The Ohio State football team knows what the depths look like. After all, they’ve been to hell and back more than once. It all began in late-December 2010 when the program as they knew it changed. In one fell swoop, everything was turned upside down.

Marotti has been an asset to Meyer.

Turmoil became a constant for the 2011 season, the pre-Sugar Bowl press conference acting as a precursor for the future. What followed was an unmemorable season that dissolved with an 0-fer November and a mid-tier bowl loss to Florida.

It was hell for a fanbase and assembly of players used to national prominence, Big Ten championships and wins over Michigan. Instead, the Buckeyes received national ridicule, their first losing conference record in more than a decade and the end of a seven-game win streak against That Team Up North.

Enter Urban Meyer. Just two days after the Maize and Blue beat their hated rivals to the South, Ohio State immediately stole back momentum in the rivalry. All was right in Buckeyeland. The players respect and admire (still do) what Luke Fickell did for Ohio State football in 2011. But make no mistake about it, the hiring of Meyer thrilled the locker room.

The retaining of Fickell and hire of Mickey Marotti from Florida were two power moves by Meyer, a stroke of brilliance. Marotti was a shadowy figure to many in the world of college football, but they knew he was hailed as a Messiah by former players and a trusted confidant of Meyer’s.

“He is the most important hire in the athletic department,” Meyer said of Marotti. “I don’t want to say that I couldn’t do this job without him, but it would be hard.”

Ohio State got to know him – quite rudely, actually. On a cold Tuesday in January, 100-plus members of the Buckeye football team entered a hell that was frozen over. Winter conditioning in a Meyer-coached program takes on an entirely new definition. It is more comparable to boot camp than a football game.

In 2001, a day known as “Black Friday” hovered over Bowling Green, Ohio, as Meyer worked his Falcons far past the state of exhaustion. Marotti wasn’t a part of that strength staff, but an apprentice was. For two hours, the only time players stopped running was to vomit into trash cans. Dozens quit the team. But those who stayed were rewarded with 17 wins in Meyer’s two seasons at BG, this at a program that had not finished with a winning record since 1994. They also developed lasting relationships built on the foundation of hard work.

“He's a guy that I have a lot of respect for and a lot of love for,” Josh Harris, Meyer’s quarterback at Bowling Green, said. “When he came to (Bowling Green), he came as the wide receivers coach from Notre Dame, so he didn't come in with a prestigious background. What he did do was he set the expectations from day one in that first team meeting. The first thing he said to us was, 'I've got three rules: the first thing is to love the game of football, to love and respect your teammates and to love and respect your university.’

“It really set a precedent for not only how we were going to prepare, but how we were going to perform on Saturdays and how we were going to carry ourselves. The guys that stayed on board, and the guys that bought into the system, they'll never be the same.”

Boren is in the best shape of his career.

There wasn’t a mass exodus from Ohio State, though there were some defections. However, the Buckeyes took the Bowling Green approach and banded together. They approached the 5 a.m. workouts with resolve and came out the other end better because of it. Conditioning improved from January to February; after spring practice, the staff was even more impressed and when fall camp commenced, Marotti could be seen beaming like a proud father.

Marotti is hardnosed and serious, but he carries a good sense of humor – a laugh or smile never far away. He’s one of only 100 strength trainers in the country to hold the title Master of Strength and Conditioning. At Ohio State, Marotti is the assistant athletics director for sport performance. With that comes a hefty paycheck, but for Meyer, Marotti is worth every penny.

“I have been blessed to have had Coach Marotti on my staff for a number of years,” Meyer said. “Player issues, motivation; he’s everything and we’re fortunate to get him to come up here to Ohio State.

“I usually put the strength coach No. 1 (on my staff). Then the offensive line coach and your defensive coordinator. But strength coach is No. 1.”

Once the coaches’ interaction with players ceased over the summer, Marotti was the man in charge of the Ohio State football program. And he took to the team like a mechanic fine-tuning his prized hotrod. But it was all part of a plan: to have the best offseason in college football history.

Meyer preached that message to the team in January, and it stayed in the backs of their minds throughout the winter and spring and into the summer. Consider that goal accomplished. The success stories on the team are never-ending when it comes to what Marotti was able to do to their bodies.

More muscle, less weight, better conditioned – the list goes on and on.

“They were all tough workouts,” senior captain Zach Boren said. “They were all hard. I'm actually going to say that we've had the best offseason in the history of college football. I honestly think we had that because guys are pushing themselves that hard. I've never seen it before.”

How hard were the Buckeyes working? The night before Boren and fellow captains John Simon and Etienne Sabino left for Big Ten media days in Chicago they had a night workout and conditioning test.

Simon, a workout freak, could hardly contain himself while talking about Marotti’s regimen. He was almost waxing poetic.

Workouts have been embraced by Simon.

“There might be mornings where it's 5 o'clock and you walk in there,” Simon said, “you might be lagging or a little tired, but you walk in and the music is blasting and everybody is screaming, coaches are bumping into you, everybody is riling you up and before you know it, you're hyped for the workout. I get excited just talking about it.”

As camp began, Meyer could see the results of the extra summer work. After easing the team into the playbook, last week was designated as a “hell” week. Meyer didn’t mince words when he described the ensuing pain the team would feel.

“This will be the hardest week of training camp,” he said. “This will make or break us.”

Part of Meyer’s philosophy is to break down the team and then build them back up. Another goal is to make practices so grueling that games become easy. It’s a lesson Meyer learned from Michael Jordan.

The conditioning helps both sides of the ball: the fast-paced offense will be able to strike against a beleaguered defense, and the Silver Bullets will remain fresh deep in to the fourth quarter.

“The better the team, the harder the training camp,” Meyer said.

On Friday, a trio of assistant coaches said the Buckeyes met all challenges thrown at them and the head coach concurred Monday.

“They answered the bell,” running backs coach Stan Drayton said. “They knew it was going to be a tough week. I really liked the way our team approached the field. They had a purpose in mind.”

