Block O Table: 2010 Spring Game Edition
With that in mind, I invite the 12 or so people that read this blog to offer their thoughts before the spring game to see if any of their observations are borne out during the course of the day. I will probably fill in my own observations during the week.
01. You may have heard about the result from the jersey scrimmage. The defense won a game that is usually weighted to give the offense an advantage. Not only that, the 78-24 victory for the defense is far and away the most lopsided result in scrimmage history. This might be more disconcerting since the coaches put more stock in the scrimmage than in the spring game, the latter mostly being a show for fans. What would you need to see to be assured that the jersey scrimmage was just a bizarre fluke?
02. _________________________________ will defy expectations and in many ways steal the show on Saturday. Meanwhile, ____________________________ may disappoint, leaving us with more questions than answers. Fill in the blanks, and try not to answer Terrelle Pryor for either of these.
03. What do you make of Jake Stoneburner? The reports are so positive for a position so scarcely used in his capacity that the Buckeye partisan in me is dying to see it for myself. What are you expecting to see from him in the spring game and looking ahead to 2010?
04. The Buckeyes are making inroads to sorting out their return units for both punts and kicks, but there is still a way to go. Who do you think you’ll end up liking best as a returner (for either punts or kicks) after this exhibition?
05. I am under the impression that there is basically very little by way of position battles for the first team. With that in mind, what certain reserve player in 2010 are you absolutely going to love after this game? I know my answer is, and always has been, The Donnie. What about yours?
Extra Credit
Call your shot: who scores the first touchdown?
Here ya go. My unqualified speculations.
01. I don’t think it was a fluke. The defense is a stable, cohesive, unit. The offense, despite their Rosebowl success, has yet to demonstrate continuity in a larger sense. I think they’re still trying to figure it out and are still experimenting. Yes, the defense is that good. I want to see the offense successfully execute, without error, and good decision making from their QBs. With a great defense, and a solid, if unspectacular, offense, there willl be no stopping the Buckeyes this season. Of course, there are spectacular individuals on the offense and I’d like to see them shine.
02. Kenny Guiton is my favorite sleeper. He may just leave us scratching our heads regarding our starting QB. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Taurian Washington will continue to under-perform, and not get penciled in at #3 wideout.
03. As much as I want to see it, I don’t expect the tight ends to get their fair share of passes. The spring game may deliver it, but we’ll be disappointed during the regular season, as usual. We have too many good ball carriers that’ll demand their share of carries, and good receivers too. The tight ends get the short straw for touches.
04. Posy and Sanzy get the nod for returns (they have the better hands), but Jordan Hall will provide us with our best moments.
05. KENNY! The defense is so good, that it’s actually hard to stand out. You have to be an exceptional player just to look “not bad” on defense. That means the offense will provide the best opportunity for stand-out performance. Some of our running backs could step up and become spectacular. I’m especially looking for that power runner. If the offensive line gels this season, then the backs and QBs will look even better. I think Kenny Guiton will surprise and impress all of us, and give us the warm-fuzzies regarding our back-up QB, and lock that position down.
Extra Credit
Defense scores first. Devon Torrance pick-6. The Donny will recreate the earth, this time in seven minutes (not days), during the half-time festivities, in time to dot the “I” in script Ohio.
1) First of all, I think that this Defense may be better than last year. Ironhead Jr coming back was huge. So the fact they dominated the Offense isn’t surprising to me. Remember, LeBron in Cleats was playing two hand touch which reallly mitigates his game. So I look at these scrimmages sort of like I look at recruiting. You never know about a player until the warpaint is on.
2) Hard to call him a sleeper anymore, but because he lines up next to Ironhead Jr., John Simon is going to absolutely explode onto the scene this season and that may start Saturday with a couple of tackles for a loss. Last year, I answered the first part of this question by mentioning Taurian Washington. Now that he has proven to have Braylon Edwards hands (or maybe even Roberto Duran’s), He will drive us crazy until he fades from view by the Ohio game.
