff have said last year’s offense was running at only a frac-tion of what Meyer envisions as its full potential. Some of that was because the Buckeyes lacked dynamic and experi-enced talent at the skill positions, but some of that was because Braxton Miller wasn’t a fully developed quarterback despite his immense talent. If OSU is going to follow through on its national title aspirations, Miller has to take that next step and become a complete quarterback, and all indications are that the team’s most valu-able player has done that.

Overall: Until Miller proves he can stay healthy for an entire season, all the quar-terbacks on the roster will be in pivotal roles. Though Kenny Guiton suffered a minor hand injury during the offseason, he has looked primed in the early por-tions of fall camp to continue as the team’s backup, a role in which he excelled a year ago. Between Guiton, Cardale Jones and freshman J.T. Barrett, the Buckeyes seem to have much-needed depth at the most crucial position on the field.

Running BackStepping up: Jordan Hall told BSB that

he isn’t sure what his actual position is in OSU’s offense, but the fifth-year senior has been the player coaches have pointed to as the one who will pick up the most slack in Carlos Hyde’s absence. A shifty player who can run between the tackles and catch the ball out of the back-field, Hall’s versatility should keep the Buckeyes’ offense humming while Hyde serves a three-game suspension.

Overall: Running back was a position of great depth for Ohio State’s roster even

extra dynamic as well, as both can catch the ball with some skill.

Fullback/Tight End Stepping up: The fullback and tight end

positions have become one and the same in Ohio State’s offense, and there are multiple viable options to earn time on the field. The player who has stepped up as the go-to guy, however, is Jeff Heuerman. A physical specimen, Heuerman has the ability to block very efficiently and bring down balls in the passing attack, so his versatility should give him a rather exten-sive role this year.

Overall: Speaking of pass-catching abil-ity, sophomore Nick Vannett has been one of the players praised by Meyer the most during the past year. He’ll likely be in the mix in passing situations because he’s more advanced with his athleticism. The group is talented and diverse, so expect its members to be utilized in a variety of ways.

Offensive LineStepping Up: He competed with Reid

Fragel for the starting spot at right tackle last season, but Taylor Decker couldn’t earn the role in his freshman season. In his second year with the Buckeyes,

before Meyer took the job. Now between Hall, Rod Smith, Bri’onte Dunn, Warren Ball and Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State will have plenty of candidates vying to earn the available carries. What makes OSU even more dangerous is that all of the aforementioned players sport very differ-ent natural skill-sets.

Wide ReceiverStepping up: Ohio State returns proven

veterans such as Philly Brown and Devin Smith, and the name that keeps popping up as the most improved player is that of Evan Spencer. But perhaps the player who has received the most buzz is freshman Dontre Wilson, who Meyer said brings an element of speed and explosiveness that OSU lacked last year. Maybe his posi-tion isn’t defined as only a wide receiver, but it’s clear the Buckeyes will utilize his talents catching and running the ball this season.

Overall: In his first spring practice at Ohio State, Meyer saw a passing game that struggled so much that he referred to it as nonfunctional. Now, the wide receivers are part of one of the most experienced units on Ohio State’s roster. Adding in freshman speedsters Wilson and Jalin Marshall gives the Buckeyes an

10 BSB Quickly Aug. 13, 2013 Football

Several Buckeyes Leaving Camp Impressions

KEVIN DYESTEPPING UP – Junior Evan Spencer (6) has received praise early in preseason camp for being most improved.

Aug. 13, 2013 BSB Quickly 11Football

have been reserved for Bradley Roby, per-haps the most dynamic talent on OSU’s defense, but he’s still facing uncertainty regarding his availability for the beginning of the season after becoming involved in an off-the-field situation. So instead the nod goes to Christian Bryant, who has emerged as an unquestioned leader on the OSU defense.

however, Decker has turned the corner and earned the starting nod on the right edge of Ohio State’s offensive line. He has the perfect frame as a collegiate tackle – which was true last year – but the rest of the game has simply slowed down enough for Decker to be trusted with that pivotal role.

Overall: With four out of five starting spots, excluding Decker, being occupied by seniors, the offensive line is the most veteran position group on the team. And with an offense hoping to reach even greater heights in Meyer’s second year, having an experienced and talented unit on the offensive front is a must for the Buckeyes.