It’s the only way Ohio State knows how to perform – 100 percent effort on every rep. When you’ve seen the depths of the college football world, a week of strenuous conditioning seems minor in nature.

The Urban Meyer buy-in rate inside the Buckeye locker room is in the A+ range. Since he was hired in November, his message has seeped into his players and taken hold. As the regular season approaches, lessons from January, April, June and July become even more valuable.

Championships are won with defense, but they also formulate in offseasons filled with diligence.

Texas A&M went to Junction City, Ohio State went to Hell.

© 2012 Eleven Warriors.

Happy Tuesday morning to you, dear reader. 

I'd like to start off your morning with something beautiful:

According to Monday's address to the media after practice, Braxton Miller went 27 of 39 for 358 yards and two touchdowns, while Guiton went 12 of 17 for 147 yards, a TD and an interception.  

Wait, what? Is this real life? You mean to tell me that an Ohio State quarterback passed for over 350 yards in a scrimmage? I thought that they stopped counting after 10 complete passes too. 

Yes, yes I know it was a scrimmage against the second-team defense. But based on last year's passing offense I'd be happy if the offense got those yards against a high school team. 

Further, we learned that both Warren Ball and Cardale Jones had their black stripes removed. That's great news, as I don't think many people predicted they would be the next two. 

In totally opposite news, check out the bullet Ohio State dodged: 

#dodgedabullet RT @caneswatch: Al Golden says Seantrel Henderson has to “get personal house in order.” Does not expect him to play vs, BC.

— Alex 11W (@alex11w) August 20, 2012

 'TIS THE SEASON FOR (RE-)RANKINGS. Rivals updated their top 100 recruits list yesterday, which impacted a few Buckeyes commits and targets. 

Probably the biggest news is that Cam Burrows had his fifth star dropped: 

“Burrows was outstanding last fall while leading his team to a state title. He played fluidly and with outstanding athleticism for his size. This offseason, however, we saw a combination of low effort and a loss of fluidity from the 6-foot, 200-plus pound defensive back,” Helmholdt said. “A player his size has to stay fluid through the hips to stay with elite wide receivers. By the time he showed up at Gridiron Kings in late July, he was really struggling and gave up a ton of completions.”

We have to remember that recruiting rankings don't determine how good a player actually is, just what scouts happen to pick up on. We all knew already that a move to safety was possible, so a “loss of fluidity” might just be support for that move. 

Courtesy of Derek, other Buckeyes in the top 100 are Bosa (25), Burrows (27), Woodard (29), and Marshall (53). Somewhat surprisingly, Ezekiel Elliot wasn't in the top 100 after good showings at Gridiron Kings and The Opening. 

Buckeye lean Shelton Gibson also made some headlines as one of the biggest (positive) movers, jumping to 85 on the list:

“Gibson was a ghost all offseason until he showed up at Ohio State's Friday Night Lights event in late July,” Helmholdt said. “It was apparent there that he had not spent the entire offseason on the couch. Gibson came in thicker and stronger than we last saw him in the fall. It was his speed that was truly eye-catching, though. He was so fast down the field that the quarterbacks at the event underthrew him all night long and never were able to adjust to his speed.”

Gibson remains a top target for Urban and company, especially after that Friday Night Lights performance. Similarly, Mike Mitchell (who recently visited Oklahoma) jumped from 45 to 32 after his Opening SPARQ perfomance. 

For those of you that are concerned about Rivals rankings for the enemy up north, Derek has the scoop: Shane Morris now a 5* and at 17.  Also Poggi (58), McCray (81), Kugler (88), and Bosch (92). 

 THE BUCKEYE ILLUMINATI. The Lantern published an interesting article detailing the one aspect of the 2012 Buckeyes that hasn't been extensively infiltrated yet – the clandestine leadership committee. 

The article talks about how this leadership group is responsible for keeping Meyer plugged in to the team in an even closer way, along with additional leadership responsibilities. The rest, however, remains confidential. 

As you might expect, there's a large overlap in leadership committee members and team captains – Boren, Simon, and Sabino, to start with – but the other members' identities are a secret. Who might the remaining members be? 

Boren was more loose-lipped in discussing the leadership committee — he confirmed that eight OSU players of varying class years comprise Meyer’s committee…“There’s some guys on our leadership committee that weren’t very vocal in, let’s say, January or February of years past. And now that they’re on the committee they kind of have a, not a sense of pride, but they’re not scared to open up their mouths,” Boren said. “(They) become what we need.”

Well, considering they aren't just seniors, and some of them weren't vocal before this year, my money is on Braxton being one of the secret leadership committee members. All reports from camp and over the summer mentioned how he's gotten significantly better at leadership over the summer and has been far more vocal – no doubt at Meyer's urging. 

However, who else do you think is in the committee? 

Ohio State should be the top party school in the USA

PRINCETON REVIEW'S PARTY TIME. Princeton Review's annual list of top party and sober schools came out yesterday (see, it really is the time for list-making!).

In an upset, West Virginia took the party crown from last year's winner, Ohio U, which had to settle for third place. The Bobcats weren't the only Athens to make the list, as the 2010 winning University of Georgia hit number five (insert “Mark Richt lost control of…” meme here).

Based on my personal observation of the southern Athens, the Athens-Clarke County police department wasn't very fond of UGA's top ranking and decided to crack down – I wonder if that was the case for the Athens in Ohio as well… 

Other notable schools to make the list include Illinois at number 4 (probably celebrating Tim Beckman coming aboard), Miami University of Ohio at 9, Penn State at 11, and Wisconsin at 13. I'm a bit surprised by Miami of Ohio coming in at ninth overall – does anyone have first-hand experience of this? 

Not a single Big Ten school managed to make the “Stone-Cold Sober Schools” list, which is not surprising. 

