The 2016 Ohio State football season is officially under way, as evident by the sound of whistles and shouts on the grass fields at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center Sunday.
After taking his fifth Buckeye team through practices both in the morning (freshmen and newcomers) and afternoon (upperclassmen, in addition to a trio of true freshmen) head coach Urban Meyer met with the media to break down the action.
The Buckeyes return to the practice field for one practice Monday at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
NOTES:
- Meyer called it a "good first day" for Ohio State. He said the mantra for the 2016 season is "The Edge – where the average stops and the elite begins."
- "Name a team that didn't have a good day today. That's our message to our players. Just keep things going."
- Meyer brought up former defensive end Steve Miller as a guy who "crossed the edge" near the end of his career and became a strong player. He is anxious to see who does that this fall.
- Meyer is going to draw a line around practice No. 12 to determine what kind of team Ohio State will have this fall: "If we see some guys step up like we did in '14 and last year we have a chance to be special. Athleticism and that type of thing is not an issue."
- Meyer added around practice is when he hopes to have an idea of a set starting lineup in mind.
- Ohio State's first scrimmage of fall camp is Saturday.
- Ohio State would like to narrow starting positions and get an idea of who is going to play this fall significant roles starting next week. He added it's "great to have" a starting quarterback and center set in stone like J.T. Barrett and Pat Elflein.
- "I think we're going to be a very athletic team."
- Meyer hopes Ohio State doesn't have to extend periods during practice too long for players to learn about how to do things: "I could tell you some good Bowling Green stories about that happening."
- More on the 2016 slogan of "The Edge" is all about getting some intensity and "human spirit" going through his team so it takes pride in Ohio State. The theme of each season is carefully thought out and calculated, Meyer said.
- Drue Chrisman is paying his own way this fall. There is a chance he could get on scholarship this fall.
- The goal is still to get 18 true freshmen on the field this year: "That's always the goal ... I think this is a much more mature group than last year."
- Meyer called Malcolm Pridgeon's effort Sunday "great" during practice: "That's a big athlete out there, man."
- The balance of getting a new player ready to play as a freshman or even redshirt freshman without wearing them down mentally is the hardest thing to do, Meyer said: "I spend so much time on that."
- The 2016 fall camp "feels different" than last year: "I don't want to screw it up. But every year is different, and it's exciting too. I think we have a chance to be very good."
- Dontre Wilson's heart is always in what Ohio State wants to do, but injuries sometimes can't be helped: "It's a long journey. Fifty percent of your practices are done before the start of the season, then it's all maintenance."
