Photo: Bucknuts

On Saturday, Ohio State held its annual Spring Game in the Horseshoe before a record-setting crowd of 95,722 fans. This jaw-dropping number broke the national collegiate record for a spring football game. Part of the reason, of course, was the 75+ degree temperatures and the strange absence of rain (something that has been common in many of the spring games in the past), but it really seems Buckeye Nation is alive and anxious to see what the team has to offer for the 2009 season.

In the week leading up to the spring game, the coaches divide the seniors into two separate squads: Scarlet and Gray. The seniors then hold a draft of the remaining players on the team. Unlike the NFL Draft which took place the first day, the S&G (Scarlet and Gray) draft proceeds position by position. One team opens up a position for drafting and chooses their first player. Then the other team selects a player from the same position. This goes back and forth until all players have been selected. (On a side note: Gray opened up the draft and made Terrelle Pryor their first choice. Could this be something we may see three years from now?)

Both teams showed good promise at times during the game, but also appeared quite vulnerable at certain points during the game. If you happened to catch any of the game, don’t be alarmed by the shaky play of our offensive line, the inconsistencies on defense, or any other issues you may have noticed. The problem with splitting up a team into two and pitting them against one another is that each starting lineup is only half of the starting lineup we will likely see on opening day against Navy in the ‘Shoe. In addition, the coaches try to rotate the younger guys in as much as possible to get them reps at full speed in a game-type simulation.

With that in mind, I present my thoughts on the beautiful afternoon in Columbus where the Gray came away victorious by a score of 23-3.

Pryor Passing: Many of Pryor’s harshest critics last year were adamant about his inability to throw the football. To those critics, I point out the fact that Terrelle was a TRUE freshman last year and only had a few months of experience in the system before being tossed into the starting role. In the S&G game, Pryor completed 13 of 18 passes for191 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Oh yeah, and he didn’t play in the second half. I was very impressed with the chemistry between Pryor and his receivers and I think the nation will be shocked at his improvements in 2009. He packed on 10-15 pounds of muscle, as his 6-6 frame is now complimented by a chiseled 240 pounds.

#17 Still at QB?: If you caught any of the second half of the game, you may have noticed a familiar jersey trot out onto the field at the helm of the offense. Don’t worry, the man wearing that #17 jersey was not Todd Boeckman. Surprisingly, he was unable to attain a 7^th year of eligibility. (On a serious note, it looks like the Bengals are going to give Todd a chance to prove himself at quarterback in the NFL and I wish him the best of luck.) The player wearing the #17 jersey was walk-on Justin Siems. He has a rocket for an arm and provides nice depth at the most pivotal position on the field.

Monster Moeller: I would like to retract my statement in the “Linebacker U” article. Tyler Moeller will start and will not lose his starting spot for the 2009 campaign. He was all over the field all afternoon and whether he starts at the linebacker or at the “Star” position (a hybrid linebacker/safety combination), he will be a key component of the Buckeye defense. His motor doesn’t stop running and he never gives up (in fact he tracked down running back Marcus Williams on a 75 yard run and prevented Williams from scoring on the play).

Taurian Tears it Up: Last year Taurian Washington had a stellar spring game and most of you reading this have probably not heard his name before. Taurian caught 4 passes for 92 yards and a touchdown. He and Pryor seemed to have excellent chemistry on the field and I am excited to see them work together in 2009. With is performance in the spring game, he vaulted himself into the discussions for a starting job at one of the wideout positions.

Beastly Boren: Boren played some tackle out of necessity for his team. By dividing the lineman up the way the S&G draft does, the likelihood of drafting one player specifically for each of the 5 lineman slots is impossible. His play at the tackle spot (I believe he played some of his natural guard position as well) was exceptional. Boren plays with a nasty mean streak and loves pushing guys around and causing a ruckus on offense (not a ruckus that will get us penalized, though). I firmly believe Justin Boren will be our best lineman this year and that the Team Up North will regret the decision to not attempt to smooth over the situation that caused him to switch his alliance to the Good Guys.