LINK(S), THE SAVIOR OF HYRULE. Oh look, Nate Ebner intercepted another pass… More ESPN practice footage… Buy yerr tickets herr… Evan Turner makes yet another list… ESPN bloggers debate the Ten Year War… Stoned Wolverines? However you want to explain it… Work sucks, I know (…she left me roses by the stairs)… Which moon is cooler, Titan or Europa?.. .Lazers… Amazing what you find in Moscow… TSUN is second, argument invalid. 

 

© 2012 Eleven Warriors.

Ohio State’s freshmen heard lots of inspirational words today: At the president’s convocation in the morning, where they learned time-honored traditions such as the words to OSU’s alma mater, Carmen Ohio. At Ohio Stadium, where they saw their faces projected on the giant scoreboard. And Downtown at Nationwide Arena, where they were introduced to Columbus with techno music and an upbeat …

Continue Reading: OSU's 7,000 freshmen welcomed by university, city

The Buckeyes are a week away from the start of ‘game week’ but there is still plenty going on in the final week of Fall Camp. Urban Meyer updated the media on Monday with the latest.

As the season inches forward, practice time becomes more important for the 2012 Ohio State Buckeyes. A day after captains were announced, head coach Urban Meyer said practice went well. And good news for Ohio State: the offense continues to improve and exhibit a winning potential.

In Saturday’s scrimmage at Ackerman Field, quarterback Braxton Miller lit up the scoreboard with 350 passing yards. Meyer provided no more details, but it was clear he was happy with his quarterback. Some guys are still dinged up, but all in all, Ohio State is in a good position with less than two weeks remaining until the opener.

Two more Buckeyes had their stripes removed Monday: Warren Ball and Cardale Jones.

Meyer didn’t recruit Ball, but he said the more he gets to know Ball the more he likes him. Said he’s a tough guy.

Meyer also said Cardale Jones has shown continued improvement. 

Last week was deemed “make or break” by Meyer. He said it was “make.”

On offense, Meyer likes where the team is. Termed them “fairly competent.”

Meyer said he can see every facet of the offense continually improving. The wide receivers have stepped up, with Philly Brown taking the No. 1 WR spot.

Devin Smith and Jake Stoneburner were two other receivers Meyer lauded by name.

Michael Thomas is back from his injury. Meyer didn’t specify what was wrong, but said it was minor.

“Nick Vannett is one of the most improved guys on the team,” Meyer said. He and Heuerman are 50/50 on who will start.

Heuerman has also missed some practice with a hamstring injury. He is also back now.

Meyer said the right tackle position has to improve. There is still no starter. Meyer said consistency and toughness has to improve.

On the new kickoff rule, Meyer said he is all for players’ safety. He said the five-yard start doesn’t give you near the momentum to get the ball to or out of the end zone.

The vote tally for captain went: 1. Simon, 2. Boren, 3. Sabino, 4. Hall, 5. Goebel

Meyer didn’t realize Sabino hasn’t play a lot throughout his career. He said he acts like a veteran and loves the way Sabino carries himself.

Meyer described Goebel as a no non-sense type of player. “He’s the type of guy we want at Ohio State.”

The negative publicity for the past year contributed to Meyer allowing the ESPN All-Access series, Meyer said. He wanted people to see all the good the program is about.

Frank Epitropoulos has missed time because of a hamstring issue. Sounds like he’ll definitely be redshirting.

Zach Domicone will return in two weeks after having his knee scoped.

© 2012 Eleven Warriors.

“Defense and special teams – long snappers and punting – ball control and winning – these are a few of my favorite things.” 

Responsible for keeping the offense running quickly

This is not only a laundry list of things that Tressel might have drawn a heart around in his diary, but also the foundation of Urban's overall strategic approach to football.

As the official OSU website details:

One of only two active collegiate coaches with multiple BCS national championships and one of only 13 coaches in the last 50 years to win multiple national championships, Meyer's plan includes four tenets: play great defense; score in the red zone; dominate turnovers; and win the kicking game. His teams have succeeded in each of those competencies.

As Ivan Maisel described way back in 2003, “Tresselball depends on defense, regards field position as paramount and slowly, inevitably pressures the other team until it cracks.” 

For all the similarities, there are nonetheless differences in clock management and tempo. This year's incarnation of Urban's offense is different even than his past offenses, starting with the no-huddle.

Doug Lesmerises writes: 

For instance, Meyer said he didn't want to go with an up-tempo offense at Florida because he wanted the leadership of Tebow and some of his veteran offensive linemen in the huddle.

“When you go up-tempo, you lose the leadership of the quarterback,” Meyer said. “The whole intangible part of football, you lose that when you go fast, no-huddle. So I'm evaluating that now. I don't know.”

However, Urban was convinced of the value of the no-huddle after visiting programs like Chip Kelly's Oregon offense over the year while working for ESPN. He then meshed his basic offensive tenets with those of his new offensive coordinator, Tom Herman.

“We want to be no-huddle, we want to be up-tempo and use that to our advantage. And we want to be balanced. We want to run the football first to set up the throwing game…I don't know if culture shock is the right word, but that's a major philosophical change that these kids need to understand and get used to,” Herman said. “We could call the whole offense without saying a word if we wanted to in terms of the skill guys. It's our own sign language and the kids learn it and it doesn't change over their careers.

In truth, we are still likely to a see a huddle every now and then, depending on specific game situations. Braxton will have to look into his teammates' eyes and will them to convert 4th downs, just like Tebow before him. 

The no-huddle (with a conservative bit of huddling thrown in) is a logical next step for Urban's brand of power-run spread offense, but one that has never been seen at any of his previous stops and certainly never before at Ohio State. Instead, we'll have to look at Tom Herman's Iowa State offenses to understand the next evolution in Urbanball.  

Advantages of the No-Huddle 

The no-huddle offense is spreading rapidly across all levels of football because it offers several advantages over traditional forms of clock management: 1. it limits defensive substitution and movement/disguises; 2. it allows for more reps and greater efficiency in practice; and 3. (what we'll mainly be concentrating on here) it allows for the offense to set a flexible tempo.

