Though the Buckeyes were crowned the undisputed national champions less than 100 days prior, the focus has already shifted towards their title defense.
Much as was the case following the last two Buckeye title runs of 1968 and 2002, many in the great state of Ohio have reason to feel optimistic, as the core of the championship team returns with only a handful of open positions that need to be filled. Though there have been a handful of chances for fans to check in on the Buckeyes' progress during spring practice, both in-person and on-screen, Saturday's spring game marks the first real exposure anyone outside of the WHAC will have to the 126th football team in the scarlet and gray.
For many in the national media, the contest offers little to answer the largest question of the OSU off-season, as the only quarterback to be seen will be Cardale Jones while both J.T. Barrett and Braxton Miller recover from injury. But that doesn't mean the game is meaningless for those more interested in the program, as the Buckeyes still have other important issues to address.
The loss of offensive coordinator and QB coach Tom Herman is the most notable, and although the overall system should remain the same, play-calling now lies in the hands of offensive line coach Ed Warinner. On the opposite side of the ball, the Buckeyes must replace four senior contributors in cornerback Doran Grant, middle linebacker Curtis Grant, LEO end Steve Miller, and 3-technique tackle Michael Bennett. Of the four, only the middle linebacker spot has a clear replacement in Raekwon McMillan that saw major playing time throughout last year's playoff run.
While the playing time for many returning contributors will likely be brief, there should be ample opportunity to answer these concerns. So where should you, the fan, be looking, whether you're in the 'shoe or watching from home?
Offense
Running the Ball
Throughout Meyer's tenure in Columbus, the entire foundation of his offenses has been the tight zone running play. Carlos Hyde made a killing off the play in 2012 and 2013, and going into the 2014 campaign, the concept remained at the core of OSU's game plans.
However after Virginia Tech gave the rest of the country a blueprint on how to stop it with their 'Bear' front, Meyer and his staff were forced to look for other ways to run the football. By November, the Buckeyes had not only become one of the most successful rushing attacks in the land, but also one of the most diverse.
Elliott and the quarterbacks gashed opponents with counters, outside zone, power-O, sweep-reads, bash, power-read, and tackle counter concepts, each with their own set of adjustments that could be made at the line. Many of those concepts were responsible for some of the most iconic plays of the Buckeyes' historic title run, something few fans (this author included) would've predicted just one year ago.
When they take the field this Saturday though, the question remains as to whether the OSU running attack remains this complicated, or goes back to its roots. With Ezekiel Elliott sidelined with a wrist injury, veterans Brionte Dunn and Warren Ball can expect to see the majority of carries.
Although these two have only seen rare game action, the duo has spent enough time in the program that the staff should feel comfortable calling on them to execute any scheme called. Additionally, the offensive line must only replace departed right tackle Darryl Baldwin, meaning there is little reason not to rely on the unit.
With 14 practices beforehand to build on, fans can expect to see this group unleash their full potential early on Saturday, making the first few series critical. Keep an eye out for lateral movement at the snap from the group, as well as for any linemen that pulls. Such action signals a clear intent from Warinner and Meyer to keep the attack diverse, giving Elliott and whomever ends up taking the snaps when they count a full deck to work with.
Although spring is often a time to focus on fundamentals, it also signals the priorities of a staff and their system as they look ahead toward the fall.
Airing it Out
Though we won't get to see all three contenders for the starting quarterback job get to take snaps this weekend, we will get to see many of the lesser-known contenders to catch their passes. As it stands now, the Buckeyes have four returning contributors at the wide receiver and H-back/slot positions in Michael Thomas, Jalin Marshall, Corey Smith, and Dontre Wilson. But Noah Brown, Parris Campbell, Johnnie Dixon, and converted running back Curtis Samuel have all made plays this spring when given the opportunity.
Known commodities Thomas and Wilson will be sidelined with injuries for the Spring Game, allowing many of those younger players to shine in new roles. Though many of these players intrigue fans with their athleticism and big play highlight reels in high school, the Buckeyes no longer need to find more candidates to run jet sweeps.
Instead, the Buckeyes must look to round out their passing game by replacing one of the most dangerous deep threats in school history, Devin Smith. Many of Smith's 30 career touchdown catches were deep balls that opened up the rest of the underneath passing game by proxy.
Without that threat however, the rest of the OSU passing game becomes crowded, making the short hitches and slants with which Thomas excels much more difficult to execute. Even if Cardale Jones and his canon arm win the quarterback derby before the opener in Blacksburg, at least one receiver will have to prove they're able to get open downfield and haul in those deep balls.