Defensive LineStepping Up: Through the first few

weeks of practice, the player who has stood out the most is end Adolphus Washington. Though fellow sophomore Noah Spence is right behind him, Washington has seemingly returned to the dominant form he possessed in his senior season at Cincinnati Taft. He is constantly in the backfield, and opposing teams will cer-tainly struggle to slow Washington.

Overall: After losing all four starters on the defensive front a year ago, this unit has perhaps the biggest responsibility to fill back in quickly. The Buckeyes will lean on Washington and Spence, but interior guys such as Joel Hale, Michael Bennett and Tommy Schutt must be productive if OSU wants to compete at the highest level.

LinebackerStepping Up: Ohio State went to camp

knowing that linebacker sported the least amount of depth of any position on the team, but the good news is that returning starter Ryan Shazier is perhaps the best LB in the Big Ten. He must step up to keep the Silver Bullet defense intact, and his combination of size, speed and instinct should lead the unit.

Overall: Curtis Grant and Joshua Perry seem to be viable options to join Shazier as starters when OSU is in its base defense, but both have a lot to prove and experi-ence to gain. Ohio State will likely be in the nickel a lot – Grant should come off in those instances – but the linebackers as a whole certainly aren’t the team’s strength heading into the season.

Defensive BacksStepping Up: This spot likely would

Overall: Ohio State returns a lot of tal-ent in the secondary between Bryant and C.J. Barnett at safety and Roby at corner. If Doran Grant slides well into the other starting spot at corner, the Buckeyes should have a very proficient secondary. Ohio State was susceptible to allowing the big play a year ago, but this unit should be equipped to limit those this year.

KEVIN DYENEXT MAN UP – Junior Doran Grant (12) should slide into a starting cornerback role this fall for Ohio State.

Head coach Urban MeyerHead coach Urban Meyer

Scenes From Media Day

Running backs coach Stan DraytonRunning backs coach Stan Drayton

Defensive line coach Mike VrabelDefensive line coach Mike Vrabel

Injured freshman safety Jayme Thompson Injured freshman safety Jayme Thompson (29) does a TV interview.(29) does a TV interview.

Fifth-year senior running back Jordan HallFifth-year senior running back Jordan Hall ALL PHOTOS BY KEVIN DYE

Scenes From Media Day

Want To See More? Check out Buckeye Sports Bulletin on Facebook for the full photo gallery.

Freshman running back/wideout Dontre Wilson (1) shows off Ohio State’s new Buckeye leaf collar.Freshman running back/wideout Dontre Wilson (1) shows off Ohio State’s new Buckeye leaf collar.

Junior quarterback Braxton MillerJunior quarterback Braxton MillerJunior tailback Rod Smith (2) signs an Junior tailback Rod Smith (2) signs an

autograph for a young man.autograph for a young man.

Huntsville (Ga.) Liberty County line-backer Raekwon McMillan is one of the best uncommitted prospects remaining in the 2014 class, which is why Urban Meyer has dedicated so much time to the 6-2, 230-pounder’s recruitment.

Meyer’s work is paying off, and it was evident Aug. 9 when the four-star pros-pect announced a top six, in no particular order, that consists of Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Ohio State.

Rated by Scout the No. 5 middle linebacker prospect in the 2014 class,

McMillan hopes to make a decision in January after taking his official visits.

Sources close to BSB indicate that the three pro-grams standing out to McMillan are Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State, all of which are favor-

ites to earn official visits from the line-backer.

Berrios Earns OSU Offer,Sees Recruitment Explode

Raleigh (N.C.) Leesville Road wide receiver Braxton Berrios has been com-pared to Denver Broncos wideout Wes Welker, which is quite the statement con-sidering he is still a senior in high school.

But after Berrios earned an Ohio State offer following the program’s Friday Night Lights camp in Ohio Stadium on July 26, the 5-10, 170-pounder solidified himself as something other than a comparison – one of the top prospects in the country.

A three-star prospect rated by Scout the No. 51 wide receiver in the 2014 class, Berrios has since picked up offers from programs such as Clemson, Miami (Fla.) and Oregon to go along with ones from Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia and many others.

All of a sudden his previous final five schools – Clemson, Kentucky, South

me to play for him. It was huge to get an offer from him.”

Berrios once considered ending his recruiting process early, but now the wide receiver is gaining enough attention to feel his only choice is to wait it out.