Chris Brown details the most common advantage of the no-huddle: 

Modern defenses want to match offenses in terms of strength and speed via personnel substitutions. They also want to confuse offenses with movement and disguise. The up-tempo no-huddle stymies those defensive options. The defense doesn’t have time to substitute, and it’s also forced to show its hand: It can’t disguise or shift because the quarterback can snap the ball and take advantage of some obvious, structural weakness.

While Ross expounds upon the second advantage: 

College teams have relatively little practice time.  The no-huddle allows an offense to get far more repetitions.  While in the past a team may run a play, then a coach would instruct one player with the ten other players standing around, no-huddle teams can repeatedly rep plays, with coaching corrections made when the second team takes its turn or in film study.

A rare slower moment in camp 

Related to the first advantage, the no-huddle also allows offenses to control the game's overall tempo. Ross writes that:

Coaches like Chip Kelly and Gus Malzahn's primary objective is to keep their offense relatively simple so that they can play at breakneck speed.  Malzahn, for instance, wants his offense to run 80 plays per game.  Their goal is to limit a defense's substitution, tire the on-field players, and eventually overwhelm the defense's capacity to adjust.

Catch up on everything you need to know ahead of the season kickoff.

11W 2012 Season Preview

While Oregon runs the no-huddle at breakneck speed in order to have the highest number of offensive snaps per game possible, that doesn't have to be so.

Urban's offense will similarly strive for a higher number of snaps per game, but it will sometimes go to the line of scrimmage after a play in the no-huddle, then control the clock by letting the play clock wind down as necessary. In short, the no-huddle allows the offense to methodically control the clock and set the tempo for the defense but doesn't require scoring drives to only last 30 seconds. 

what will it look like?

The most relevant quantitative metric of game tempo is the number of plays per game that an offense runs. As mentioned, Urban's previous offenses at Florida did not make extensive use of the no-huddle, but we can nonetheless provide some context using his previous offense, Herman's offenses at Iowa State, Oregon's offense, and Ohio State's Bollman-led squads: 

Year

Ohio State

Florida

Iowa St

Oregon

2011

62

61

79

78

2010

69

68

69

79

2009

68

66

69

68

In all honesty, there aren't very significant differences in average number of plays run per game until last season, when both Iowa State and Oregon average roughly 16 (or 25%) more plays per game.

Herman's Iowa State offense really sped up the tempo last season relative to his first two years as offensive coordinator. I'd guess this year's offense doesn't quite make it to 79 plays per game, but should nonetheless exceed any average during the Bollman years. 

However, the average number of plays per game doesn't take into account the time of possession. Many fans were concerned that the no-huddle offense would lower the offense's overall time of possession, limiting the defense's ability to rest between series. 

We can get a sense for this by comparing the average time of possession with the average number of plays run per game. Unfortunately we don't have access to number of possessions per game data – measuring the average time per each offensive series would be the most ideal:

Year

ohio State

Florida

Iowa St

Oregon

2011

30:40

28:18

29:08

24:59

2010

32:10

28:36

28:33

27:54

2009

31:29

30:53

28:17

26:18

No huddle doesn't necessarily have to mean hurry up: while Oregon certainly has a lower average time of possession per game than any of the other three schools, the 2011 Iowa State offense was able to run an astounding number of plays per game while still maintaining a high average time of possession. 

Furthermore, time of possession per game (again, this doesn't take into account the number of drives per game) isn't really correlated with winning at all. Commentators love to point out the average time of possession as an extremely important statistic, but only Ohio State averaged a greater time of possession than its opponents. 

Even more telling is the fact that the 2011 Iowa State offense averaged ten more plays per game than the 2010 offense, yet increased its average time of possession by 30 seconds per game. This is partly because more plays mean more overall time to run those plays, but it's in stark contrast with the 2011 Oregon offense, which averaged about 4 minutes less than Iowa State. 

John Reed, the author of Football Clock Management, has researched clock and ball control in the NFL and gotten it down to as much of a science as anyone studying the game. Reed's basic (and simple) philosophy is that “Teams that are ahead should play slower to run the clock down, while teams trailing should play faster to preserve time — and increase their chances of coming back.” 

The 2012 Buckeyes' no-huddle will still allow for this sort of variable clock control while still controlling the pace for defenses. I expect the 2012 offense to average somewhere around 70 plays per game while maintaining a similar time of possession. 

© 2012 Eleven Warriors.

Not going to lie: I was pretty excited when I was asked to talk about Ohio State's passing game for the preview series. And not just because by necessity it was going to be incredibly short, but also because I get to talk about (and make fun of) the 2011 incarnation of the Ohio State passing game.

More of this

Which of course was hilariously awful. 115th out of 120 awful, and considering two of those remaining five teams were service academies that don't pass as a matter of scheme, it makes it look all the worse.

Ohio State also had the 110th worst completion percentage, was 114th in total completions, and averaged about 19 passing attempts per game, which was only 8 more attempts than Navy had per game WHICH RUNS A TRIPLE OPTION OFFENSE. What's even funnier and/or infuriating is that if you take away the Michigan game and the Gator Bowl loss to Florida, OSU's passing average drops to 114 yards per game, ahead of only UNLV, Navy, and Army. Take that, America.

Everything about the 2011 Ohio State passing game made me want to murder someone. Did you ever re-watch the Michigan State game? If not, good. If so, what in the name of all that's holy is wrong with you? It wasn't the Buckeyes' worst passing performance of 2011 (that dubious honor belongs to the Illinois game where Braxton Miller attempted four passes as Jim Bollman slathered himself with sour cream and had three Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs lick it off him over the course of four quarters), but that's actually my point.

