Ezekiel Elliott took a handoff, stretched left and found a gaping hole where Alabama linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton once stood. He hit it, darted up field and kept running for what felt like an eternity while Evan Spencer laid tangled in the pile of humans he created, knowing he'd just helped slip a dagger into the mighty Crimson Tide.
Arguably the biggest single play in Urban Meyer's tenure at Ohio State was sprung by a wide receiver crackback block. Two years later, Meyer hasn't forgotten that, and he makes sure his team doesn't either.
"Coach Meyer doesn't let that one go because it's the standard," senior receiver Terry McLaurin said after practice on Monday. "Evan, what he did on that play, we're going to keep playing it and playing it until everyone can do it at that level."
Spencer had just 15 receptions for 149 yards and three touchdowns during Ohio State's 2014 national championship season, but because of plays like that, Meyer called him the team's MVP following the season.
Blocking is not optional for an Ohio State receiver. It's not an added perk to a talented downfield threat, it's a prerequisite to even see the field in the first place. And while there's been a heavy emphasis on the deep ball during spring practice (for obvious reasons), Zone-6 has not forgotten that more-physical aspect of its identity.
"We do stalk drill every single day," McLaurin said. "If you can't stalk or you can't block here, there's a good chance you won't play receiver."
McLaurin's claims hold weight. While the receivers struggled to create separation last season and drastically underperformed by their standards, they were consistently great blockers.
“Their blocking two weeks in a row was outstanding,” Meyer said after the team's 62-3 destruction of Maryland. “A lot of those big hits, you can see it.”
Or feel it, if you're the opposition.
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But more than just the flashy impact blocks you see on a highlight tape, Ohio State emphasizes executing on every down, knowing perimeter and second-level blocking is key to springing game-changing plays from a swing pass or a jet sweep.
"It's just making sure we're sound on our perimeter blocking because that's where we get the big plays," McLaurin said. "It's just being in the position where you need to be when the run's coming to your side. We all try to take pride in that."
The stellar blocking doesn't excuse the vexing performance last season. The receivers know they underachieved. They know they must be more consistent. They know they need to create more separation and improve their timing with the quarterbacks. That will all be emphasized throughout the preseason.
However, they also know they have a standard to uphold in their blocking. After all, connecting on a deep ball yields large chunks of yardage, but executing a simple crackback block can do the same.
McLaurin is keenly aware of this. He's seen the film many times and he knows exactly how Elliott was able to run 85 yards untouched to the end zone two seasons ago:
"It's because (Spencer) finished that linebacker."
