Vonn Bell and Michael Thomas are off to the NFL, and that 2014 team might've been pretty good:
22 players started for Ohio State in last year's title game. I count at least 16 who were already drafted/locks to be drafted. That'll work.
— Nick Baumgardner (@nickbaumgardner) January 6, 2016
Now Ohio St. becomes one of the most interesting teams of '16. The dumb money is going to be on a major regression that won't happen.
— Steven Godfrey (@38Godfrey) January 6, 2016
We may have to liquidate our assets and move to Vegas to fully capitalize on all the idiots who will bet against Urban Meyer's recruiting and talent development. (Somebody track down Warren G. Harding, the 29th and greatest president of the United States. Parlay season is not that far away.)
THE QUEST FOR MORE BALANCE. Urban Meyer runs the spread, but he doesn't base it on smoke and mirrors. It's smash-mouth football, but it's balanced.
Things didn't go according to plan in 2015, and (surprise) Meyer will be adapting his offense for next season.
From espn.com:
“We’re going to adapt our offense here a little bit in the offseason,” Meyer said. “I want to make some adjustments. I want more of a balance, like we were in 2014. We need to throw the ball, J.T. threw it 31 times, and that’s what I’m looking for.
“The way he's finishing [is encouraging]. ... I think his injury did [impact him] -- sitting him out of spring practice, J.T. was not himself during the summer, and then obviously the dual situation we were playing with. I think any time that you are the starting quarterback, like next year he is the starting quarterback, I would anticipate a nice, gradual incline during the season.”
We know the passing game suffered in 2015. But how much so?
From footballoutsiders.com:
| SCHOOl | OFFENSIVE S&P+ | RANK | RUSHING S&P+ | RANK | PASSING S&P+ | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OHIO STATE | 47.6 | 1 | 143.8 | 1 | 149.6 | 2 |
| OREGON | 46.1 | 2 | 133.5 | 5 | 142.6 | 4 |
| GEORGIA TECH | 45.5 | 3 | 142.1 | 2 | 140.6 | 5 |
| AUBURN | 44.7 | 4 | 123.0 | 15 | 156.7 | 1 |
| ALABAMA | 43.1 | 5 | 127.8 | 11 | 146.2 | 3 |
Ohio State's 2014 offense ran with a purity that would make Heisenberg (either the 20th century German chemist and the fictional meth kingpin) flush with envy.
For comparison's sake, 2015's offensive leader, Arkansas, finished with a 44.6 S&P+.
The Buckeyes, however, outperformed their offense in 2015.
From footballoutsiders.com:
| SCHOOL | OFFENSIVE S&P+ | RANK | RUSHING S&P+ | RANK | PASSING S&P+ | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOUISIANA STATE | 40.7 | 12 | 125.2 | 7 | 112.6 | 37 |
| CALIFORNIA | 40.3 | 13 | 112.6 | 25 | 127.3 | 9 |
| OHIO STATE | 39.8 | 14 | 124.7 | 8 | 118.5 | 26 |
| SOUTHERN CAL | 39.5 | 15 | 109.7 | 34 | 112.6 | 38 |
| MISSISSIPPI STATE | 39.2 | 16 | 112.0 | 27 | 125.8 | 13 |
(Keep in mind, there are other stats not shown in these tables that are part of the S&P+ formula.)
People will take their potshots at Beck, as if he was the sole cause in Ohio State's 2015 dip in offensive production. But I still trust the offensive brain trust going forward.
It could take time to build and gel all the new parts, but Urban is too good at his job for me to stress too much about it.
NEEEEERRRDDDS. Ohio State men's basketball plays four of its next five games on the road, and that starts tonight at Northwestern at 9 p.m. on BTN.
Tim will be through with the full preview at 10:10 ET, but here's the skinny on tonight's foe.
From wptz.com:
ABOUT NORTHWESTERN (13-2, 1-1): The Wildcats are learning how to adjust without the 12.8 points and 6.5 rebounds provided by 7-foot center Alex Olah, who is out indefinitely with a foot injury. Burning freshman Dererk Pardon's redshirt has paid off for the Wildcats as the Ohio native in three games has made 18-of-22 shots, grabbed 22 rebounds and committed just one turnover in 75 minutes of play. Northwestern is third in the nation with a 1.80 assist-to-turnover ratio and is led by Bryant McIntosh (7.1 assists per game, No. 9 in the nation), who has recorded at least eight assists in nine games this season.
At some point we need to consider a law: No Ohio #teens are allowed to play collegiate sports outside of Ohio.
WARRIOR KEEPS IT 100. I've wanted Ohio State to sign four-star 2016 safety Nigel Warrior since September 2nd, 2014. He's a prospect I put in a class with 2016 PF Thon Maker and 2017 DE Luiji Vilain—players I want on name alone.
Warrior, however, recently eliminated Ohio State from consideration due in part to his official visit to Columbus for the Michigan State game.
From seccountry.com:
On Ohio State: “I didn’t really like my official visit. And then it’s cold, anyway. That was one of the worst games to go to. It was raining, windy.”
Warrior, from Georgia, isn't the first southerner to rebuff the cold weather of the North.
Though he didn't choose THE BEST TEAM IN THE WORLD, I respect him for not replying with boilerplate. And sure, players can't pick the weather in the NFL, but I've never heard somebody say, "I wish I went somewhere colder for college!"
According to Warrior's crystal ball: Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia are the three likeliest landing spots.
DONTRE LEAVES THE LIGHT ON. Dontre Wilson seemed destined to leave Ohio State early before even taking a meaningful snap for the Buckeyes.
Meyer praised Wilson this year for finally adding the weight needed for Big Ten success, but injuries sidelined the Texan throughout much of the season.
Wilson removed all doubts about his status on Monday:
I will be returning for my senior year at The Ohio State University, i owe it to myself my family and this great School to have a great year
— Dontre Wilson (@treydayy_) January 6, 2016
Hopefully this(!) will be the season he puts it together, and hopefully his body cooperates.
AN ENGINEERING INNOVATION OUT OF ALABAMA!? You know those awful camera shots of players weeping into a towel on the sideline as doctors tell them their knee is likely as shredded as their season is over?
Those could be mercifully out the door thanks to a portable privacy tent engineered by Alabama students.
From usatoday.com:
There are several design components that make the tent unique and so practical for football, starting with the fact the frame is actually anchored to and connected with the base of the trainer's table. The covering expands and collapses like an accordion within 10 seconds and basically is just pulled over the top to erect the tent. It weighs about 70 pounds, making it easy to transport. The synthetic material covering it keeps out rain or other elements but also allows in enough light for doctors and trainers to see. It was designed to be sturdy and stable enough to go on any kind of surface that might be on a sideline — grass, artificial turf, concrete, asphalt, etc. — without needing to be staked or anchored into the ground with heavy weights like your typical tailgate tent. They also tested the height to make sure it doesn’t obstruct the view of fans.
There’s also an added bonus for schools: More advertising space to sell, which Alabama has utilized to display the logos of a local hospital and sports medicine center (for the College Football Playoff, it is using an Alabama-branded look)
Can't wait to regale my mediocre grandchildren about the simpler times when player's consultations with team doctors were held in front of 100,000 people.
THOSE WMDs. At Sears, Eddie Lampert's warring divisions model adds to the troubles... The Pied Piper of North Carolina... Boston Globe reporters and editors learn lesson after long night delivering papers... The Mogul in the Middle... Fireworks over Lima (Peru), viewed by drone.
