| 17 June 2011
Things are quieting down in Buckeye Nation about the loss of Jim Tressel, and Terrelle Pryor leaving for the NFL. I am sure it will start back up as August 12th approaches but right now people are looking forward. In particular, the press conference with Luke Fickell being introduced as the coach has everyone buzzing. What is an Ohio State team with Luke Fickell as head coach going to look like?
I think it goes without saying that the defense will be even more aggressive. Jim Heacock recently made a statement that there have been differences of opinion between he and Fickell sometimes over the defense. I bet those disagreements were over Fickell wanting to be more aggressive when Heacock was preaching caution. I go back to the 2009 game at USC as a turning point for the Buckeye defense. We saw a more aggressive defense from that point forward. It is also about the time we learned Fickell had been given more input on the defense. That Heacock admits that he and Fickell have had some differences over the way the defense should be run says something about Fickells involvement. That the Buckeye defense will be even more aggressive is not in doubt.
The big question is what is going to happen on offense. I know Fickell wants to be more aggressive. I know he wants to have a more diverse attack. Remember the offense at Ohio State under Cooper while Fickell was here. I can't believe anyone would have a problem with that offense. It was a great mix of run and pass. We saw the Buckeye offense throw the ball to the tight ends. That is the offense Fickell saw in his formative years. My question is, can he run that type of offense this year?
I don't know if the horses are there. Not in the right places. We do not see a go to receiver in this lot. Not for the first five games anyway. The importance of Mike Adams missing the first five games cannot be underestimated. If you want to throw the ball you have to understand the importance of the left tackle. For the first five games we will see the offense operating without a player who is likely a first round NFL tackle. In fact, the player lining up in Adams place will not be a natural left tackle at all.
Another thing to consider is the rest of the line. Brewster is an early round NFL player. He is highly likely to be the first center off the board and if any interior offensive lineman is going to make it into the first round I would put my money on Brewster. The rest of the line is going to be suspect. J.B. Shugarts can't seem to get healthy. What a player he looked like he was going to be before he was injured. I will believe his injuries are behind him when I see it. At guard we are looking at a couple of first year starters or we see Marcus Hall, who has been away from the game for a year.
Before you can throw the ball the quarterback needs people to protect him and someone to throw to. Big question marks are looming in both those areas for the first five games.
If Fickell wants to be the next head coach he has to win now. If he was for sure the head coach I think he might go at this in a different way. I think he might play younger people and let them learn, with the idea in mind that Ohio State might not be a very good offense early but the experience gained would be invaluable later. He can't do that. I think Fickell needs to win nine games just to be considered the next coach. He needs to win games now. I think that means running the ball.
The offensive line questions that I have about pass blocking are not there for run blocking. I think the Buckeyes could be better overall down the middle of the line with any two of Marcus Hall, Corey Linsley and Jack Mewhort working with Michael Brewster. They are bigger and more athletic than Justin Boren and Bryant Browning, and bring the toughness and nasty that made Boren a good lineman here. That we will see a natural right tackle playing left tackle means we will see an offensive line that will be a better run blocking team. Zack Boren is the best fullback in the Big Ten. Nobody will have a better stable of running backs. All the elements are there for a really good run blocking team.
Luke Fickell emphasized that avoiding turnovers will be crucial. I think Fickell is going to run the ball. All Buckeye fans know what coach Hayes said, "Three things can happen when you throw the ball and two of them are bad". Coach Fickell has to play the hand he has been dealt. What I mean by that is no Jim Tressel. No Darrell Hazel. Jim Bollman is the offensive coordinator. He will be at his best in the run game.
I think everyone assumes that all this means Joe Bauserman at quarterback. I don't see it. An offense that is going to be heavy on the run game needs a quarterback who can make plays, since such an offense is throwing only because it needs to. Bauserman is not a playmaker. He is not a mobile quarterback. Any quarterback can turn around and hand off the ball. It doesn't take a veteran to do that. When this offense as I envision it drops back to the throw the ball it will need a quarterback who can make a play with his arm or his feet, and may need the tools to get away from the pass rush. That means Braxton Miller, or even Kenny Guiton. Miller impressed in spring. He was the best quarterback on the roster.
Take those first five games to get him settled in with a heavy dose of the run game, then bring back his left tackle and his go to receiver just in time to give the Cornhuskers something different to look at.
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