Football

Cardale Jones (Mostly) Enjoying Transition to Buckeye Fan

by John Porentas
Former Buckeye quarterback Cardale Jones was back on campus this week and attended Thursday’s Ohio State pro day. As usually happens when Jones shows up, cameras and microphones soon followed him. Topics ranged from his status with the Bills — which is fine, to his new status as a loud Buckeye fan, to his thoughts on Kevin Wilson and Ryan Day. “Yeah, I’ve met them guys,” he said of Wilson…
Football

Spring Practice Insider: Buckeyes Back at it Following Break

by Tony Gerdeman
The Buckeyes were back on the field for practice No. 3 of spring camp, which was also their first in pads. The media was permitted to watch the first hour, which featured only drills and no real scrimmaging of any sort. There did not appear to be any significant changes from the first week of practice, but there is still plenty of time for intrigue to hit. Trying to write…
Football

Even with Luke Fickell Gone, It’s Still Business as Usual for OSU Defensive Staff

by Tony Gerdeman
When Tom Herman left Ohio State for Houston, we saw the impact that a departing coordinator can have on the Buckeye football program. Urban Meyer is still trying to get things righted, though the expectations are justifiably high for what Kevin Wilson will bring to Ohio State this year. On the other side of the ball, however, the Buckeyes must now replace long-time coordinator Luke Fickell, and Meyer and defensive…
Sam Hubbard and Nick Bosa
Football

Ohio State Planning for an Even Deeper Defensive Line Rotation This Season

by Tony Gerdeman
In terms of “first-world problems”, there are fewer problems more first world than the situation Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson finds himself in this year. The Buckeyes return eight defensive linemen who played in every game last season, and that doesn’t include defensive tackle Tracy Sprinkle who missed the season after playing in 12 games in 2015. That also doesn’t include sophomore defensive ends Rashod Berry, Jonathon Cooper,…
Buckeye Football Notebook Spring Ohio State
Football

Buckeye Football Notebook: ‘The fourth quarter, everybody is tired, but so what, you’ve just got to go’

by Tony Gerdeman
Urban Meyer and Kevin Wilson can tell you what they are doing and what they have done to tweak the Ohio State offense, but if you want to know the effect it is having, you should go ask Buckeye defensive coordinator Greg Schiano because right now he’s the one having to deal with it. It’s Schiano and the rest of the defensive coaching staff who have seen what Wilson and…
Ryan Day Ohio State Quarterbacks Coach
Football

Feedback from Players on OSU QB Coach Ryan Day Has Been Positive

by Tony Gerdeman
You’re rarely going to have college football players speaking out against their coaches, so Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett having something positive to say about OSU’s new quarterback coach Ryan Day shouldn’t be anything other than expected. What Barrett is saying about Day, however, is something that he couldn’t say about his previous position coaches Tom Herman and Tim Beck. Namely, Day’s experience with NFL quarterbacks. “Coach Day, the one…
Football

J.T. Barrett Has Unfinished Business to Tend to This Season According to Urban Meyer

by Tony Gerdeman
Records are nice, and when he finally leaves Ohio State, J.T. Barrett will likely have more records than any other Buckeye before him. For quarterbacks, however, records are only at the top of the résumé if there are no championships to recite. No Buckeye is responsible for more touchdowns than J.T. Barrett, and by the halfway point of the 2017 season, no Buckeye will have thrown for more yards. Heck,…
Buckeye Football Notebook Spring Ohio State
Football

Buckeye Football Notebook: ‘We work, we run, and we train in the offseason for moments like this’

by Tony Gerdeman
Unless you have been living under a rock (and that rock lives under an even larger and more isolated rock), you’re pretty well aware that the Buckeyes have brought in six new defensive backs in the 2017 recruiting class, and half of them are 5-star prospects. Losing three members of the secondary to the first round of the NFL Draft means that there are now three jobs wide-freaking-open on the…
Marshon Lattimore celebrates an interception.
Football

Three Buckeye Defensive Backs Land in the First Round of Todd McShay’s Latest Mock Draft

by Tony Gerdeman
One year ago, Ohio State sent five players into the first round of the NFL Draft, and while they may not match that number this year, nobody will be able to blame the members of the Buckeye secondary for falling short of last year’s high-water mark. On Wednesday, ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay released his Mock Draft 3.0 and cornerback Marshon Lattimore, safety Malik Hooker, and cornerback Gareon Conley all…
Football

Buckeyes Looking for Another Three-Man (or More) Rotation at Cornerback in 2017

by Tony Gerdeman
 There is no doubting that Coombs would happily throw the rotation out the window if it would bring back another national title, but in reality, the best way to regain that title is by continuing to vie for that rotational pie in the sky.Urban Meyer and his entire coaching staff saw the benefits of having three starters at such a physically-demanding position, and the intention is to do it all…