See, the MSU game was one of those times where you need your passing game to pick up the slack, as the normally “okay” Ohio State rushing offense had completely ground to a halt. And to Bollman's credit, he called 25 passing attempts, but the complete lack of creativity in the passing game and general lack of talent meant that the whole proposition was doomed from the start. Miller and Bauserman (yes, he was still somehow playing QB five games into the season) combined to go 12/24 for 143 yards, and the cherry on top were the four consecutive incompletions on OSU's penultimate drive thrown by Bauserbombs himself that took the Buckeyes from 1st and 10 on the Spartan 43 to a Sparty 1st and 10, also on the Spartan 43.

In other words, it wasn't just bad coaching, or bad playing, or poor talent, or a complete and utter lack of imagination where getting the ball to the tight ends and receivers was concerned. It was all of those things combined, an incredibly frustrating and predictable broken record that slowly repeated itself at about 14 rpm for the duration of the season. Thank God Meyer and company have iPods.

Let's talk personnel a little bit. One of the biggest concerns for Urban Meyer in the offseason was a lack of playmakers, particularly at the receiver position. Considering that Ohio State is the school that's produced talent like Cris Carter, Terry Glenn, David Boston, et al, Meyer probably thought he was walking into a coaching job that oversaw a little more receiving prowess than what he got.

It's probably a little unfair to rip on freshmen Verlon Reed, Devin Smith, Evan Spencer, and Tyrone (formerly TY) Williams for both literally and figuratively dropping the ball in the passing game. They had inadequate coaching and extremely inconsistent QB play (you know, when they were actually allowed to play QB) and okay yes, probably weren't the five-star playmakers that Meyer covets.

Less of this

There's still talent there. Reed had 9 receptions in four games last year before he got injured, which doesn't sound significant until you realize that the team's leading receiver, fellow freshman Devin Smith, last year had 14 receptions over 13 games. In other words, coordination trumps talent when it comes to establishing consistency in an offense.

Not that there wasn't at least some talent. Philly Brown has shown flashes, and the aforementioned Smith was on the receiving end of this little ditty last October. Plus there was the Jake Stoneburner experience, where the tight end accounted for 14 catches, 7 being touchdowns, although like so many Insane Clown Posse concerts, he was shut down once The Man figured out that was pretty much where all of Ohio State's dirty work was being done.

Interestingly, one of the new wrinkles that Urban Meyer and Tom Herman were tasked with bringing to the offense in 2012 already existed in 2011. Much has been talked about Jordan Hall taking on the “Percy Harvin” role in his offense, but if we're referring strictly to the concept of the RB as a pass catcher, believe it or not, one Carlos Hyde has got you covered. El Guapo (I can't believe people are still using that nickname, I guess I need to write posts after watching The Three Amigos more often) had ten catches last year, and with Hall out and Hyde now likely the main focus of the running game, it's hard to think he won't be a factor in the passing game as well.

Catch up on everything you need to know ahead of the season kickoff.

11W 2012 Season Preview

And of course, Stoney. They've moved the dude to WR permanently at this point, which is the natural spot for a guy who came into Ohio State expecting to play at that position anyway. To be completely honest, I think Stoneburner and either Heuerman or Vannett at tight end are going to be the top two leaders in receptions this year.

Which brings me to the concept of scheme. I guess technically Ohio State had a passing scheme in 2011, but it most consisted of “one dude go deep, one dude not go deep” and then if the dude not deep was covered your options were to a) try and complete the pass to the deep guy, which happened maybe 5% of the time, b) run, or c) make a cool souvenir for a lucky fan five rows back.

That's changed. Ross has gone into extreme detail over the past several months about what the Meyer and Herman passing game is all about, but to put it in a word, it involves the concept of space. Cutbacks, combining plays, bubble screens—they're all devices used in an attempt to mitigate the natural numbers advantage that the defense has by spreading them out and creating space for receivers. This is why players with an inherent size advantage like Stoneburner and the tight ends, and players at flexible positions like RB and fullback are vital to this type of passing game; they create favorable matchups that allow for the ball to get into space.

What you'll see out of the Ohio State 2012 passing offense is a quick-strike, screen-heavy attack that considers a 5-yard pass to be just as effective and vital as a 5-yard rush. With the kind of personnel that the Buckeyes bring to the table, it just might be crazy enough to work, provided the WRs are athletic enough to create adequate separation. Woody would be furious, but as we saw last season, the passing game must be a consistent and vital part of any offense. Screens, little passes to the flat, and RB dump-offs are all great weapons but they can't be turned on and off like a light switch. It's nice to know the new coaching staff understands that.

Ultimately, though, this all rests on the shoulders of Braxton Miller. He's a unique talent who showed flashes of real quarterbacking ability last year, which is kind of amazing considering all he had to deal with. But that's what makes Meyer's spread so great for the guy: instead of having to constantly rely on a Hail Mary as his second read, he'll have options in the short passing game that will allow for more consistency and allow him to move the chains without daring a linebacker to take his head off.

This is why people are so excited about this offense. If implemented and executed correctly, it is a perfect fit for many of the playmakers on the team. It's not three yards and a cloud of dust, but we went to artificial turf years ago anyway.

© 2012 Eleven Warriors.

Objectively looking at the schedule, starting 4-0 feels like a foregone conclusion.

Meyer: You have questions, he has answers. 

We've all heard the chirps about California and UCF at least being decent teams but I think most of us believe it's a pretty safe bet that a reinvigorated Ohio State football team, led by an equally reinvigorated Urban Meyer and playing at home in the 'Shoe, will prove more than enough to dispatch of four decidedly inferior foes. 

Under Meyer and his handpicked staff, this team is going to play at an entirely different pace with a seismic shift in both urgency and sustained intensity.

What's less certain, however, is exactly how the Buckeyes will sweep the non-conference slate and if enough questions will have been answered for the squad to open to 5-0 when things get real on September 29th in East Lansing. 

I'm sure you've got your own little list of questions about this young team, having identified them as questions that, if answered in the first four contests, will give the Buckeyes a chance to win every game on the schedule. The basic logic is, you can't be 12-0 until you go 4-0 and establish some building blocks. 