“I think eventually I’ll have to narrow it down,” he said. “I don’t think I’ll be able to choose between seven (or more) schools. But as for when I’m going to cut it down and to how many, it’s all up in the air.

“I’m graduating early, so it speeds everything up a little bit. I’m looking at schedules right now trying to figure out when I can get (official visits) in. Hopefully, after the first five or six weeks of the season I’m done, and on the sixth or seventh I’m committing.”

For now, Berrios said there’s no school that stands out.

“I honestly wish I could tell you a lead-er right now,” Berrios said. “But there’s something about each school that I want and that I need. I wish there was seven of me, so I could go to every one of them.

“It’s obviously going to be a tough, tough decision. At this point, I have no clue where I’m going.”

Brown Making Visits, Closing In On Decision

Sparta (N.J.) Pope John XXIII wide receiver Noah Brown has been busy

Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia – have company.

“Miami has been my team growing up,” Berrios told Scout, the parent network of BuckeyeSports.com. “It’s obviously a huge offer. It’s one I dreamed about as a little kid, so it was big deal to me. And they’re a great team and a great program.”

Ohio State isn’t too shabby, either. “It’s pretty big – it’s really big,” Berrios

said of the Ohio State offer. “They were the only undefeated team in the country last year, and they’re always going to be in contention. Personally, it means a lot. I went to Friday Night Lights this year and last year. Going this year, the whole point was to get that offer, and when I got it, my whole night was made.”

Aside from competing in Ohio Stadium in front of thousands of fans, Berrios was provided the opportunity to speak with Meyer at Friday Night Lights. After the camp came to a close, Berrios called the head coach and got the good news.

“He’s the one who gave me the offer,” Berrios said. “I called him after camp and he asked, ‘How would it feel to have an offer from Ohio State?’ I said that it would feel great, and he offered me.

“He told me he wanted to offer me last year. Then he told me he loved the type of player I am and my skill-set. He told me I was his type of player and that he wanted

14 BSB Quickly Aug. 13, 2013 Football Recruiting

Georgia LB Remains On Ohio State’s Radar

RECRUITING RECRUITING OUTLOOKOUTLOOK

Ari WassermanAri Wasserman

Raekwon McMillan

2014 Scout.com Team RankingsRank Team Commits Conf. Points

1. Tennessee 23 SEC 3,080

2. Alabama 18 SEC 2,907

3. Georgia 17 SEC 2,894

4. Florida State 23 ACC 2,822

5. Notre Dame 17 Indep 2,805

6. Ohio State 16 Big Ten 2,699

7. Texas A&M 14 SEC 2,602

8. Texas 22 Big 12 2,568

9. Miami (Fla.) 25 ACC 2,510

10. Michigan 16 Big Ten 2,301

Aug. 13, 2013 BSB Quickly 15Football Recruiting

recently with visits, and the three-star prospect in the class of 2014 feels that he could be closing in on a date to issue his verbal commitment.

Having taken recent trips to Rutgers and Ohio State, Brown feels as if his recruitment is becoming clearer. The 6-2, 215-pounder is also considering Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, USC, Michigan State and North Carolina.

“At this point, I really have my top eight and I’ve taken a couple of visits,” Brown said. “I’m still in the process of narrowing it down a little more. Hopefully, I’ll take a couple of visits in the next few weeks. Either I make a decision from there, or I wait it out and take a couple of official visits. I’m not sure yet.

“My initial thought was to decide before the season and I still plan on doing that, but I’m not opposed to waiting. If I don’t get to take these visits then I probably will decide during the season.”

Brown took an unofficial visit to Ohio State in July, and he spent a lot of time speaking with the Buckeyes’ coaching staff.

“The Ohio State visit was good,” Brown said. “I got a better feel for the program overall. When I was out there the last time it was hectic. I got to spend a lot of time with the coaches and speak with Coach Meyer, (receivers coach Zach) Smith, and see how they want to use me.

“They want to use me like they use me here, as an ‘X’ receiver, someone who can create a mismatch outside against a small-er corner. I can really go up over a smaller corner or run by a bigger one, and they can move me inside against a linebacker and have a mismatch there. Really, they want to use me as a versatile receiver who can do a little bit of everything.”

