Our Honor Defend

We kind of need you this season.

The glasnost going on right now in the Buckeye football program is a little surprising, and certainly welcome.  With it, I finally get to read the latest goings-on with the part of the football team that I’m basically obsessing about: the offensive line.   Dave Biddle at Bucknuts has the latest report from today’s practice.  While this is obviously premium information, I think I can at least touch on a few important points without getting scolded.

Jim Bollman was much maligned through the past month or so — even by me — for adopting a “jack of all trades” philosophy to sorting out the offensive line this early.  By moving around players at whim, they pick up various other skills.  Yet, they’re still a master of none.  I don’t pretend to be an expert on the topic (or otherwise I’d quit my crappy job and go into coaching), but I wasn’t too pleased to read that this scrambling players and positions even took on the form of “hiding” Cordle at center, moving Brewster to guard and feeling that Bryant Browning was the team’s best option at the other tackle position.

However, this was the third straight practice with the same first team offensive line (L to R): Adams, Boren, Brewster, Browning, Cordle.  The fact that this was the third consecutive practice with this lineup leads Biddle to believe that Bollman thinks he found something here.  Unless Shugarts (current yellow jersey) gets better and impresses at right tackle this summer, this may be the starting line in 2009.

Mike Adams is the other important factor to consider in practices because the reviews on him thus far are mixed.  There’s no hesitation in my mind in labelling him the better prospect at left tackle (than Andy Miller).  Indeed, people say the “tools” are there to make him a star.  However, he lacks something that his predecessor at the position lacked: attitude.  The last update from practice labelled Adams as “soft”.  The reports I mentioned previous to that remarked how often Adams was beat off the edge by opposing defensive linemen.  The culprit: attitude.  The tools are there; the nastiness is not.  Justin Boren has it; Adams does not.

Today, Adams tried to show that he does have some attitude by getting into not one, but two skirmishes with Cameron Heyward in practice.  The second go-around between the two resulted in Adams getting beat (in the drill), complete with his helmet flying off.  This does not inspire a lot of confidence, though it is a nascent spring.

Justin Boren, on the other hand, may make enough of a splash this year that he could get his jersey number sold in the bookstores.  He has hurt 3 players this spring already. Since none of those “hurtings” appear to be severe, this is definitely welcome.  Moreover, Biddle mentioned that the best OL/DL battle of the practice sessions has been between Boren and Larimore in the interior.  The trench warfare between the two is comforting, suggesting that both will represent well in the fall.

Other Brew Crew Notes (that make me look smert for having spoken so highly of the class this time last year)

• Etienne Sabino: a natural at the position.  I always felt this was the case for Sabino, and he has not disappointed so far.
• Orhian Johnson: ballhawk.  Again, he’s a shooting guard playing safety.  You try lobbing a jump ball to your receiver with him in the vicinity.

Uhh… what?

• Former Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer was in attendance.  It’s not clear whether or not he A) apologized for the 1996 Citrus Bowl or B) formally acknowledged that his 1998 team was so not the best team in college football¹.

1. God damn you Nick Saban. [↩]