A Lot to Like
This past Wednesday, Ohio State signed 21 very talented players, including nine of the Top 100 players in the 247Sports Composite.
Those players include the nation’s best defensive tackle in Taron Vincent, the nation’s best all-purpose back in Jaelen Gill, the best tight end in Jeremy Ruckert, the best center in Matthew Jones, and the best overall junior college prospect in defensive tackle Antwuan Jackson.
All told, 14 of OSU’s 21 signees rank in the top 10 at their respective positions.
When Urban Meyer was asked for the strengths of this recruiting class, he started with the defensive line, and then went to one of those top 10 players in Oklahoma safety Josh Proctor.
“Well, I think there’s no doubt the interior defensive line,” he said. “There’s so many — one of my favorite players is a guy that was absolutely relentless in the pursuit was Josh Proctor, Player of the Year in the state of Oklahoma. Obviously a heck of a football program there, and he made the decision to join us.”
But then the conversation turned to one of those No. 1 overall prospects, and even though Meyer didn’t want to, he couldn’t stop himself from giving an early evaluation of the potential the Buckeyes had just brought on board.
“And then I’m looking at one of the — I do this quite often. It’s not fair to the young people, but I think Jeremy Ruckert might be the best tight end prospect that I’ve ever seen and recruited,” he said. “His skill set is ridiculous. Now it’s a question of getting him ready to play. And there’s many more, I just picked a couple there.”
The Learning Curves
When that signing class does arrive, they will begin workouts and practices with fancy plans on starting this game or that game, and making the key play in the Michigan game.
What they have to learn upon arrival, however, is that the key play that they want to make in the Michigan game, might just be on special teams. And before a player can see offense or defense, they must first contribute and make an impact in the kicking game.
“When you first get here, you learn that you’ve got to start on two special teams to even try and get on the field at your position,” said receiver Terry McLaurin. “They take that so very seriously here. And I feel like the number one thing that provides for you is just hunger.”
The value of every snap is instilled early on, and even though freshmen may not be getting their names called on television, so many of them have important roles to play, which then builds their confidence and carries them into further progression.
“You come here as a four- or five-star or a highly recruited guy out of your area and you just think everything’s going to work and you’re going to play your position right away,” McLaurin said. “But playing those special teams and learning how big of an impact that makes on the games here, it makes you feel like you’re adding some value to the program. So that feeling of adding value and just that chip on your shoulder, I feel like carries on to your future and to competing for a spot at your position.”
There’s a Reason It’s Predictable
Ohio State fans have a love-hate relationship with one of Urban Meyer’s favorite plays.
In short-yardage situations, often you will see the Buckeye offense go to an empty set with just J.T. Barrett in the backfield. Everybody in the world knows the run is coming, and yet much more often than not, Barrett picks up the first down.
Fans think back to when the quarterback hasn’t been able to get to the marker — like in the Big Ten Championship Game in 2013, but that is one of the few times the play has fallen short.
“Well, historically it goes back to 2001 at Bowling Green,” Urban Meyer said of one of his pet plays. “Dan Mullen was on my staff, and this is before teams really did a lot of that. The other guy that was really good at that was Bill Snyder at Kansas State. I went there and spent a week and watched how he did his business, and he was doing things that other people didn’t do, and it’s sheer numbers.”
So much of Meyer’s offensive philosophy is about number advantages. The read-option helps equate numbers of blockers and defenders because it removes the need for a blocker by allowing the quarterback to negate one defender.
On the short-yardage situations, it’s about moving as many defenders out of the box as possible.
“You put five guys out, they’ve got five guys that have now just left the box, and you put a free safety back there, and there’s only five guys left,” he said. “Does that make sense? And so your numbers are called equated.”
The numbers being less of an advantage for a defense helps Barrett be able to get the necessary yard or two.
“That’s one reason,” Meyer said. “And he is dynamic at getting — he’s a very good reader. He’s a very good understander. He’s excellent with ball security, and it works.”
Barrett is a good runner and he knows where to go, but it still takes more than that according to Meyer.
“You’re forgetting two things,” he said. “Number one, he’s one of the most competitive human beings that stands on this earth; and number two his toughness. All the other things are true, too, but when you have a competitor like that, you know who’s going to touch the ball. I’ve said that over the headsets many times: ‘J.T. is carrying this ball.'”
I would tend to agree with Jnuey that J T is not a Pro type player. I think he would make a great assistant to start out as a Buckeye QB Coach and help with player leadership. If he would have been a reasonably good long passer, he would have been a top Pro prospect. I have no idea what his interests are, but I do believe he will be a coach some day! Good luck to you J T whatever your future holds. You have been a pleasure to watch as a Buckeye football player.