But before jumping to a decision, Brown would also like to visit Virginia Tech, which would be his first trip to Blacksburg since seeing the Hokies’ spring game.

“Virginia Tech is more for my family,” Brown said. “They haven’t seen Virginia Tech. That’s to bring them down there and show them what the program is about and see a practice there and see how (receivers coach Aaron) Moorehead works with his wide receivers. That’s really important to me.”

North Carolina, too, could be on the docket for a visit.

“North Carolina is a great academic school,” Brown said. “They have a real electric offense with (head coach Larry) Fedora. I think I could be a versatile

2015 class. The Buckeyes, though, are one of five programs that stand out to Samuel because the prospect recognizes he’d be the perfect fit in Meyer’s offense.

Joining Ohio State in Samuel’s top five are Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, and Florida State, though the Crimson Tide and Seminoles have yet to issue him an offer.

“I like all of them,” said Samuel, who also has offers from Duke, LSU, South Florida, Tennessee and others. “I grew up an Alabama fan, and Auburn, Clemson and Ohio State run my style of offense. Florida State wants me as a running back, and that was my team growing up as a child.”

Having accounted for 823 rushing yards, 734 receiving

yards and 24 touchdowns as a sophomore, Samuel enters his junior season looking to eclipse his already accomplished single-season output.

Samuel said he’d like to take trips to each school in his top five, but dates for those visits haven’t yet been completed. Though the running back isn’t sure when he’d like to make a commitment, Samuel knows what he’s looking for from his eventual program outside of academics.

“I look at if I can get early playing time and how much exposure they can put out to the players, so they can get to the NFL,” Samuel said. “And winning, most of all. I really just want to get to a school that gets the ball in my hands and that I’m used to playing in their system, like a spread offense.”

player in that offense. It’s just a matter of fit. At first, they were talking about run-ning back a little bit, but I want to play wide receiver and they are saying I could play wide receiver. That’s definitely a plus for me.”

Though USC is clear out on the West Coast, Brown said he’s followed the Trojans closely and seen them success-fully churn out talent at his posi-tion.

“(USC) has a real rich his-tory of big-time receivers out there,” Brown said. “They were saying I could be the next in line for that, and they’ve got the guys to do it and that I’d be an asset to their offense.”

Finally there’s Vanderbilt, an up-and-coming program that could start to compete for posi-tioning atop the SEC.

“Vanderbilt, they’re preaching to me that they don’t have anybody like me, somebody that is 6-2, 215, and can line up inside and outside and really can take advantage of mismatches, can take the ball on handoffs and stuff like that. It’s some-thing they really haven’t had before.”

Ohio State In Elite 2015Running Back’s Top Five

The type of running back Meyer wants in his offense has been well-documented, and Traveon Samuel of Phenix City (Ala.) Central fits the description perfectly.

The 5-8, 180-pound tailback is an immensely fast and elusive weapon who brings big-play ability, making him one of the most coveted running backs in the

OSU Verbal CommitmentsPlayers in the class of 2014 who have issued verbal commitments to play football

at Ohio State.

Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Stars High SchoolKyle Berger OLB 6-2 215 Cleveland St. IgnatiusDante Booker OLB 6-3 217 Akron St. Vincent-St. MaryParris Campbell RB 6-1 180 Akron St. Vincent-St. MaryStephen Collier QB 6-4 210 Leesburg (Ga.) Lee CountyJalyn Holmes DE 6-5 235 Norfolk (Va.) Lake TaylorMalik Hooker WR 6-3 185 New Castle, Pa.Sam Hubbard OLB 6-6 221 Cincinnati MoellerLonnie Johnson WR 6-3 180 Gary (Ind.) West SideJamarco Jones OT 6-5 285 Chicago De La SalleMarcelys Jones OG 6-5 325 Cleveland GlenvilleDemetrius Knox OG 6-4 305 Fort Worth (Texas) All Saints’ EpiscopalTerry McLaurin WR 6-0 175 Indianapolis CathedralSean Nuernberger K 6-2 220 Buckner (Ky.) Oldham CountyDylan Thompson DE 6-5 265 Lombard (Ill.) Montini CatholicKyle Trout OT 6-6 280 Lancaster, OhioDamon Webb CB 6-0 175 Detroit Cass Technical

Traveon Samuel

Originally Published: Sept. 10, 1988

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2013 FOOTBALLAug. 31 BUFFALO, Noon.Sept. 7 SAN DIEGO STATE, 3:30 p.m.; 14 at

California, 7 p.m.; 21 FLORIDA A&M, TBA; 28 WISCONSIN, 8 p.m.

