We are exactly halfway through Ohio State's football season. The Buckeyes stand at 5-1, 3-0 on the season and the questions concerning the Scarlet and Gray have become focused more on personnel than on scheme.
With the second half of the season starting with Ohio State's second trip to Nebraska in six years, we get to your questions, which include recruiting in addition to the usual concerns about the Buckeyes' upcoming opponent.
Mike Riley said that Nebraska will need to recruit a lot better to compete with Ohio State. Are there signs that he is improving the recruiting in Lincoln or was that just "Coach Speak?" - Seattle Linga
It is so much coach speak that it makes my head spin. I am not ready to condemn Nebraska as a program that can't get back to former glory just yet, but man are they close.
The reality is, the move to the Big Ten hurt Nebraska more than it helped them, especially in recruiting. When the Cornhuskers were in the Big 12, they could sell recruits from Texas and Oklahoma that they would get to play in front of their family multiple times per season. That is simply no longer the case. In addition, the high school talent in Nebraska is just nowhere near the level of Ohio, Texas or Florida. For Nebraska to become relevant on the national scale again, it will have to win recruiting battles in each of those states, but its hard to do that when you are competing with premier schools in their home states.
The only way Nebraska is going to become a national power again is if it can reel in a top-tier coach, but I just don't see a top-tier coach going to Lincoln, where the recruiting base is thin and you have to go all over the country to pull in your class. Nebraska is simply no longer a premier job.
Will J.D. Spielman have a receiving TD, and can C.J. Saunders counter for the Buckeyes? - Icouldnotgofor3
Spielman is Nebraska's third receiver, so while it is not out of the question he makes an impact in this game, I won't go as far as to predict whether or not he makes a touchdown catch in this game.
As for Saunders, unless Parris Campbell, K.J. Hill and Demario McCall all go down with injuries, he just isn't going to see significant time with the No. 1 offense this season. Urban Meyer is right when he says Saunders is just too small to block on the perimeter right now. I think he will get there, though, and perhaps 2018 is his season to make an impact for Ohio State.
Do we see the two-back set this week? With the way Wisky ran all over the Huskers last week I would think this would be an ideal week to roll it out. - NHBuckeye
It wouldn't be a terrible idea to show it this week with Penn State on the horizon. However, the longer it takes for Ohio State to break out the two-back set, the more I think it's just a ploy to get Penn State to prepare for something that isn't there.
I do think a two-back look could be very effective, but I also thing Ohio State will be just fine rotating both J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber and going with the hot hand in each game. The addition of Marcus Baugh as a fullback in certain formations is a good use of his abilities and I think that look can be just as, if not more, effective than the two-back look.
How do you see the CBs performing with Damon Arnette out for a half? - BuckeyeCrusdader
I think Nebraska will make some plays in the air, but ultimately, I expect the Ohio State corners to play well. Jeffrey Okudah is going to be thrown into the fire early, and I think that is a very good thing for his development. I am very curious to see how he plays and if he can handle the pressure of being out there with the first-team defense on the road against a pair of very skilled wide receivers.
I think Tanner Lee will pick on Kendall Sheffield and Okudah early, as he should, and I think the Cornhuskers will connect on a few plays. However, it won't be nearly enough to keep pace for an entire contest. I can't see Nebraska scoring more than 21 points.
Does Nebraska possess receiver talent that can give us a better idea if our improvements in the secondary are real or a result of poor competition? - Rkylet83
They absolutely do. Stanley Morgan Jr. and De'Mornay Pierson-El are very capable wide receivers, and Morgan is a potential late-round NFL draft pick. Even J.D. Spielman and Tyjon Lindsay bring added speed to their offense when they decide to go spread with 10 personnel (one back, zero tight ends, four wide receivers).
I think this will be the best group of wide receivers Ohio State will have faced since the Oklahoma loss, and probably the best quarterback as well. However, Lee is not mobile, and we all know what the Buckeye defensive line is capable of doing to opposing pocket passers.
Who's our middle linebacker? I would assume Chris Worley starts if he's healthy, but is he truly healthy? Also, Tuf Borland started last week but Baron Browning saw more snaps. Who's the number two? - BuckeyeBen7.7
The more time Worley misses, the more I think this could be a Dante Booker situation from last season. We have seen Worley dress and participate in warm ups since the Rutgers game, however, he has not seen the field.
Tuf Borland is solid in the run game, and when it is a passing down, the Buckeyes have been inserting Browning into the game and he has held his own. I hate to say this for Worley's sake, because I think he is a capable linebacker, but I have a feeling Ohio State has already begun building for the future at the linebacker position and I have a hunch that Borland and Browning will continue to rotate in the middle unless one of them gets hurt.
Following his return from suspension, do you expect Michael Hill to get a significant number of snaps in the Nebraska game with the bye week upcoming? - GINNandjuice
I think his reps will be limited, but I do think his presence will help Ohio State's defensive line, especially in the run game. I expect him to get around 25-30 snaps in this one, perhaps more if Dre'Mont Jones' leg injury hasn't yet healed all the way. I expect Hill to be back in a full-time role in the rotation by the time Penn State rolls into town.
If Ohio State once again struggles executing the "coffin corner" kickoff, do you see them abandoning it and just kicking it into the end zone? - JTFor President2016
I don't know if kicking the ball out of the end zone is their plan, but I do think the Buckeyes have made some changes and will go to them early if the kickers can't put it in the corner as they would prefer.
Personally, I think Ohio State might just adjust to a traditional kickoff coverage and keep it centered and squeeze the lanes to the middle. I don't think this is what Urban Meyer wants to do, but I think it's what he might have to do out of necessity.
Do you anticipate the right guard to be a little bit of a weak spot this week? - Aphilly02
Yes, I do. Just like a quarterback and wide receiver take time to develop a chemistry, so does an offensive line and anytime you throw a new guy in there, it takes time to develop trust and cohesion.
Nebraska's defensive line isn't its strength defensively, which is good news for the Buckeyes, but if the Cornhuskers start bringing exotic blitzes from their linebackers, I could see a missed assignment or two coming from the right side.
Over the last 4 games, J.T.'s attempts have more than doubled Dobbins' carries. Is this a result of the team's desire to get the passing game tuned up, or an attempt to keep the young freshman from wear and tear in his first year? - BoxerRebellion
Both. Following the loss to Oklahoma, this coaching staff treated the last four games like spring games. Pass first, run second. Meyer maintains that Ohio State is a run-first team and I believe him, just not against teams where they can physically overmatch people.
As for Dobbins, I think the Buckeyes have been cautious with him as well because they saw what happened to Weber down the stretch of last year. So far, the plan has worked, but I expect a more run-first approach from here on out.
What's the spread at Vegas, and what do you think will be the final score? - LW O-H
I believe the spread is at -24 in favor of Ohio State. My final score prediction is 45-17, but I think this has the potential to get ugly if Nebraska can't protect Tanner Lee.