With that, here's a list a list of four questions that need sorted out over the non-conference schedule in order for Ohio State to reclaim its perch as the conference's best team and put the nation on notice for next year. 

Are the linebackers good enough for this defense to be great?

Sporting what could be one of the dominant defensive fronts in college football coupled with what should be at least an above secondary highlighted by future star Bradley Roby, the first four games will give us a chance to evaluate the question mark of the defense – the linebackers.

Ryan Damn Shazier was one of last year's breakout freshmen and there's little reason to believe he won't be significantly improved as this season gets underway. He made his fair share of freshman mistakes, sometimes over pursuing ball carriers and getting beat over the top in the passing game but it will shock no one if he opens the non-conference slate making plays sideline to sideline.

Alongside Shazier, things are less certain. Etienne Sabino was more like Etienne So-so for the bulk of 2011, though he did close well with strong efforts at Michigan and against Florida while Curtis Grant has been anointed the Mike, though it feels like it was almost by default.

If nothing else, Sabino is a hard worker and leader by example as evidenced by his selection as a team captain. Like Shazier, he was selectively exposed in zone coverage and unlike Shazier, he didn't always show the speed necessary to keep up with elite rushers. In the opening weeks, Sabino will need to show he's improved in these areas to make me feel good about the state of linebacking in Columbus.

Grant is without a doubt the biggest question mark on the starting defense simply because there's no collegiate body of work with which to draw conclusions. I want to pencil him in as a top five tackler in 2012 but I'll feel better about doing so once we get to see what he's got against the likes of Miami, UCF, Cal and UAB.

If nothing else, the good news is that Fickell's defense will feature just two linebackers on the field for a high volume of snaps, making it easier to absorb a lack of effectiveness at this position group.

All this assumes, perhaps incorrectly, that any of the freshmen – a Perry, Marcus or Crowell maybe – don't make the most of their first four games and seize some playing time if Grant falters.

which freshmen will emerge as key contributors?

Unquestionably, one of the great fan chores to complete during a new season is looking to see which newcomers step and make a name for themselves among the faithful. 

This season, with so many redshirts and true freshmen in the two-deep, the task of correctly predicting which handful of them will blow up won't be easy. I think they call that a #BuckeyeNationProblem or something.

Think about it: names like Noah Spence, Michael Thomas, Adolphus Washington, Taylor Decker, Bri'onte Dunn, David Perkins, Jamal Marcus, Najee Murray, Nick Vannett, Josh Perry and Tommy Schutt dot a super-sized R-Fr/Fr roster totaling 43 kids.

So which three or four will rise to the top against the likes of Miami, UCF, Cal and UAB, earning the right to be big time players as the Buckeyes take on conference play and prepare for the 2013 redemption tour?

Thomas starred in the spring. Can he repeat in the fall?

On offense, the four with the greatest opportunity include Dunn, Decker, Thomas and Vannett. 

I'll take Decker and Vannett out of this group to separate themselves but I won't be shocked if Thomas breaks from a crowded pack of receivers to become a legit target in the eyes of the Miller. The two practically made out in the spring game as Thomas racked up something like 30 catches for 400 yards – or maybe it was 12 for 131 – but the bottom line is the kid was constantly open and has good size at 6'2″, 200 lbs. 

All signs point to Decker being Reid Fragel's backup to open the season but something tells me Decker will eat into the converted tight end's minutes right from the jump. Decker's an intelligent kid who has the schemes down pat; he just needs to refine his pass blocking, something he'll have plenty of chances to practice as Ohio State gets back to striving for some balance and not being afraid to throw the football. 

Vannett, a redshirt from Westerville, cashed in some karma points when Jake Stoneburner was officially moved to wide receiver, opening the door to a starting spot. He'll battle with Jeff Heuerman for time but I like what Vannett has shown so far and with Braxton learning a new offense, there could be plenty of opportunities in the early going to catch dumpoffs / safe throws, enabling Nick to earn the trust of the staff and signal caller as the season wears on. 

Defensively, a host of young linebackers are learning the ropes including guys like Perry, Marcus, Perkins and Camren Williams while the defensive line loaded up on more depth with Spence, Washington, Schutt and Se'Von Pittman.

Among those kids, I'm putting my money on Spence being the guy to separate from the pack and become a force. This team needs a pass rusher off the edge with Nathan Williams not yet at 100% and John Simon best utilized in other ways, and based on what we've seen and heard so far, Spence is primed to be that guy.

Perry and Marcus both seem like guys that could make noise but at this point, that projects to being our new favorite special teams darlings.

how much improvement will we see from the passing game?

While there's no question Jim Bollman and Nick Siciliawhatevero did nothing to help the Ohio State passing attack in 2011, it's also clear Braxton wasn't yet totally ready for primetime from a mechanics and reading defenses perspective and with zero proven receivers to help him along, OSU managed to rank 115th in Passing Offense and 107th in Total Offense, one of the true lowlights from a lost season. 

Despite having to learn a new offense, Braxton has shown steady improvement with his accuracy from last year to now and with Tom Herman and Meyer effectively designing plays in which Braxton can excel, there's no reason to believe Miller isn't on the cusp of greatness. 

For Miller to truly go next level, he needs some receivers to emerge. 

With Stoneburner moving to the outside, it will be interesting to see how those two adjust in the early going and what trickle-down effect it has on the rest of the corps. 

Devin Smith and Philly Brown figure to join Stoneburner in seeing the bulk of the reps as the non-conference slate plays out but with all three lacking a polished wide receiver resume, Evan Spencer, Verlon Reed, Michael Thomas and Chris Fields should also see plenty of action. I have to believe no less than three guys in this group can seize the opportunity over the first four games and give the Buckeyes production they sorely missed in 2011. 

Another obvious benefit to running an updated offense is that we'll get to evaluate running backs and tight ends as full fledged members of the passing attack. I touched on TE/Vannett earlier and out of the backfield, we could start seeing just what Jordan Hall and Carlos Hyde can do as early as game two. 

