For as much success as Urban Meyer's experienced at Ohio State, there's one area of his program that's currently encountering some issues: Placekicking.
The kicking game — and special teams overall — is a passion of the Buckeye football coach, but the product at placekicking in recent years has left something to be desired.
In the 2014 national championship season, then-freshman Sean Nuernberger connected on just 13-of-20 of his attempts. This year, graduate senior and Duke transfer Jack Willoughby's only hit 7-of-11 tries.
Nuernberger nailed two short field goals against Alabama.
Specifically, Nuernberger missed 5-of-10 attempts from 40-49 yards out in 2014 and Willoughby's 0-for-3 in the same category this year. Willoughby's longest made field goal this season is from 39 yards out against Penn State.
"Very concerned," Meyer said Tuesday on the Big Ten teleconference of the situation.
With Nuernberger in his back pocket, Meyer said he's exploring the possibility of making a switch at the position, even though Willoughby's been the guy all season long and just three regular season games remain.
"We're potentially going to make a change at field goal," Meyer said. "Sean Nuernberger might take over, we're going to let it go one more day on Wednesday and make that decision."
The two were listed as co-starters on Ohio State's depth chart for two months, before Willoughby became the lone starter listed last week prior to a 28-14 home win against Minnesota.
Willoughby, who'd never made a field goal during a game in his life prior to this year, toward the beginning of the season he left Duke because he wanted the chance to be a placekicker and not just a kickoff specialist. And even though he's had the nod from his head coach so far in 2015, there isn't any animosity between himself and Nuernberger.
"Sean and I are great friends off the field, on the field good competitors," Willoughby said Sept. 14. "He really is one of my best friends on the team. So it's not like a bitter competition, anyway."
However, Willoughby pushed a 35-yard try wide right against the Golden Gophers, rekindling a battle many thought was dormant. Wednesday is field goal day at practice, so an update is expected following practice when Meyer meets the media.
"There's never really like a moment where someone tells you, 'you're the guy.' I take the reps with the ones and did well enough to keep the reps with the ones," Willoughby said. "I just flow into the job."
If Meyer does decide to make the change, he'll reopen a position battle while again closing another; J.T. Barrett is set to start Saturday in place of Cardale Jones after serving his one-game suspension for an OVI citation.
The Buckeyes pride themselves on being nine units strong as they head into November to be in prime position to compete for championships.
That time of the year is upon us, and Meyer has No. 3 Ohio State in place to be in the College Football Playoff the second consecutive year if the season ended today. Still, he yearns for more consistency from the kicking position, a spot that could decide a close game later in the season again an upper-tier Big Ten team like Michigan State, Michigan or Iowa.
"There will be a little workout, tryout on Wednesday, but that is a concern," Meyer said. "We need to do better."