Oct. 5 at Northwestern, 8 p.m.; 19 IOWA, 3:30 p.m.; 26 PENN STATE, 8 p.m.

Nov. 2 at Purdue, TBA; 16 at Illinois, TBA; 23 INDIANA, TBA; 30 at Michigan, TBA.

Dec. 7 Big Ten Championship Game at Indianapolis, TBA.

CROSS COUNTRYAug. 31 Flyer 5k Challenge at Kettering, Ohio.Sept. 13 Big Ten Preview at West Lafayette, Ind.Oct. 4 Notre Dame Invitational at Notre Dame,

Ind.; 19 Pre-National Invitational at Terre Haute, Ind.Nov. 3 Big Ten Championship at West Lafayette,

Ind.; 15 NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championship at Madison, Wis.; 23 NCAA Championship at Terre Haute, Ind.

FIELD HOCKEYAug. 31 Conference Cup Tournament at

Philadelphia vs. Temple.Sept. 1 Conference Cup Tournament at Philadelphia

vs. Maryland or New Hampshire; 6 BUCKEYE CLASSIC vs. MISSOURI STATE, 3 p.m.; 8 BUCKEYE CLASSIC vs. BUCKNELL, Noon; 14 vs. UMass at Syracuse, N.Y.; 15 at Syracuse; 18 at Miami (Ohio); 24 at Kent State; 28 at Michigan State.

Oct. 1 LOUISVILLE, 3 p.m.; 6 OHIO, 1 p.m.; 11 at Penn State; 18 IOWA, 3 p.m.; 20 MICHIGAN, 1 p.m.; 23 at Ball State; 26 INDIANA, 11 a.m. or Noon.

Nov. 1 at Northwestern; 7-10 BIG TEN TOURNAMENT; 16-17 NCAA Tournament First/Second Rounds at TBA; 22 NCAA Tournament Semifinal at Norfolk, Va.; 24 NCAA Tournament Championship at Norfolk, Va.

MEN’S SOCCERAug. 18 at West Virginia (Exhibition); 20 IPFW, 7

p.m. (Exhibition); 26 at Notre Dame (Exhibition); 30 WOLSTEIN CLASSIC vs. UNC-WILMINGTON, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 1 WOLSTEIN CLASSIC vs. NORTHERN ILLINOIS, 2:30 p.m.; 6 Hurricane Classic at Tulsa, Okla., vs. Tulsa; 8 Hurricane Classic at Tulsa, Okla., vs. SMU; 13 at Bowling Green; 17 WRIGHT STATE, 7 p.m.; 20 DAYTON, 7:30 p.m.; 24 at Akron; 29 at Indiana.

Oct. 2 LOUISVILLE, 7 p.m.; 6 MICHIGAN, 2 p.m.; 13 at Michigan State; 20 NORTHWESTERN, 2 p.m.; 23 OAKLAND, 7 p.m.; 27 CLEVELAND STATE, Noon.

Nov. 2 PENN STATE, 7 p.m.; 8 at Wisconsin; 13-17 BIG TEN TOURNAMENT; 21 NCAA Tournament First Round at TBA; 24 NCAA Tournament Second Round at TBA.

Dec. 1 NCAA Tournament Third Round at TBA; 6-8 NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal at TBA; 13 NCAA College Cup Semifinal at Philadelphia; 15 NCAA College Cup Championship at Philadelphia.

WOMEN’S SOCCERAug. 16 MIAMI (FLA.) (Exhibition), 6 p.m.; 23

MOREHEAD STATE, 7 p.m.; 25 EASTERN MICHIGAN, 6 p.m.; 28 PITTSBURGH, 7 p.m.

Dec. 1 ARIZONA, 6 p.m.; 5 at Boston College; 8 at Northeastern; 13 Hoosier Classic at Bloomington, Ind., vs. Central Michigan; 15 Hoosier Classic at Bloomington, Ind., vs. St. John’s; 20 ILLINOIS, 5 p.m.; 26 INDIANA, 3 p.m.; 29 PURDUE, 1 p.m.

