Football
The-Ozone Note and Quotebook
By John Porentas

Head Coach Jim Tressel
Photo by Dan Harker

Cup-Half-??: There were just two touchdowns scored in the jersey scrimmage last week, but only one of them was scored by the OSU offense. The other was scored by the OSU scout team that was running the Navy offense against the OSU number one defense. If you're a cup-half-empty person, that's reason for concern over the OSU offense. If you are a cup-half-full person, you probably saw it like OSU Head Coach Jim Tressel.

"Disappointed that the Navy offense scored, yeah, because it wasn't even with the real Navy guys," Tressel began, then tempered his remark.

"It's hard to be disappointed when you're rooting for both teams. There were some things I thought we did well defensively, especially early.

"I guess if I were simply rooting for the offense I wish we had had more touchdowns, but since I'm rooting for both, it's partly good," Tressel said.

"I won't say it's all good, but it's partly good."

How's Terrelle?: It's no secret the OSU quarterback Terrelle Pryor is going to be a key element for the OSU offense this year. Football fans not just in Ohio but across the nation want to know just how much Pryor has progressed since last season. The answer is, we don't really know, because every time we've seen Pryor, he's been hobbled by the "ground rules" of fall camp. Pryor has worn a black "no-contact" jersey the entire fall which has taken away the strongest part of the game, his ability to run and scramble.

Terrelle Pryor
Photo by Dan Harker

"If you're wearing that black jersey it's not playing the game like you're used to playing it, plus we were working with a lot of different combinations in there, so we probably weren't going to be as rhythmic as maybe you'd like to be and hopefully we will be down the road," said Tressel.

With Pryor unable to use his legs, the OSU offense has at times looked a bit sluggish this fall, but according to tight end Jake Ballard, a little bit of discomfort now can lead to dividends later.

"I think this is the point in time when Terrelle and our team offensively needs to keep improving as far as the pass game goes," said Ballard.

"We all know he can run and we know our running backs can run, but now lets get better at something we're maybe not as strong at right now, and that's our passing game."

Hmmmm. Sounds like a plan as far as Pryor goes, and it somewhat explains the choppy offensive performances this fall. The other issue is the mix-and-match offensive line while the OSU coaching staff 1) sorts out the best five and 1a) goes through that process without one of their starters, Justin Boren, who is sitting out much of fall camp with an injury.

"We had a lot of guys rotating in with the ones and twos," said Ballard.

"Sometimes we'd have a freshman out there with the ones, and they're kind of getting thrown into the fire a little bit.

"If they messed up that's OK right now. We still have a couple of weeks for them to get better, learn the plays and know what to do and who they're working with.

"Once we get those five down we'll get more time with them working together and we're going to greatly improve on offense."

Kirk Barton
Photo by Jim Davidson

How's Bart?: Everybody has favorites, and over the years the-Ozone has had a few of those. During his career at OSU Kirk Barton was one of our favorite players to watch, talk to, and quote. Barton has had an NFL career that has consisted a series of tryouts and near misses, the most recent with the Detroit Lions. Though Barton was recently released by the Lions, he told us after the jersey scrimmage there's a decent chance he'll be back in Detroit some time in the future.

"I was doing well," he said, "but I pulled a hamstring."

The Lions decided to release him after the hammy pull, but told him they are interested in talking to him again after his rehab. Barton said he expects that to be about a six week process.

Who's That Coach? : It's not a major change, but there has been a bit of an adjustment in the coaching duties with respect to the offensive line.

John Peterson
Photo by Jim Davidson

Until this season Jim Bollman has coached the OSU offensive line, but this year Bollman will concentrate on centers and guards. OSU assistant John Peterson will coach the tackles and tight ends. Prior to this season, Peterson had coached the tight ends only while handling duties as OSU's recruiting coordinator as well. Peterson was an offensive lineman at OSU and lettered in 1987, 88, 89 and 90.

In his very first role as an assistant coach Peterson coached the offensive line at the University of Akron from 1995 through 1998. In 1997 the Zips boasted the 11th ranked rushing attack in the nation and allowed just 10 sacks all season. Peterson assumed the duties of offensive line coach at Miami (Ohio) University in February, 1999 and earned the role of running game coordinator in in March, 2001. In the 2003 season the RedHawks averaged 502 yards and 43 points per game. Peterson was hired by OSU in April, 2004.