The Herman/Meyer offense will feature enough quick-strike routes that a premium will be placed on the ability to run after the catch. As such, I am insanely curious to see how effective the slippery Hall can be in space after the catch. 

A last piece of the passing game puzzle that will have my focus is the pass protection. Last year, the combo of Miller holding onto the ball too long at times, the offensive line struggling to not be terrible and wide receivers failing to gain consistent separation led to 3.54 sacks allowed per game, 'good' for 118th in the country. Yeah, you're right – that's out of 120 teams. 

Again, the vastly improved offensive strategy as a whole should have a colossal impact on pass pro but I'm still anxiously awaiting the chance to watch Mewhort, Norwell, Linsley, Hall and Fragel/Decker attempt to shore up the trenches and keep Miller upright over the first four games to give me hope that they can do so against Sparty's pretty-close-to-elite defense. 

who will prove to be the 2nd most important offensive player?

Barring injury, its pretty clear this offense is tailor-made for Braxton to blow up both with his legs and with his arm. 

Catch up on everything you need to know ahead of the season kickoff.

11W 2012 Season Preview

Less clear is who will step up in the first month of the season and become another guy that Meyer can count on to help move the ball. 

Looking to run a balanced power spread attack, a hybrid player like Jordan Hall could form a dangerous 1-2 punch with Miller. As noted, we won't get our first glimpse until game two at the earliest but could Hall be the guy heading into East Lansing targeted to be Braxton's Robin? 

No question Hall could be the one but going back to the fact this offense will still lean heavily on the ability to power run the football, I'm going with Carlos Hyde as the player most likely to complement Miller over the course of 12 games. 

I like his ability to run between the tackles and love his speed at 6'0″, 232 lbs. No longer wary of how he was mishandled in a 2011 campaign that saw him top the century mark twice and not record a carry twice, it will be interesting to see if he can be the guy to soften up the middle allowing Braxton and company to exploit the edges. 

Either way, watching Hall and Hyde battle over the course of the non-conference to be the number one offensive option behind Braxton should be fun. Both could easily be that guy as they have differing strengths and if both do take their abilities to the next level, I'll have an increased confidence in Ohio State picking up a W in East Lansing and using that as a springboard to the rest of the B1G slate. 

Right now, the only absolute we know is that answers to these questions will be begin playing out in 12 days. 

© 2012 Eleven Warriors.

In our next ‘Time and Change’ series piece we look at the impact that the crowd can have on the game and why the Ohio State crowd needs to bring it as strong as the team they cheer for does each week.

The 2011 Ohio State defense, while still ranked among the top 20 nationally, was not the usual stout group that represents the Scarlet and Gray. The linebacker corps was as underwhelming a group that Ohio State has fielded in the past 50 years. The same criticisms were levied toward the secondary, and the players who make up the unit are in agreement.

Liftoff for Roby is less than two weeks.

The Silver Bullets take pride in their yearly appointment inside the Top 10 defensive rankings. Last year’s showing humbled them and sent the Buckeye into the offseason with their tails between their legs. Even head coach Urban Meyer got in on the act, referring to them as very average.

In the defensive backfield, the work began as soon as the team charter touched down in Columbus following the Gator Bowl. There would be no more dropped interceptions and missed open-field tackles would be a thing of the past. The returning secondary players banded together promising to have each other’s back.

Forgetting about the previous play is an important trait for defensive backs to have. Too many times a touchdown pass or dropped interception compounds itself and all of a sudden, the snowball is going downhill. Last season, the Buckeyes ranked 14th in the country is pass defense, allowing 18 touchdowns through the air. By no means bad numbers, but an opponent completion percentage of 61 percent and just 13 interceptions contributed to OSU ranking 63rd in passing efficiency, leaving the secondary famished.

“You don't have many opportunities,” senior safety Orhian Johnson said. “Our goal is to go out there and take advantage of those opportunities. We don’t want them to pass by.”

A season ago, Johnson did his best, compiling a team-high three interceptions, along with Bradley Roby. Now both are back, as well as every other returning starter in the defensive backfield – Christian Bryant, C.J. Barnett and Travis Howard. Sprinkle in true freshmen De’van Bogard and Najee Murray and the Buckeyes suddenly have depth at a position of need.

Johnson and Howard provide a veteran presence, Roby is a budding star, Bryant is a hard-nosed talent and Barnett gives teammates a work ethic to model. Together as one, they believe perfection is attainable.

“When we come together, we talk about being the best defensive backfield in the country,” Bryant said. “We talk about our whole defense being the best defense in the country, and that's what we are trying to accomplish this year.”

Cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs refers to the group as “talented and gifted.”

“More than anything, though, they’re very good, diligent workers,” he said. “They’re in my office poking their head in all the time. They want to know what they can do to get better. They want to know where they fell short. And they don’t argue with me about what I’m seeing and how we can improve, and that’s a real credit to them. That’s what the great ones have.”

2012 is make or break for Howard.

Roby is the ringleader. The one-time Vanderbilt wide receiver commit hopes to be the next in a long line of great Ohio State cornerbacks. From Dick LeBeau to Antoine Winfield and Jack Tatum to Malcolm Jenkins, the Buckeyes’ defensive backfield has been a springboard to NFL success.

“If Bradley is not a first-round draft pick down the road, that would be a shame,” Coombs said. “It will only be a result of failure to stay diligent at his craft. I think he’ll be very diligent, and I think that’s exactly who he should be and what he should be.”

Roby has been No. 25 since he arrived in Columbus. But he quickly wanted a change of scenery. The switch wasn’t just any, however. Roby wanted to don the prestigious No. 1. To do so, he had to earn the right from Coombs and Meyer. But after a superb spring and summer, Meyer gave the single digit to Roby. 

