Football
Spring Ball Will Be Different In 2009
By John PorentasThe annual rite of spring practice is upon us. The football juices are flowing, and the questions are coming from every direction. The spring 2009 question list looks something like this.
Who will emerge at corner?
How about linebacker?
Will the offense evolve?
What about the offensive line?
We need a tailback!
Who will the new punter be?
Who will replace the two Brians?
Who is in the two-deep?
Who is impressing?
The one thing that we can pretty much tell you for certain is that almost none of those questions will be answered for certain during spring practice. The Buckeyes will get some ideas headed into fall camp, but as OSU Head Coach Jim Tressel explained, with the loss of 28 seniors and three juniors, the OSU coaching staff has a lot of evaluating to do, and it's not likely to get done quickly, as in spring ball.
"Twenty eight seniors and three juniors, that's 31 guys. That's 31 guys that played for the most part," said Tressel.
"It's not like we're taking the same group of people and saying we have to simply do this better.
"We have 15 practices, then we have an evaluation period (during the summer), then we have 29 practices, then we have the early season to see how things are emerging, then we go from there."
Last spring with so many players returning from the two-deep the OSU coaching staff took the approach of working on keeping their attention and keeping them interested and improving. For the most part, there really wasn't a whole lot of drama as far as competition for positions. This year does not come close to resembling last.
"It will be a different dynamic this spring," Tressel said.
"We know a lot less about who we are and they probably know a lot less about what it takes, but I feel very comfortable with their talent level.
"To me the key will be how quickly can we mature, learn, mesh, build that team understanding.
"That's why we're really anxious (for spring drills) because the only way you can build those things is to be together.
"It is going to be an interesting spring. I don't know that we'll gain as much information this spring as any of us would like."
The key concepts this spring will be experimentation and evaluation to determine the best personnel combinations.
"It probably won't be as locked in on either side of the ball as to who the ones are and who the twos are. You're going to see a lot of different groups playing together," said Tressel.
"I think you're going to see more combination this spring all along the board. Offensive line certainly, in the linebacker area where you replaced a lot of guys, out wide where you lost your two most experienced guys, I think you're going to see a lot of different lineups if you will."
What that all means is that if you are hoping to find out this spring who the starting corners will be, who the linebackers will be, and what new faces will be in the starting lineup, you are probably going to be disappointed. That report you saw that so-and-so was practicing with the ones is likely to be obsolete the next day when that same so-and-so is practicing with the twos or threes. The coaching staff will be moving players in and out of lineups this spring, so getting a handle on the two deep is going to be nearly impossible.
Now you're worried, right? With 33 guys missing is this a rebuilding year? Jim Tressel says relax.
"I've never really walked into a season and said 'Well, this is a rebuilding year, we're not going to do as well,' or 'Oh, this is just a reloading year, we're going to be better,' or 'Oh, we're experienced, everything is going to be wonderful,' because none of those are true.
"There's such a fine line in how well you do, but I feel good about the talent.
"I feel good about the interest in being good," said Tressel.
"Now we need to see good, rapid growth.
"Will we grow fast enough will be the interesting thing."
Tressel is right about that. All the questions about all the replacements probably will make this an interesting spring, but if you are dying for answers, you are probably going to have to endure a really interesting fall camp too before you get them.
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