Could This Really be the Year? We've been hearing about the tight end at Ohio State for as long as we can remember, but since Ben Hartsock left OSU the tight end has frankly not been a big part of the OSU offense. Part of that is due to the fact that the Buckeyes had several years in which they used four and five receivers (The Ginn, Holmes, Hall, Gonzales era) and that kept the tight end either off the field or relegated him to a blocking role. In other years, quite frankly, they were just plain better equipped for blocking than receiving.

At the Big Ten media gathering in Chicago current OSU tight end Jake Ballard boldly predicted that this would indeed be the year that the tight would be an important part of the offense. The-Ozone freely admits to some skepticism at the time, but Ballard caught three balls in the jersey scrimmage and accounted for the only touchdown scored by the offense. Maybe this WILL be the year.

Jake Ballard
Photo by Dan Harker

"I think so," said Ballard after the jersey scrimmage.

"The tight ends are going to provide Terrelle with open receivers down field or toward the sidelines. We're going to be reliable and if our number gets called we're going to make some plays."

What we have noticed at all the open practices we have seen this year is that the OSU passing game is definitely using the center of the field much more this season, and that would bode well for the prospect of tight ends catching some balls. That does not, however, mean that that the tight end will suddenly cease to be a blocker. At 6-6, Ballard is all of 255 pounds, maybe 260, so he has all the tools to be an effective blocker. Incoming freshman tight end Reid Fragel is about the same size, and just for good measure, the OSU coaching staff is continuing to groom defensive lineman Todd Denlinger for those occasions when they want to add a little beef to the position, particularly in short yardage situations or coming off the goal line.

"At practice I'm wearing mostly the red jersey taking mostly defensive reps. When they need me for a little bit of tight end they'll throw me in there," said Denlinger.

"Today (the day of the jersey scrimmage) I was in that black jersey taking a lot of reps on both sides of the ball. It was fun doing that because it's a new experience for me.

"I'm just trying to help the team. It's a brand new position for me but every rep I do get I feel like I'm getting better. I'm able to learn from the film, work on my steps, work on my hands, it's pretty much a brand new position for me. Coach Peterson is getting me in there more and more."

As to whether or not the tight ends are really in the scheme as a pass catching threat, offensive coordinator Jim Bollman warned that having a player in the scheme does not necessarily mean he will actually get touches.

"There will be a tight end on the field. Everyone always asks about people getting the ball," said Bollman.

"You can design routes for anyone to get the ball. There will be some routes designed for the tight end to get the ball, and if the tight end is open, and if the quarterback sees him and gets the ball to him, he'll get more touches, but all those things have to happen," Bollman said.

Lamaar Thomas
Photo by Jim Davidson

Are You Really OK? : As usual, fall camp has resulted in an assortment of bumps and bruises, most of them minor, but some Buckeyes have missed some action. One of them was sophomore wide receiver Lamaar Thomas who missed the open practice this week. According to OSU Head Coach Jim Tressel, Thomas is not likely to miss much more practice.

"Lamaar got dinged a little bit on Thursday. He probably would have gone today if it were a game, but we decided not to have him go," said Tressel.

Tressel added that players like Justin Boren, Austin Spitler and Lawrence Wilson, all of whom have missed some practice, are expected back soon.

"I would say they'll be ready for the first game. The question is whether it will be Wednesday, Thursday, Friday of this coming week, or the following Monday. I'm hoping Wednesday, Thursday, Friday of this week, but again, we're going to be smart (and not rush things)," said Tressel.

Is There Life After Beanie?: Beanie is gone, but the OSU running game will go on, count on it. It just will look a bit different.

Jordan Hall
Photo by Jim Davidson

Beanie is blessed with size, speed, athleticism and vision, a blend that is rare. None of his successors may be as complete as he was, but the cupboard is far from bare as OSU heads into the season.

Boom Herron is an improved runner after being pressed into service as a redshirt freshman last season. Herron saw the field early due to injuries to both Wells and Brandon Saine, and now he is a relatively experienced player as just a sophomore. He has shown impressive burst and quickness this fall. We have been impressed with Herron, and we've been impressed with Saine as well. When we've seen him he seems to be running with great authority and determination. Saine has great straight-ahead speed and he this fall has shown the ability to move the pile and make would-be tacklers miss. Newcomers Jaamal Berry and Jordan Hall have both flashed, though Berry has been slowed some by some minor physical problems as a result of off-season surgery.