The leading candidate to replace Smith shares the same surname, and made a pair of catches downfield in the national championship against Oregon. Corey Smith is still very raw, having only hauled in only 20 career catches, without even finding the end zone. However, his initial burst after a cut should allow him to get open often enough for whomever is taking the snap to get him the ball.
If Smith isn't targeted on Saturday though, keep an eye on who is. Dixon possesses the pedigree, while Marshall and Campbell are athletic enough to beat most defensive backs thanks to that talent alone.
Defense
In the Trenches
One of the biggest questions that must be answered this spring and fall is on the interior defensive line. Michael Bennett manned the 3-technique tackle spot with great success over the past two seasons, leaving Adolphus Washington to move inside to the nose tackle position, something few expected for the former five-star end.
The pair was a big reason the Buckeyes were so dominant against the rushing attacks of Wisconsin and Oregon, but now DL coach Larry Johnson Sr. must find a replacement at the nose tackle spot, which will allow Washington to move to Bennett’s 3-tech position, which often produces more big plays thanks to fewer double teams.
But as Johnson and Meyer consistently lamented throughout the 2014 campaign, the backup interior defensive linemen were not playing up to par, putting a far greater burden on the starters. But the Buckeyes no longer have that option, as someone has to move into the starting lineup with Bennett’s departure.
Senior Tommy Schutt (#90) is the front-runner to win the position, having appeared in 28 career games for the Buckeyes, seeing snaps in countless big games. Schutt possesses the size many look for in a nose, listed at 6'3" and 290 lbs to go along with the pedigree as a five-star recruit himself.
But Schutt is a known commodity at this point, and there is ample opportunity for sophomores-to-be Donovan Munger (#52) and Michael Hill (#77) to take 'the leap' and grab that spot for themselves. Munger backed up Bennett last year and began seeing more playing time in the playoffs against Alabama and Oregon.
The attribute that is most important for players at the nose is often lower-body strength, something that takes time to develop, even for the best recruits coming from high school. There is also a specific technique required to handle those combo blocks, as it's critical for the nose to know when to occupy two blockers to keep the linebackers behind them free, and when to split the blocks to make a play in the backfield.
Fifth-year senior Joel Hale (#51) is the wildcard at the spot, having moved back to the defensive line after a year backing up Billy Price at offensive guard. Hale started nearly every game at the nose spot in 2013 before Johnson arrived and moved Washington inside over him. Hale certainly gave the effort required to man the nose during that season, but was obviously deemed expendable for a reason.
When this group takes the field Saturday, keep an eye on not only who is lining up over the center, but how they handle the blocks that come their way. With starting center Jacoby Boren sidelined for the Spring game, this group should have ample opportunity to make plays.
However, don't just count tackle stats to gauge who came out ahead. Whichever nose consistently stands their ground the best, not allowing the center and guard to drive him backwards, will likely grade out the highest.
A Big Boy World with Press Corners
The final position battle of note for fans is the second cornerback spot to start opposite incumbent starter Eli Apple. Sophomores Gareon Conley and Damon Webb are the two nominees competing for the spot, but it remains to be seen how exactly they'll be judged.
In last year's Spring game, new defensive coordinator Chris Ash unveiled his Cover-4 scheme which featured a great deal of press coverage from the corners at the line of scrimmage.
Such technique was a welcome sight to many Buckeye fans that had become frustrated with soft coverage that gave up countless short passes underneath to opposing receivers. After an offseason indoctrination to the philosophy, Apple emerged as the starter opposite the departing Grant thanks in part to his ability to be physical off the line without over-extending and getting beat over the top.
Far too often, young defensive backs will put too much weight forward when looking to jam the receiver at the line, mistaking more contact for good contact. However Ash and cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs don't always call on this technique, instead simply relying on the press alignment to simply close the space immediately between the defender and his opponent.
As 2014 progressed, the Buckeyes still called for press coverage with Cover-4 on many occasions, but also called for a Cover-3 scheme on passing downs giving three safeties a deep zone that allowed the corners to squat in a short zone instead of running with receivers.
If Coombs' recent statements are any indication, the press coverage is not only here to stay, it's a focus this spring. "We live in a big boy world out there in press quarters at the corner position," said the leader of the OSU corners recently.
As a fan, keep an eye on how these corners turn and chase the receiver after any initial contact. It's critical that the corner open his hips in the direction of the receiver without crossing his feet, and keeping in "trail" position, meaning they're on the inside hip of the receiver as he runs downfield.
As discussed above, the Buckeyes have plenty of weapons on the other side of the ball that can exploit any gap in coverage with athleticism, so the pair of Conley and Webb will have plenty of opportunities to showcase the skills they've spent the past month tuning.
