Recently we've read a lot about TOSU needing to build DLs with "SEC level" speed. It's easy to dominate a game if the other team can barely hike the ball.
That's all fine and good, but what are we doing specifically to counter OTHER teams with "SEC Speed" on the DL?
Are we recruiting the right caliber of OL talent? Will the new offense / blocking schemes negate speed?
I'm interested to hear from our resident X/O enthusiasts and recruiting experts.
seeing as how urban won TWO national titles playing the majority of the schedule versus SEC teams, urban knows what he is doing, and he will get the talent he needs, and my being a non expert, i trust in urban, in fact i am going to relax and enjoy, even smile, watching the master do his thing. if i remember right, his offensive line helped take apart the vaunted osu defense too. what was that score again? oh yeah 41 to 14. 41 points, not a bad days work for any offense against the high and mighty buckeye defense. the big 10, is in for a huge surprise.
Urban's offense is designed to beat a defense by casting doubt in the DE's mind. Stay with the RB, go with the QB, look out for an option pitch or shovel pitch?
Just like Meyer has mentioned many times, he wants the DE to have to plant both feet on the ground and actually make a judgement decision instead of reacting instinctively. That slight "hiccup" in his reaction could be all that is necessary for Braxton, Hall, Hyde, etc. to get a step past him.
The ONLY defense that has shown an ability to consistently counter Urban's offense is the braintrust of Saban/Kirby Smart. Part of it is scheme, but mostly it is due to the fact that Alabama just plain had the best of the best on the defensive side of the ball. Saban was able to play more agressively against Florida because they didn't respect Tebow's passing against a secondary littered with 1st rounders, and the LB's and safeties could support more in the run game.
Luckily, the only way OSU will have to face that type of defense is in a bowl or NC game, and at that point anything can happen in a one game situation.
"What we do in life echoes in eternity"
I think Ohio State has had plenty of talent on the O-Line it just was never coached up correctly. Did any of the Brew Crew improve all that much from their Freshman year til the Florida game last year? Boone never lived up to hype either. Maybe in this recruiting class there isn't that 5 star firepower, but with the strength and conditioning improvements, hiring an actual O-Line Coach, and just change in attitude with the new regime, I think we'll see a much different O-Line in the near future.
We saw how poor coaching impacts great recruits, isn't it feasible that great coaching could have a profoundly positive impact on the good recruits and talent present now?
Good point about Tebow. He could throw the ball, but he was never a precision, step-up-and-pick-you-apart type of QB.
Saban likes to bring pressure and take away the middle of the field. So I suppose you'd need a QB that can throw the out, corner and pivot routes consistently.
Braxton can also cause problems to the outside with his speed, more than Tebow I would think.
I also wonder how Hyde/Dunn might factor into this. I'm remembering some long runs that Beanie would break on passing downs by cracking into the open field behind the blitz.
"We get paid to score touchdowns, not kick field goals"
-- Urban Meyer
Tebow sure picked apart Cincinnati in his last game!
And Alex Boone was the absolute worst offensive lineman we've probably ever had!
JB Shugarts resents that while he false starts AGAIN
When told OSU set school record for 50+ games this year, UFM said "That's good. We're gonna break that next year."
Really high balance? I think Mike Adams was.
Run_Fido's favorite word is strawman.