Oct. 4 at Minnesota; 6 at Wisconsin; 12 MICHIGAN STATE, 6 p.m.; 17 at Penn State; 20 NORTHWESTERN, Noon; 25 at Nebraska; 27 at Iowa.

Nov. 2 at Michigan; 6 Big Ten Tournament at Champaign, Ill.; 15-17 NCAA Tournament First Round at TBA; 22-24 NCAA Tournament Second/Third Rounds at TBA; 29-Dec. 1 NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal at TBA.

Dec. 6 NCAA Women’s College Cup Semifinal at Cary, N.C.; 8 NCAA Women’s College Cup Championship at Cary, N.C.

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALLAug. 30 NIU Invitational at DeKalb, Ill., vs. Liberty;

31 NIU Invitational at DeKalb, Ill., vs. Green Bay, vs. Northern Illinois.

Sept. 4 POLAND NATIONAL TEAM (Exhibition), 7 p.m.; 6 Seminole Invitational at Tallahassee, Fla., vs. Western Kentucky, Florida State; 7 Seminole Invitational at Tallahassee, Fla., vs. Fla. Gulf Coast; 13 SPORTS IMPORTS DC KOEHL CLASSIC vs. IUPUI; 14 SPORTS IMPORTS DC KOEHL CLASSIC vs. SE MISSOURI STATE, vs. XAVIER; 20 Blue and White Classic at Buffalo, N.Y., vs. Md. Eastern Shore; 21 Blue and White Classic at Buffalo, N.Y., vs. Valparaiso, vs. Buffalo; 27 MICHIGAN, 7 p.m.; 29 MICHIGAN STATE, 2 p.m.

Oct. 4 at Purdue; 5 at Indiana; 11 WISCONSIN, 7 p.m.; 12 MINNESOTA, 7 p.m.; 16 at Northwestern; 20 at Illinois; 23 at Penn State; 25 NEBRASKA, 7 p.m.

Nov. 1 at Michigan State; 2 at Michigan; 8 INDIANA, 7 p.m.; 9 PURDUE, 7 p.m.; 15 at Minnesota; 17 at Wisconsin; 22 ILLINOIS, 7 p.m.; 23 NORTHWESTERN, 7 p.m.; 27 PENN STATE, 7 p.m.; 30 at Iowa.

Dec. 5-7 NCAA Tournament First/Second Rounds at TBA; 13 NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinal at TBA; 14 NCAA Tournament Regional Final at TBA; 19 NCAA Tournament Semifinal at Seattle; 21 NCAA Tournament Championship at Seattle.

18 BSB Quickly Aug. 13, 2013 Scoreboard

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20 BSB Quickly Aug. 13, 2013 Opinion

A few years ago, we started including polls posted on our premium online site, BuckeyeSports.com, in our print edition as a way to put a modern spin on trying to get the fan’s voice in Buckeye Sports Bulletin.

Each of the past few years, the preseason poll has been a simple one, asking the die-hards how many regular-season wins they think the Buckeyes will post in their 12-game schedule.

In 2011, fans were a bit optimistic. Even after the scandal that cost the team head coach Jim Tressel, three-year starting quar-terback Terrelle Pryor and a bevy of other offensive starters for half of the campaign, 11.7 percent of the poll responders picked the Buckeyes to go 12-0. Of course, that squad stumbled to just a six-win season, the lowest win total for the program in more than a decade.

Last year, things looked up a bit with the hire of two-time national championship head coach Urban Meyer, and as a result, the percentage of those who picked the team to go unbeaten rose. Of those who voted, 19.4 percent ended up picking a 12-win regular-season, and of course, they ended up being right on the nose.

So I found it interesting recently when reading Bill Connelly’s Ohio State preview over at the blog site SBNation.com. Connelly is one of the leading writers on the Web when it comes to using cutting-edge statisti-cal analysis to break down and rate college football teams, so I always like to see what he has to say about the Buckeyes, their opponents and more.

There was one thing that blew my mind, though, when reading his preview of the 2013 Buckeyes. Connelly noted that even though Football Outsiders – another football think tank for which he writes – rates the Buckeyes only the 10th-best team in the nation this season, their projections have the team with a 67 percent chance of going at least 11-1 and a 27 percent chance of going undefeated.

