| 14 September 2010
How many discussions did we have about offensive line depth this off-season? The last one, right before the season started, raged for days. I think we are all surprised that the lack of depth would rear its ugly head at safety.
I have been talking about the lack of talent at safety but it is the lack of numbers right now that is hurting us. C.J. Barnetts loss is big. He had a really bad first game against Marshall but the way he played Saturday showed he was the first one to say he needed to be better. What a game he played. Now it looks like he is lost for the season. Jim Tressel just said so in his press conference. I suspect he might be recovered from the injury in time to play again this year but why rush him back just for a couple of games? The odds he is going to be really game ready are not very good. He could have fully recovered but I don't see him ready to play football in time for it to matter. Him taking the medical waiver, something that is all but assured in this case, is in his and the teams long term best interest.
The lack of talent makes that sound decision to just take the redshirt medical less of a sure thing. Who steps in? I don't know what is going on with Orhian Johnson. He was listed as the starter since the Rose Bowl ended, which made Kurt Coleman and Anderson Russell alumni. I have not seen him do anything to earn that starting role but the staff has seen enough to give him the nod. It seems he cannot shake the injury bug. Is he healthy enough to play? If not, who is next? I always had Christian Byrant listed as a safety. Maybe they move him back. Moeller is playing lights out at the Star. McVey is waiting in the wings. I would like to hear Jamie Wood is going to get a look but I have not heard his name mentioned. I always preferred Corey Brown as a safety. I did not see elite speed and I did not see the hips and feet of a corner. He does have enough speed to play safety and his ball skills are as good as any defensive back we have in the program right now. The good news is we have a few weeks to find someone. I don't like that we are so young at safety. Not in a year when we are making a national title run but it is what it is. We need to have a four week tryout. Run them all in there and see who our best guy is in full-on game conditions before the next big test against Wisconsin. With Mike Adams looking more like the future first round draft pick that he was projected to be, safety is the one area that we need to shore up before the national championship game.
Speaking of our lack of talent in the secondary, a coach friend mentioned that as a likely cause of our coverage problems. I know absolutely nothing about special teams. I find offensive and defensive Xs and Os to be fascinating. I have never paid any attention to special teams whatsoever. He mentioned to me that defensive backs are going to make up the core of the coverage unit. Last year we saw the entire defense shook up because the coaching staff wanted an alternative to Anderson Russell instead of going with the next guy on the depth chart at safety. We could be seeing that lack of talent showing up on our special teams.
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