3) With the demise of Washington and the question mark of Duron Carter, its quite possible that Stoneburner will be used as a hybrid TE (aka Winslow without the attitude problems) and become LiC’s second favorite target.
4) I figure one of the youngsters (Berry at KOs) and one of the speedsters with hands at PR. Don’t have any idea who at this poiint.
5) Dorian Bell. Big hits and tremondous lateral pursuit will make him my personal favorite to watch when the clock is running out.
Bonus Question: Berry or Posey gets the first TD.
1. Our defense always knows what it is doing and executes (save for a couple big games), but the offense normally looks lost and fails to execute. It will never know what it’s doing until a real offensive coordinator steps up. I’d be shocked to hear the offense isn’t that good if it didn’t happen every year for 8 seasons, save for Troy’s senior season. This will never be an explosive offense and it will never take chances. It isn’t designed to.
2. Orhian Johnson impresses, Jake Stoneburner disappoints.
3. Ah, good lead in. I believe in Stoneburner to make catches. I don’t trust anyone to get him the ball. Practice isn’t games. You saw what happened in the Jersey Scrimmage. A point will be made to get him the ball in the beginning of the season, then he will slowly disappear as we head into Big Ten play.
4. KR and PR. Jimmy T used to at least take some chances on these spots. Recently, as long as the body back there can catch the ball, they are good. It’s like they forgot who Ted Ginn was. Saine and Herron have been sad at KR and Ray Small was high risk/ low reward. I like Berry and Jackson/Fields at KR and anyone that can switch field position on PR.
5. Melvin Fellows
EC: In the Spring Game? Jaamal Berry.
1.) OSU, under Tressel, is a defensive program. Our defense will always be better. We reload better on defense.
Think of it this way. Under Tressel, we’ve lost Dantonio, Snyder, Beckman and Mel Tucker as defensive assistants, and our defense has still thrived. Offensively, we’ve lost noone (save Joe Daniels’ situation), but our offense is usually very “meh”. So even if the offense literally returns everybody, our defense outplaying them is not a fluke. Our defense will be better than our offense in 2010.
2.) Jamal Berry will be the star. Athletic, will get carries, eager to show what he can do. The disappointment will be whoever is guarding Taurian Washington, because, let’s face it, Washington will blow up in this game.
3.) I have a hard believing Jake Stoneburner, as a true “TE”, will catch many balls. When we need blocking, we’ll put in Fragel and Dillilo, and line them up as traditional TE. When we put Stoneburner in, it will be more as a slot receiver. He might technically be a TE, but I foresee him being a possession receiver in use.
4.) I don’t like Posey, don’t like Saine, and only moderately like Herron. I do like Berry on kickoffs, but knowing Tressel, ball security might be an issue. I foresee Herron on KRs and Dane on PRs, mainly because they won’t fumble.
5.) On Corey Linsley and Sam Longo. I see Linsley being a better version of Stepanovich the guard, and Longo has a real future at tackle.
EC – Taurian Washington.
01. Maybe not that much of a flike. The Defense has a lot of returning/emerging talent, as we’d expect with Tressel. The Offensive line is still unsettled. I’l feel a lot better, once we get to regular season, when I see some diversity on offense; variety of running and variety of passing plays. Well executed, of course.
02. E. Sabino will finally pleasantly surprise me this week. M. Adams will not; I’m not sold on him yet.
03. I think that Stoneburner will have a good year. TP will go to him early in season to establish short passing game while we wait for a 3rd receiver to emerge. If one doesn’t, Stoney will moroh into the 3rd receiver, especially in Red Zone.
04. Sanzo/Hall will be punt returners; Hall/Berry will be KR’s.
05. Since you already took The Donnie, I’m going to take The Andy. Miller will emerge as a mobile, active LT.
EC. Stoneburner on a RedZone jump ball.
1) I don’t think it was a fluke but it is discouraging seeing the implosion on offense. We are not the only team in the NCAA with a stuf defense. It is likely we face one in a bowl/championship. If we can’t perform against our own (granted they know our playbook) how are we going to perform against anothers?