Immediately, I thought, “Wow!” That’s really high to me, especially for a team in a major conference. This isn’t the WAC we’re talking about here. As maligned as the Big

Ohio State’s nonconference schedule also leaves something to be desired. There are some interesting games – Buffalo is a better MAC team than people realize, San Diego State is a solid program coming off a nine-win season and Cal could be interesting given its new, high-tempo offense – but there isn’t a top-40 team in the bunch. Cal’s recent decline – this was, after all, an offensive jug-gernaut turning out top NFL talent in the mid-2000s – and Vanderbilt’s cancellation of the scheduled opener hurt mightily in that regard.

And the Buckeyes certainly have plenty of talent, as much as or more than every team they will face until probably January. Miller, of course, is a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate, capable of being the best player on any field on which he steps. As long as he stays healthy (a big if, we learned last year) the Buckeyes should have one of the best offenses in the country.

That’s especially true when you add in the depth of offensive talent OSU has. Carlos Hyde should be back by the Big Ten season, while there are some pretty good people who can tote the rock in the explosive Rod Smith, versatile veteran Jordan Hall, fresh-men phenom Dontre Wilson and more. Out wide, Philly Brown and Devin Smith should improve on solid 2012 campaigns, and some impressive talent sits behind those two. All of the tight ends can catch the ball, and the line is veteran and plenty nasty.

Defensively, the Buckeyes need to fill a lot of holes up front, but two of the better football players on the team headline the stop troops in linebacker Ryan Shazier and All-America corner Bradley Roby (who faces a potential suspension of his own but should be back for the league slate). There’s plenty of five- and four-star talent on the line, and the veteran safeties – from C.J. Barnett to Christian Bryant to backups Corey Brown and Jamie Wood – add leadership and atti-tude.

Will it be enough to go undefeated? The answer, of course, will be told in what should be a wildly entertaining next few months.

But I’m still interested to see what per-centage of fans think the Buckeyes will go 12 for 12 in the regular season. Will it be higher than 27 percent, lower, or will OSU fans settle in right around that number spit out by the computers? Check for the answer in our Football Preview issue, set to hit the mail on Aug. 22.

Ten is, it’s still one of the top conferences in college football, and to have a better than 1 in 4 chance of going undefeated is pretty surprising to me. Based on some of the fan voting in the past few years, that’s even high for Ohio State’s ever-optimistic fan base.

Think about it – it’s really hard to go unbeaten in college football. Just go back to last year. The Buckeyes trailed Cal in the fourth quarter, needing a late touchdown pass from Braxton Miller to Devin Smith to sneak out of Ohio Stadium with a 35-28 victo-ry in the third game of the year. Two weeks later, Ohio State played a knock-down, drag-out street fight at Michigan State, emerging with a 17-16 win in East Lansing that could have gone either way.

In game seven, the Buckeyes ceded a late rally at Indiana, watching the Hoosiers climb to within three points with about a minute to go before recovering an onside kick to put a close to a 52-49 victory.

Then came the closest call, a near miracu-lous win vs. Purdue in Ohio Stadium that moved the Buckeyes to 8-0. With Miller injured, Kenny Guiton came off the bench to lead a 61-yard scoring drive in the last minute, hit Jeff Heuerman for a necessary two-point conversion, and led an overtime scoring drive that allowed the Buckeyes to escape – and it was a true escape – with a 29-22 triumph.

The last two games of the year weren’t easy, either. Ohio State’s offense never could get in gear at Wisconsin, and the defense had to make a string of gutty stops to keep the Buckeyes in the game before OSU left Madison with a 21-14 win in overtime. And the Buckeyes battled Michigan closely, too, with the defense again shining in the second half of a 26-21 victory.

So yes, it’s difficult to win all of your games. Heck, the Buckeyes have had only six regular seasons in program history with zero losses in more than 120 years of football – a less than 5 percent rate of such cam-paigns, and the Buckeyes have been pretty darn good for a long time.

That percentage, then, speaks to a lot of things, including the state of the Big Ten. While the league should be better in 2013 than it has been in some recent years, there’s still no other team that could be as good as the Buckeyes. Michigan, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Northwestern could all have fine teams, but none is a consensus top-20 squad going into the season.

Perfection Sits As Ultimate Goal For Buckeyes

SVONOTESSVONOTESJeff SvobodaJeff Svoboda