“Coach Meyer called me one day and said, ‘I’m going to give you No. 1 like you asked,’” Roby said. “‘You showed me the things that you said you were going to do. I can see greatness in you, so here you go. Now make sure you don’t slip up or anything.’”

Slipping isn’t something in Roby’s vocabulary. Speed is, though. Last year, Roby used speed to his advantage, and that burst showed up again this summer. When the team was clocked in 40-yard dashes, Roby’s time came up 4.3, the fastest on the team. An offseason workout program with strength coach Mickey Marotti contributed to Roby’s quick time, which was one-tenth of a second faster than last season. His playing weight for 2012 will be 191 pounds.

“I feel a lot faster,” Roby said. “I gained five pounds and I’m still faster. When your body gets stronger and you do more work, even with the extra weight it brings more speed.”

Because he’s a receiver at heart, Roby’s technique at cornerback hasn’t always been picture perfect. That’s where his speed comes into play. His recovery time from mistakes is much great than most corners. But speed can’t always bail you out. Eventually, technique has to win out. Roby even admits as much.

“I can get so much better at playing (cornerback),” he said. “My potential is sky high. Technique-wise, I’m still raw. I’ve worked hard on my technique over the past year, so I’ve gotten better with that. I feel like I’m going to be so much better this year, it’s going to be crazy.”

A Georgia native, one may be inclined to say that Roby brings a dose of SEC speed to the Buckeyes. It could be on display this fall on kick returns. With Jordan Hall injured, Roby is slated to be a possible replacement.  Needless to say, it’s a commitment Roby has undertaken with full determination.

“I’m excited about it,” he said. “I’ve been trying to tell Coach Meyer and the rest of our coaches to put me back there for a while.

Bone-crushing hits have become a trademark of Barnett's.

“I just love having the ball in my hands. You can’t be scared. You’ve got just to run and when you see a hole, hit it and make a play.”

And that isn’t just limited to defense or special teams. Roby is also lobbying to play offense. The accomplished wide receiver’s requests have fallen on deaf ears, though. Both co-defensive coordinators, Luke Fickell and Everett Withers, scoffed when reporters told them of Roby’s overtures.

The coaches enjoy Roby’s flamboyance, but the hard working, quiet effort of Barnett provides a refresher.

“Great kid,” Fickell said describing Barnett.  “He’s one of the hardest working players out there. It’s not hard to tell who puts a foot on the pedal and how they go about their business. He’s got the ability. Now, is he Chris Gamble? No. But let’s be realistic. Do you have to be? No. There’s a fine line. Everybody is in that same ability range. It comes down to the passion to do the intangible things. He does them.”

After suffering a season-ending knee injury against Miami in 2010, Barnett returned last season to start all 13 games. In doing so, he led the team with 75 tackles. He also broke up six pass attempts and made two interceptions.

Like Roby, Barnett’s number means something to him. The “4” across his chest is the same number that fellow Northmont High School graduate Kurt Coleman wore during a stellar Ohio State career, before he became a burgeoning NFL star with the Philadelphia Eagles.

“I’m living a dream,” Barnett said. “I’m starting for one of the best football teams in the nation. There’s a lot of history in this program, and I get to be a part of it. Coach Meyer said something about that at one of our meetings, how it’s nice to just take a second and step back and enjoy what you have and be grateful for it, and I am grateful for this.”

Meyer appreciates what Barnett is about: being a team player, working hard, recognizing Division I scholarships are not a right. At a recent practice, Meyer told Barnett, “I like coaching you. Glad you’re a Buckeye, bro.”

Withers have also taken a liking to Barnett, one of the new defensive coordinators’ emerging leaders.

“It’s the way he works every day, the way he attacks practices, the way he attacks meetings, how he handles himself off the field,” Withers said. “He’s a grinder. He’s always working hard on the things he thinks he needs to improve on like tackling in space and covering the deep area of the field. That’s what you like, guys who work on their weaknesses and not their strengths.”

The look of intensity 24/7.

The man in charge of the Buckeye secondary, Coombs, isn’t doing so quietly. But Coombs rarely does anything in silence. He brings an in-your-face attitude that promises to bring the most out of his players. He also has experience leading one of the best high school programs – Cincinnati Colerain – in the state. It’s something that isn’t lost on Meyer.

“Kerry Coombs had an incredible record of achievement as a high school head coach and he is highly regarded as one of the great coaches in Ohio high school football history,” Meyer said. “I have watched him coach in high school and at the University of Cincinnati, and I have great respect for the way he works. He is a strong recruiter. He knows defense and special teams. And he is an excellent teacher.”

The high-intensity, high-strung Coombs has not changed during his three decades as a coach. While some players resist screaming, Ohio State’s backfield has embraced their coach’s philosophy, including freshman Tyvis Powell, a popular Coombs target. 

“All great corners have to have the same psychological makeup,” Coombs said. “They have to be fearless. They have to have absolutely no memory and very little conscience. Those are guys you're looking for at that position.

“I'm going to coach them hard. It's the only way I know how to coach. I think they know I care a lot about them. I care a lot about winning, so we're going to do our business hard.”

In his introductory news conference, Meyer described in detail the type of coaches he wanted, and it drew an apt portrait of Coombs.

“I want a bunch of coaches that coach like their hair’s on fire, and I want a football team that goes four to six seconds of relentless effort,” Meyer said. “You do that, you have a chance to win in every game you play.”

Winning is the motto for this year’s Buckeye football team: winning every game, winning for the seniors and executing Meyer’s Plan to Win.

“Our goal’s to go 12-0,” junior running back Carlos Hyde said. With a schedule littered with talented quarterbacks, the likes of Bradley Roby, CJ Barnett and Co. could be the difference from 8-4 to 10-2 to 12-0.

A defensive line that will be among the nation’s finest and an improved linebacker corps will help pressure those signal callers. But sometimes you’re the bug and sometimes you are the windshield. Coombs doesn’t plan on being squished anytime soon.

© 2012 Eleven Warriors.