Ohio State played 10 wide receivers in Saturday’s 77-10 pasting of Bowling Green as Noah Brown, Parris Campbell, Corey Smith, Curtis Samuel, Dontre Wilson, Johnnie Dixon, James Clark, Terry McLaurin, K.J. Hill and Austin Mack all saw the field for the fourth-ranked Buckeyes.
There were numerous big plays — Samuel’s 79-yard touchdown and Hill’s 47-yarder come to mind — and six of those who saw action at wide receiver wound up with at least one catch. But the Buckeyes’ wideouts know there is room for improvement and head coach Urban Meyer agreed.
“I don’t think that the technique of our wideouts was where it needs to be even though they did make some very good plays,” Meyer said Monday during his weekly press conference.
That improvement is vital as Ohio State hopes to establish some sort of pecking order at wide receiver. Right now, Brown is the No. 1 option, but after that, things get awfully crowded.
Meyer said the “pack is pretty close,” and what that means is opportunities are going to be limited as the Buckeyes continue to use a heavy rotation. With nobody outside Brown essentially separating from the rest, players will get fewer snaps.
That’s why it’s so important for Ohio State’s wide receivers to make big plays in games when they have the chance.
“We take pride in having a deep rotation and it gives a lot of guys a chance to show what they can do because we have a lot of guys in that room that have the ability to play at Ohio State,” McLaurin said. “We all just want to make plays when we’re in there."
"You may only get one touch, you may only get one target, you may only get a certain amount of plays. But when you’re in there, we expect no drop-off from the ones to the next guy in the rotation.”
Hill was able to make a big play when he scored the Buckeyes’ first touchdown of the season. Samuel’s 79-yarder was just one of the several highlights he had Saturday. Wilson had a pair of scores and Brown made a big-time catch for his first-career touchdown. They stood out.
On the other hand, Campbell, Smith, Clark and Mack went without a reception. Campbell drew a pass interference flag on his only target; Mack and Smith combined for just a single target between the two of them. Dixon had one catch, but couldn’t haul in one of his other targets which would have been a touchdown. Opportunities were certainly limited, but these players didn’t necessarily stand out.
It’d be impossible for all 10 to have great games and for all to create highlights. There just aren’t enough snaps in a game. That's not really the point, though. What needs to be monitored going forward is who consistently makes plays when given an opportunity.
Ohio State isn’t going to play 10 receivers all year. At some point, that rotation will be trimmed down a bit. Seizing the moment is crucial.
“If you don’t make that play somebody will come in right behind you to get in and if they get the same opportunity they might make the most of it,” Hill said. “Every time you get a ball or a chance you’ve got to make the most of it.”
Meyer and wide receivers coach Zach Smith would surely like to have a rotation somewhat solidified when the Buckeyes travel to Oklahoma next weekend. Saturday’s matchup with Tulsa provides these Ohio State wide receivers with a golden opportunity to state their case to be part of it.
“Everybody wants to make plays,” McLaurin said. “That’s just how you are as a competitor coming to Ohio State.”
