Urban Meyer said he feels his team is "seven units strong" with spring drills now a thing of the past. He wouldn't say which two weren't up to his standards yet — “That's between me and the two” — but he felt Ohio State took the necessary steps during its 15 practices.
“I would be disappointed if I said we're awful right now. But very pleased,” he said. “Couple areas we've got to shore up.”
In an offense-heavy Spring Game, Scarlet topped Gray 38-31. Meyer didn't let his players tackle each other until the second quarter and multiple starters didn't play much (or at all) but that doesn't mean there still isn't plenty to glean from the event.
Here are our biggest takeaways on the Scarlet team from Saturday's scrimmage.
Joe Burrow Ain't Going Anywhere
After the game, Meyer said he wasn't sure who he would consider as No. 2 and No. 3 on the depth chart at quarterback. Both Joe Burrow and Dwayne Haskins threw the ball a ton on Saturday (59 attempts between the two of them). But the redshirt sophomore did enough to show that he isn't going to just let Haskins have the job despite how much Meyer has gushed about the latter's potential in the past.
A pure passer, Burrow connected on 14-of-22 passes for 262 yards and a trio of touchdowns, including a beautiful ball to a streaking Johnnie Dixon to start the second quarter. The 44-yard strike made it 21-10 in favor of the Scarlet squad, and the lead was extended by another seven points on the team's next possession due to the arm of Burrow.
A wide open Demario McCall reeled in a well-thrown pass by Burrow on a wheel route and jetted 40 yards to the end zone. Burrow looked poised, showed good arm strength and touch on the ball. Haskins certainly has all of those too, so the battle to be J.T. Barrett's backup at quarterback is only going to heat up at the same rate as the summer temperatures rise in Ohio in the coming months.
So That's What a Healthy Johnnie Dixon Looks Like
A huge pull from South Florida in December 2013, Dixon enrolled at Ohio State the following month as a 4-star prospect and perceived deep threat with speed to burn. Chronic knee injuries and subsequent surgery have prevented him from seeing the field — either on game day or in practice — with any sort of regularity during his Buckeye career.
Dixon's teammates, Meyer and wide receivers coach Zach Smith have raved about his progress this spring, however, and it was certainly on display Saturday. He finished with six catches and 108 yards to go with a pair of touchdowns to lead the Scarlet team. That unending speed showed up on the 44-yard strike he reeled in from Burrow to beat Kendall Sheffield to the end zone.
Dixon also had a nice juke move in space after catching the ball over the middle. Aug. 31 is a long way off, but on Saturday, Dixon certainly looked healthy and like he could help Ohio State's passing game in 2017.
Young Corners Bounce Back
Welcome to the show, Shaun Wade and Jeffrey Okudah.
Two of Ohio State's highest-rated members of its 2017 recruiting class got beat more than once in the first half of the Spring Game on Saturday. Okudah lost on three straight plays, including when he gave up a touchdown to Terry McLaurin in the back of the end zone.
But both he and Wade showed why each was such a huge deal when they enrolled early at Ohio State to help the Buckeyes replace two first-round draft picks at cornerback.
Okudah batted down a pass near the 5-yard line on Gray's final drive of the game, then Wade knocked another to the turf in the end zone on the following play to seal Scarlet's 38-31 victory. Kerry Coombs, unsurprisingly, went ballistic as the Scarlet's defense trotted to the sideline with only a few minutes left on the clock.
Wade, Okudah, Sheffield and Marcus Williamson all had rough moments on Saturday. But each bounced back before all was said and done.
Tate Martell Makes Most of Chance
The first time Tate Martell touched the ball during a game at Ohio Stadium, it resulted in six points.
Martell dipped, ducked and slipped his way to a 5-yard touchdown with 4:48 left in the game, a play that proved to be the winning score. He also had a nice option pitch to Antonio Williams on the game's final drive, and another scramble where he showed the added element he brings with his feet.
Martell waited, waited and waited some more before he finally got a chance to taste what it felt to play at The Horseshoe. He made the most of it.
Offensive Line Depth Still Needs Work
This should be said for both sides of the ball considering Meyer is still wanting more depth up front. But on more than one occasion, a free rusher went right at Burrow or Haskins before he switched over to the Gray squad.
Greg Studrawa gets a few more pieces this summer when Thayer Munford and Wyatt Davis arrive on campus in June. Billy Price said he liked the development he saw this spring from everyone in his group but there needs to be much, much more.
