Rutgers Mic Check: Parris Can't Wait

Ohio State took a bad UNLV team behind the woodshed last Saturday as the Buckeye passing game and defensive line took center stage. 

Nick Bosa posted a career-high 3.0 TFL and his fellow line mates paved the way as the Buckeye defense posted 13 TFL and four sacks. 

Through the air, J.T. Barrett tossed five touchdowns and backup Dwayne Haskins had two of his own as Buckeye wide receivers tallied six scores with tight end Rashod Berry adding another. 

While walk-on C.J. Saunders stole the headlines following a 6-catch, 102-yard performance, H-back Parris Campbell was also a subject of conversation as Urban Meyer met with the media on Monday. 

Q. Last year there were so many conversations about the number of touches that maybe you wanted or could get to Curtis Samuel. Is it possible that Parris can get into that same category now?
COACH MEYER: Sure.

Q. With what he's doing?
COACH MEYER: Yeah, that conversation is already started.

Q. What's a good number? I feel like we ask that for Curtis. You have so many other guys to get involved but what would you like to see now with what Parris Campbell?
COACH MEYER: I'm not there with Parris yet. He's kind of kickoff return. And do you put him on punt return? He's dynamic. So we're always in that 10 to 15 when you have elite guys that you want to touch the ball.

Q. Was that conversation really kick started -- if you looked at the Oklahoma game and you saw just three times for him, did that stick out in your mind? Did you notice that at the time?
COACH MEYER: I noticed it.

It's frankly a little hard to believe Campbell is at the point where Meyer is contemplating how many touches he might need similar to conversations of seasons past with NFL-caliber receiving talents like Curtis Samuel, Braxton Miller and others when you consider Campbell's modest resume as a pass catcher entering the season. 

To be fair, Meyer was prompted to discuss potential touch volume by the media –and he's certainly prone to an off-the-cuff riff in response – but the reality remains that while Campbell is the lone wide receiver to emerge as a somewhat consistent big play threat, counting on him for weekly big time production could be a stretch at this point. 

If your glass is half full, Campbell has put up monster numbers in two of four games. If your glass is half empty, additional context must be considered. 

Yes, Campbell went for six catches and 136 yards in the season opener with a beautiful 74-yard snatch and dash to give Ohio State a third quarter lead against Indiana it would not relinquish. 

And yes, Campbell was again spectacular against UNLV last Saturday posting three catches on three targets for 105 yards with a touchdown. His highlight reel play came via another short route he turned into a score as he showcased sprinter's speed up the right sideline for six. Lesser celebrated, he also made a nice catch in traffic on a slant route. 

Through four games, Indiana boasts the 72nd best pass defense in America while UNLV sits 117th out of 130 FBS squads. 

Sandwiched between his two big days against not-so-good pass defenses, Campbell went for just three receptions and 27 yards versus Oklahoma's 44th ranked pass defense before posting a steady six catches for 54 yards against the nation's 52nd ranked pass defense in Army. 

So, against the two best pass defenses Ohio State has seen thus far, Campbell's tally is nine catches for 81 yards and no touchdowns. Those aren't awful numbers to be sure but nine yards per catch from your top receiving threat isn't anything to celebrate either. 

Conversely, against the two worst pass defenses the Buckeyes have faced, Campbell boasts nine grabs for 241 yards on a ridiculous 26.8 yards per catch with two touchdowns. 

Even with the up and down performances seemingly influenced by the level of competition, Campbell is on a 54 receptions, 966 yards pace through a 12 game regular season which any Buckeye fan would gladly sign up for. 

As for the ground game, Campbell has just three touches through four games which makes sense when you consider the Buckeyes are loaded at tailback and there will also be carries allotted to Barrett particularly when the Buckeyes employ a high volume of RPOs. 

Despite Campbell's drop off in production against better opponents – which obviously isn't a singular issue as an effective pass game is also obviously dependent on the offensive line and quarterback – the overwhelming majority of Buckeye fans should be thrilled with his current per game averages of 4.5 catches and 80.5 yards on an impressive 17.9 yards per catch.  

The hope now is the Ohio State passing game can get over the hump against legit defenses with Campbell's big play ability consistently leading the way.