2) OSU brings the preasure on D. How do you counter that? Dump it off to the TE/RB and make the LB’s play man coverage instead of blitzing. That being said I look for Stoneburner to have a big game. (If they throw to the TE) We have been more apt to throw to the runningback so it may be Saine. I hear T.Wash sets off metal detectors at the airport with his hands of steel. He’ll continue to be disappointing but it won’t be a surprise.
3) I have known about Stoneburner since I he has been in High School. He is a talent if utilized in the passing game. I haven’t heard enough about his blocking abilities to know how adept he will be at that position. If Tressel plans on using him he will be an asset. Lets see if JT is capable of evolution.
4) Seriously, we are looking for a number 3 receiver and debating who would best fit, do you think we can afford to have one of our main two receivers injured due to hard hitting collisions? I say keep our best receivers out of the equation and put Fields/Jackson back there or split the difference and put one of our running backs with good hands, Hall/Berry as a returner. Saine is fast but I haven’t seen him be very elusive, same said for Herron. Hall looks to have escapeability and I can only speculate on Berry but I hear good things. I have read that he has a slight fumbling issue so that is a concern.
5) Since you took Donnie, I will take Safari Planet. I think that Nathan Williams will eb phenominal but I see Fellows seeing some playing time and making great plays. I am also inclined to potentially take Moeller but he doesn’t weigh as storngly in my mind because it is uncertain if he will actually be able to compete again.
O.J. on a pick 6 deep in scoring territory.
(Comments?)
Should have spell checked this, I appologize for my typing.
Chris, no need for apology. Sadly, I followed your every point w/o a problem.
1. I’m gonna sign on to the idea that the emerging/returning defensive talent is better – in some cases significantly so – than last year’s. I also agree that the defense is just a much better-run unit in the age of Tressel than the offense is, with the exception to that rule being Troy’s last season and a half. I don’t think that the Heacock/Fickell regime’s excellence in all aspects – talent identification, philosophy, strategery, teaching, continuity etc. – can be emphasized enough. Given that, the unsettled mishmash at RB, and the clipping of Pryor’s wings that T(NB) mentioned, I actually would have considered it to be a “bizarre fluke” had the defense NOT dominated the jersey scrimmage.
2. With all the hype surrounding so many guys in particular, let alone the team generally, it’s hard to say who might “defy expectations”, but strictly in terms of stealing the show I’ll say Storm Klein – in a split-squad game like this he’s sure to end up as a “starting” LB for one side or the other and get plenty of chances to shine.
As far as leaving us STILL with more Qs than As, I’ll go with Adams/Miller. I would sure like to be wrong though. Also, with any luck T(-Rex arms)aurian Washington will just go ahead and flop rather than tantalizing so everybody can finally give up on the sure-to-be-unrequited hope that he’s a viable option as a 3rd receiver.
3. Against my better judgment, I’m gonna go ahead and say out loud (so to speak) that this is finally the year that Ohio State under Tressel throws to the TE on anything like a regular basis. Speaking strictly of the Spring Game, I’m guessing Stoneburner blows up like a MFer.
4. James Jackson James Jackson James Jackson JAMES JACKSON
5. Jermil Martin – I still can’t get over that TD run vs. NM St.
EC: Posey.
1. The offensive line will continue to be inconsistent. We get our hopes up every year and keep telling ourselves that there will be progress, but how often have we really seen senior O linemen really knock us out? I’m hoping I’m wrong and that the D-Line is flat out dominant. My guess is that the D line is pretty good and the O-line will remain a source of frustration.
2. I too think Guiton will surprise in the Spring game. We’ll be really worried about whomever is in at left tackle.
3. We won’t throw to Stoneburner…not because he isn’t a stud, but because the TE will be helping out on the line. That’s been the problem since Hanby.
4. We’ll have Posey catching punts…but he’ll drop a few and they’ll put Sanzo back there. Berry and Saine will return kicks.
5. Big Carlos will bust some chops up in there.
Extra credit…Chris Fields will beat Torrence to the endzone.
can’t wait!!!