Looking Deep Going Deep: Not only Washington had an excellent performance in Saturday’s game, as the other receivers looked sharp as well. DeVier Posey (the likely candidate for the #1 receiver spot come September) had 5 catches for 46 yards and James Jackson (a true freshman speedster) grabbed 3 balls for 51 yards. Dane Sanzenbacher (419) did not play due to injury, but after his play last year, I expect him to make a solid contribution to the offense. Ray Small connected with Pryor on a deep touchdown as he had 74 yards on 4 catches. The play of Taurian, Jackson, and Small all surprised me on Saturday. I feel that we are looking at our deepest receiving core in the last 5 years.

Promising Running Game: Although he didn’t stuff the stat column, Boom still looks to be the #1 back in 2009 as he ran for 43 yards on 10 carries. Brandon Saine had 55 yards on 6 carries. If he can avoid injuries, he will be a great compliment to Boom as the #2 tailback. Walk-on Marcus Williams carried the ball 6 times for 94 yards (which includes his breakaway 75 yard scamper). Williams’ spring performance earns him the unquestioned #3 spot at tailback even when the freshmen trio (Hyde, Berry, and Hall) step on campus this summer until the three youngsters prove themselves.

Mr. Work-a-holic: Thaddeus Gibson was a terror on defense. He has been working on his finesse this off-season so that he can become a complete player for this defense. He notched a pair of sacks in the S&G game. I believe he will be a household name within the Big 10 (and possibly the nation) by the end of the 2009 season. Entering his junior year of eligibility, he is the most likely player to declare an early entry into the 2010 NFL Draft. The rest of the defensive line looked as good as advertised (and if you haven’t heard, this defensive line is being labeled as the best since 2002, a year we all remember…). Defensive tackle/end Cameron Heyward might also be a candidate to leave early if he can continue to improve as he has the past two seasons.

Uncertain about the “Big Uglies”: Justin Boren proved himself as the most capable offensive lineman on this team, but the others didn’t seem to stand out too much. Mike Adams needs to take hold of the left tackle spot and not let go, but he hasn’t done that yet. He got beat a few times I can remember during the game and if he doesn’t get his act together, he may not find himself introduced as a starter come September. I hate to say it, but the line needs some serious work. Hopefully they can iron out their problems in the coming summer months, because if they cannot, we are not likely to be seeing ourselves competing for the FBS Championship.

Linebackers Galore: On Saturday, Brian Rolle made his argument as to why he should be considered as a candidate for more than a starting spot on special teams, but a starting spot at linebacker as he finished with a game-high 11 tackles. He plays with a great tenacity on defense and his non-stop motor will frustrate opponents. Sophomore Etienne Sabino, freshman Storm Klein, and junior Tyler Moeller also put their bids in for the starting job. The competition at linebacker is just what this team needs. They are pushing each other to improve and there is no doubt in my mind that this position will be the STRONGEST for the Buckeyes in 2009.

Solid in the Secondary: Despite being a bit short on numbers (we have a few freshman who may contribute right away, but are not on campus yet), the secondary looked good. Chimdi Chekwa (the #1 cornerback) got beat by Taurian Washington on what I thought seemed to be a mistake by the safety on the play, and not Chekwa. Kurt Coleman is receiving pre-season praise and Anderson Russell has been in the rotation for 3 years now at the safety spot. Even with the experience of Coleman and Russell, I expect the biggest noise to come from Jermale Hines (the nickelback/linebacker/safety). Hines is a special talent and he will drop some jaws with his ferocious hits on defense in 2009.

Overall, it was a great afternoon for Buckeye football. The fans supported the team with a record turnout and got to enjoy an excellent football game in even better weather. From what I can gather, the guys are really shaping up well, and the biggest question mark is (surprisingly?... I think not) the offensive line. If the guys up-front can get their game together and work together as a unit, I think this team not only has the potential to make a strong run in 2009, but the ability to take a stab at bringing home a national championship to Columbus.

Go Buckeyes!

-Chris

207 days until the next beat down!