"I really think our running backs have played well this entire camp," said Tressel.

"I thought one of those runs down in there on that touchdown drive (in the jersey scrimmage), Brandon Saine made a couple guys miss. It looked like it was going to be a plus one and it ended up plus six or so, but I think in general our backs have played very well."

Anybody Able to Pressure?: Pressure. It's what defenses like to do to quarterbacks, and so far, it looks like this year's defensive line is going to be able to produce some.

Todd Denlinger
Photo by Jim Davidson

"Especially against drop back pass I thought our front put on some good pressure," said Jim Tressel after the jersey scrimmage.

"I don't know if it was with a whole bunch of extra rushers. It was base rush. I thought they did a good job, particularly early in the scrimmage," Tressel said.

That may be the most encouraging aspect of the defense this year, the ability of the front four to bring pressure on the passer without too much help from blitzers.

"Anytime you can rush four and get pressure on the quarterback that helps quite a bit," said senior defensive tackle Todd Denlinger.

"That's what the d-line has been talking about all year, that with the young secondary and linebackers that we have, if we can get four man pressure that will help out."

The Buckeyes have what seems like an endless parade of defensive linemen who can rush the passer this season. Inside, Dexter Larimore and Todd Denlinger are very capable, and players like Doug Worthington, Robert Rose and Cameron Heyward are also capable of harassing a quarterback from interior defensive line positions. Those three can also migrate outside to defensive end when needed, but there is a raft of defensive ends that also like to get after quarterbacks. Thaddeus Gibson, Nathan Williams and Keith Wells are the kind of pass rushers off the edge that will make QBs cringe, and if they don't the OSU coaching staff will be calling on the likes of Solomon Thomas on the outside and Garrett Goebel and John Simon on the inside to turn up the heat on quarterbacks.

It looks like the OSU front will be bringing some pressure this year, and that's never a bad thing.

Anyone Defending the Coach?: There's one every season, a whipping boy for the fans and pundits. Right now, OSU offensive line coach and offensive coordinator Jim Bollman holds that distinction. We would like to officially nominate him for the-Ozone Donnie Nickey Memorial Convenient Whipping Boy for Armchair Coaches and Athletes Award. (also known as the-Ozone DNMCWBFACAA) Voting is now open, but don't look for many of his players to voting for him for that award. They see and hear the criticism, and some are taking exception.

Jim Bollman
Photo by Jim Davidson

"I hate how people have been putting down coach Bollman a lot," said sophomore offensive lineman JB Shugarts.

"The reason all of us came here was because of coach Bollman.

"If I didn’t know coach Bollman, I wouldn’t know who Ohio State was.

"I just want to win back respect for coach Bollman, because that’s one thing that drives me crazier than anything."

Shugarts said the bad-mouthing may actually be bringing a bit of an edge to Bollman's players.

"With all the criticism we’ve been getting, I think we definitely have a chip on our shoulders," said Shugarts.

"The nastiness is there, everyone’s trimmed up and everyone’s getting faster, everyone’s getting stronger."

Shugarts said the extra effort didn't end when summer conditioning ended.

"The O-line is doing extra conditioning every day to get ready for the season," Shugarts said.

"Coach Bollman is one of the best o-line coaches in the country," said center Michael Brewster.

"The guys on the field, we’re the ones that were making the mistakes last year and the year before that.

"He prepares us, now its time for us to really take charge and get it done."

Brewster freely admits that he was one of those guys making mistakes last year, mistakes that have led to the criticism of his coach. Most of those mistakes, he said, relate to being young.

"I felt like I made some good plays, but I also did make a lot of mistakes. I didn’t have a full understanding of the offense so I feel like sometimes I was too hesitant to do stuff, but I feel like I can improve 100 percent," Brewster said.

"The offense is really set in my mind now, it took about a year, but I feel a lot more confident and my technique is better. Last year I was just playing on God-given ability. No technique. I made a lot of mistakes, but I learned from all of them," he said.

What matters, and what is the hallmark of good coaching, is that he improved.

"From the Troy game, where I started my first game, to the Texas game, I feel like I made big improvements," he said.

"It was still nowhere close to where I need to be, but I think it was a good base to start with (this season)."

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