Season openers are always games when new faces in the lineup are seen for the first time or new schemes are seen for the first time after a coaching change.
Saturday’s game against Nebraska has the potential to have both of those aspects. On offense new Buckeyes will be starting at two positions on the offensive line and at tailback. On defense, though, is where the real intrigue is this year. Not only are there wholesale replacements to be made in the defensive backfield and along the defensive front, but there is new coordinator for the OSU defense, albeit a familiar face.
Kerry Coombs will unveil his first edition of the OSU defense as the defensive coordinator on Saturday. If you are hoping that defense will be real different from the one Jeff Hafley put on the field last year, you are probably going to be disappointed. This year’s defense is going to look a whole lot like last year’s, at least as far as the scheme goes.
“Carey will bring a few new things but the OSU defense is still the OSU defense,” said co-defensive coordinator Greg Mattison.
Defensive back Marcus Williamson is expected to win the starting position at the slot corner this year. Williamson agreed with Mattison, the core of the OSU defense is little-changed.
“It really hasn’t changed much at all. It’s the same calls, the same terminology and so on,” said Williamson.
The real difference will be in who will call the defensive plays.
Last year it was Hafley from the press box. This year there will be two new wrinkles in the play calling. First it will be Coombs calling the plays instead of Hafley, and secondly he will be doing it from the sideline rather that from the press box like Hafley did. OSU’s defensive eye from on high for the defense this year will be Greg Mattison.
“It’s the first time I will be upstairs since 1990 when I was at Texas A&M,” said Mattison.
Mattison and Coombs are both veteran coaches and not likely to have many butterflies on Saturday despite their new positions and responsibilities. That’s not true of the other new faces on the defense like Williamson who will be making his first start as a Buckeye after waiting his turn, but will be replacing Shaun Wade at slot corner after Williamson has practiced as an outside corner for most of his career.
“I’m comfortable at that position,” said Williamson. I’ve prepared a long time and I trust my teammates, and that brings a sense of ease. But I still have some nervousness. It’s nervousness, but its not anxiety. I have confidence that I’ve built on the practice field and I trust my teammates so much.”