Go Bucks! Make your last game for this year and for the Seniors a great one. Bring home a Cotton Bowl Victory!!
More ignorant couch potato fans that know better than the nation-title winning coaches…JT is light years ahead of Tate at this point..doesnt mean Tate won’t be great..but JT is the best QB right now and I’m glad he is the starter. the JT hate-fest is sad and pathetic–you guys should have his back.
Come on Todd, it’s not like you to be so melodramatic. NOBODY in Buckeye Nation hates JT Barrett. That is a ludicrous presumption. You’ve never come across as a snowflake before. JT is a tough competitor. I agree with CEO Meyer. Barrett is one of the best RPO quarterbacks in the Country. I agree with that and also agree that he’s the best option to run the RPO in CEO Meyers offense. He’s okay with short throws but he’s flat out terrible in the deep intermediate and deep passing game.. I don’t care what the skewed stats say. Anyone who watches the games knows that the average sand lot passer delivers a more consistent long passing game. JT is still the best option Meyer has to put on the field currently..
People can make observations and offer opinions without hating a player. I for one refuse to be herded by canned nonsense from the CEO. In the short game within the RPO JT is amazing. When he faces a team capable of neutralizing that short game ALL bets are off. That’s also the reason that even if someone in the NFL is willing to take a VERY long shot to draft him, he’ll wash out in a couple years and CEO Meyer can hire him to teach RPO. I personally think JT’s best option is to forego the NFL and just get to work teaching how to handle the ball in RPO. That’s where his future is.
You say it’s ludicrous, but then you also say that any average sandlot QB can throw a better and more consistent deep ball. That’s much more ludicrous than thinking there are “fans” out there who hate J.T. Barrett.
Swing and a miss again, Tony. There are fans out there- and the word is fans WITHOUT the quotations- who have pinpointed a weakness and predictability in OSU’s offensive game planning against better teams. I’m not writing War and Peace here, so the short version is that many fans (again, no quotes) dislike the plan rather than the player. I have defended JT many times while still recognizing the obvious weak point in his game- and the offensive staff’s apparent mania with ramming that weak point down everyone’s throats when its clearly more productive to rely on other players/strategies. Good teams with savvy coaches have figured it out, and fans expect our coaches to hold themselves to the same high standard they demand of the players. This is where the “hate”- which is actually frustration mixed with embarrassment/disappointment and not hate at all- comes into play.
Perhaps, perhaps not. More ludicrous than believing Ohio State fans “HATE” JT Barrett? That’s beyond ludicrous and goes straight to a stupid assumption that it IS a perversion of journalistic integrity to support, defend, and promote that notion. Buckeye Nation BEWARE. If you have an opinion that isn’t shared by the collective that swims in the CEO’s back pocket, you are a HATER.
Yet people wonder where the term snowflake came from?
There was a time when players and fans and coaches were willing to be openly honest.
Playdough and puppies all around and are being handed out by the CEO and his minions willing to throw away their integrity for access.
No “sandlot QB” can throw a deep ball more consistently that J.T. Barrett. It’s silly to suggest that. No perhaps. It’s not hating on JT to discuss his limitations, because we all see them. It’s silly to think that Joe Sandlot can do it better. That doesn’t mean Barrett is the best QB ever. And it’s funny how many “snowflakes” get upset when Barrett’s accolades are mentioned.
Its absurd isn’t it, James? People can’t seem to understand DIRECT statements about your support for a player, so they sure aren’t going to understand when you use hyperbole (your JT “sandlot” comment) to drive home a point. There is a segment of OSU fandom out there who, sadly, tend to be drooling hero worshipper types who cause so many others to loathe the team/its fans. It is ironic indeed that many of these same people insult the fan bases from UM, Ped State, and ND while behaving EXACTLY like them. You can’t hope to reach a level of true analysis of important game factors within fluff subject matter like this- you’ll need to find other pieces for that.
I thought he was talking about Tate too!!!
enough with the JT love fest. They’d play better without him. There is a reason why he won’t play at the next level. He can’t throw beyond 15 yards.
Uhh…sounds great except against competition that can stand up to it there, coach. Other teams happen to have “competitive” and “tough” players too. This is EXACTLY the mentality they need to avoid vs USC.
“… he’s one of the most competitive human beings that stands on this earth; and number two his toughness. ”
Good description of Tate Martell.