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Offense and Defense in Different Modes This Spring
By John Porentas

The Ohio State offense and the Ohio State defense might be sharing the same field, locker room, trainers and support staff this spring, but there couldn't be a greater difference in the kind of spring camp the two units are having.

Over on offense almost everybody is back from a unit that became very efficient and productive as the season progressed last year. Gone are Santonio Holmes, Nick Mangold, Rob Sims, Ryan Hamby and Brandon Schnittker, but the number of returners with significant playing time and experience is impressive. The Buckeye offense returns all of its quarterbacks, tailbacks, and fullbacks, as well as a cadre of wide receivers, tight ends and offensive linemen who have been on the playing field. Though they will add a few new faces, such as running back Chris Wells, the offense will spend most of spring looking for two new starters on the offensive line, determining who the backup quarterback will be, and simply working on getting better.

There will be very little drama in the questions of who will be on the field. Even on the offensive line, where two players are gone, the Buckeyes are really only looking for one new player. Alex Boone is penciled in at left tackle, T.J. Downing at right guard, and Kirk Barton at right tackle. Doug Datish will be on the field, either at center or left guard. Ironically, Datish himself will probably not determine which position he will fill. If somebody steps up at guard, Datish will be at center. If somebody steps up at center, Datish will be at guard. It's really about the only question mark on the offensive side of the ball.

Jim Bollman

"We'll do some (experimenting) as we go," said Offensive Coordinator Jim Bollman.

"At the left guard and center spots Doug Datish is a candidate for either one of those, and kind of a leading candidate for either one of those.

"Jim Cordle and Tyler Waley are playing center as well. John Skinner is starting to learn that position as well.

"Beside Doug at the left guard you have Tm Schafer, Steve Rehring, John Skinner, Ben Person, Kyle Mitchum, all those guys competing and I'm looking for all of them to step up.

"That won't be determined this spring. This is just the first 15 steps. Three of them are done and there are 12 more to go this spring, then 29 more next August."

Over on the defense, it's a totally different story. The Buckeyes must replace nine starters from last year's defense, including all three linebackers, three-fourths of the secondary, and both defensive ends. While OSU offensive coordinator Jim Bollman is trying to fine-tune things this spring OSU defensive coordinator Jim Heacock is simply trying to figure out who can play, who can't, and what his defense might be capable of next fall.

"It will be extremely difficult," said Heacock of the task of replacing his nine lost starters.

"Those guys were good players as we all know but they were also good leaders, so it will be extremely difficult."

Heacock says the first task, especially at linebacker and in the secondary, is to figure out who will be on the field. He also said that that task is not one that will be completed quickly.

Jim Heacock

"We'll probably go through most the spring without have a first team (in the back seven). We're leaving things pretty much open," said Heacock.

"Our front four is a different story. These guys have played a lot of football and we feel like we should make a stride forward. In the back the positions are so wide open right now, I think we're going to have good competition at linebacker for sure. I think we have at least six guys there that it wouldn't surprise me if any one of them ended up a starter. In the back end (defensive backfield)we have a group of guys who are competing and the competition is good. They're anxious and young. We just have a long way to go before we're ready to play a game."

Finding out who will play is just step one.

"One of the biggest things we have to do as a defense is find out what our strengths are so as we go into next fall we can see what we can do," Heacock said.

"We may have to change some things or do some things differently As we go through this spring we can find out what our strengths are and the players that are going to make plays. Once we identify that we can decide maybe what we can do defensively, how we can have success, how much we can put in, it's all just going to be a growing process."

Heacock doesn't yet know what his defensive schemes will be like, but he does know what traits he would like to see in the finished product and what traits he is looking for in the players he will put on the field.

"I hope it's speed. That's what we want," said Heacock when asked what he hopes to be the hallmark of his defense.

"You hope you have speed so you can get pressure on the quarterback and do the things we like to do.

"The other thing is to see who can make plays. Until we can find out who can make plays then we're kind of up in the air.

"For me I like playmakers, and you can't tell that until we scrimmage. What I like is to have a scrimmage and who goes out there and makes plays. Who makes sacks, who causes fumbles, who gets interceptions, that's what those guys that we lost did. Now we have to find out who these new playmakers are going to be.

"There's a lot of guys who can run a 40 yard dash and all this jumping and everything we've done to this point. Butch Reynolds could do all the things we've asked them to do until we put the pads on and see who is going to hit people and who's going to tackle the ball carrier and get the ball out. That's what I like."

Heacock said that once he finds out who his playermakers are, he'll adjust his defensive strategies accordingly.

"If you don't have anybody who can make plays up front, then you rush two and drop nine," said in example.

Though Heacock says he won't settle on first and second units at all until after spring ball, he did say that a couple of players have caught his eye in the early going.

"Holman looks awfully good. Curtis Terry looked awfully good yesterday," said Heacock on Saturday. "(Austin) Spitler looks great. Spitler had a great off season. He looks good and he's going to be a good football player for us."

One player that Heacock will not be seeing much of this spring is Mike D'Andrea who continues to deal with the injury problems that have plagued his career.

"From what I understand we would be lucky to have him back this spring. I'm not sure if he's going to be back (this spring). I just don't know. He's just anxious to get healthy where he can compete a little bit better," Heacock said.

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