Presenting the Offensive All-Stars of the Urban Meyer Era

By Chris Lauderback on July 14, 2016 at 1:05 pm
After some debate, Braxton Miller leads the Urban Meyer Era All-Star team as the quarterback.
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As a kid in the mid-late 1980s, I remember going to the ballpark and filling out the punch card ballot denoting my all-star picks for Major League Baseball's Midsummmer Classic. 

I combined head with heart as I made selections from the west side confines of Cooper Stadium where the Triple-A affiliate of the Yankees, your Columbus Clippers, called home from 1977-2006.  

Having watched Don Mattingly in Columbus during the 1982 and '83 seasons along with countless other future Yankees over the years, I automatically punched Donnie Baseball's name along with guys like Bernie Williams Steve Balboni, Otis Nixon and a host of other Clippers alumni while still making sure to reward the non-Yankees having worthy seasons like Wade Boggs, Cal Ripken Jr., Rickey Henderson and Kirby Puckett. 

The point is that picking an all-star team as a fan is often a product of shifting criteria that often collide with matters of the head and heart. 

Selecting a group of all-stars that have played for Urban Meyer through his first four years in Columbus was actually easier than I expected but there were still a few players/positions that felt like a toss up. 

With that, I present my offensive selections. I'll tackle the defense next week. 

QB: BRAXTON MILLER

I might as well start off at quarterback which turned out to be one of the more difficult decisions. Tabbing Braxton Miller as the starter on this squad is probably a slam dunk for many but not so much for me. 

I toyed with punching in J.T. Barrett for the role thanks to a 2014 season that saw him tally 3,772 total yards and a ridiculous 45 touchdowns in 12 games followed up by a 2015 season that wasn't as strong due to numerous factors but still led to 22 scores and a 63% completion rate. My feeling with Barrett is that he's the best distributor under center during Meyer's OSU tenure and with so many weapons at his disposal it was difficult to slot him as Braxton's backup. Despite his miraculous run through the 2014 postseason, Cardale Jones wasn't really in the discussion rattling inside my head. 

The bottom with Braxton is that he has to be an all-star starter somewhere and it would make little sense to do that via the H-back role he filled in 2015. Plus, while it seems like a decade ago, the man tossed 39 touchdowns against 13 picks in two seasons under Meyer with back-to-back 1,000 yard rushing seasons producing another 25 scores. Miller as a quarterback was twice the best player in the B1G and finished 5th and 9th, respectively, in the Heisman race. 

At his best, the dude could be sling it fairly well and run it with devastating speed and elusiveness which made it impossible to turn him down for this imaginary starting gig even though I went into the exercise thinking I'd go with Barrett. 

RB: EZEKIEL ELLIOTT

You've got an embarrassment of riches situation on your hands when Carlos Hyde can run for 970 yards in 10 games in 2012 and back that up with 1,521 yards in only 11 games during the 2013 season (138.3 ypg) and barely even be in the race for the starting tailback gig. 

Zeke rushed for over 1,800 yards in back-to-back seasons.

Hyde will have to settle for backup carries on this squad however as Ezekiel Elliott is the sure-fire starter on the strength of a two-year stretch in which he amassed 3,699 rushing yards on 6.6 yards per carry and 41 touchdowns. Not only that, Elliott developed soft hands as a receiver out the backfield and is the best blocking tailback in the history of Ohio State football. 

There's really not much else to discuss with regard to this position. 

H-BACK: PHILLY BROWN

Like quarterback, you could go a couple directions with your H-back pick and be able to justify your stance. The legit candidates in my mind are Philly Brown and Jalin Marshall with Curtis Samuel and Dontre Wilson on the outside looking in. Since Braxton is my quarterback, I didn't evaluate him as part of the H-back discussion. 

I went with Philly Brown as my starter for a few reasons. He was a true H-back for two solid years, leading the Buckeyes in receptions and yards both years. In 2012 he tallied 60 grabs for 669 yards (3 TD) and backed that up with another 63 catches for 771 yards and 10 scores. Yes, he had a case of the dropsies early on and his punt return exploits caused us all some heartburn but he was truly effective in the slot over those first two years when Miller wasn't all that confident throwing downfield and needed a reliable guy underneath. 

Marshall played wide receiver in addition to his time in the slot and checks in as my backup at the H. Marshall made some huge plays down the stretch of the title run in 2014 and nearly reached the 500-receiving yard mark twice. 

I have a huge soft spot for Samuel and if I write this article next year there's a strong chance he passes Marshall on the depth chart and may even make a run at Philly. 

WR: DEVIN SMITH AND MIKE THOMAS

Selecting a pair of wideouts wasn't all that difficult though I take nothing away from Evan Spencer who despite modest stats proved to be one of the more valuable role players on the national championship squad. Marshall also gets some consideration at wideout with Jake Stoneburner further down the ledger. 

The no-brainer starters on my squad are Devin Smith and Michael Thomas. 

Devin Smith was a big play machine averaging 28.2 ypc in 2014.

Smith proved to be the ultimate stretch-the-field guy posting an insane 28.2 yards per catch (33 rec, 931 yds) with 12 touchdowns in 2014 after a 2013 campaign in which he totaled 44 grabs for 660 yards and eight scores. 

A more-balanced, sturdy receiver that can do damage all over the field, Thomas led the 2013 and 2014 squads in receptions going for nearly 800 yards with over 50 catches each season. 

Those two working in tandem at their best would be lethal for opposing defenses. 

TE: JEFF HEUERMAN

At tight end, I see this is a virtual toss up between Jeff Heuerman and Nick Vannett but I'm giving the nod to Heuerman as my starter because I see him as the more effective blocker – minus that one time against Michigan State in the B1G championship when he whiffed on a block ensuring Ohio State would not be playing for a shot at a national title. 

In 2013, Heuerman put up the most statistically impressive season for an Ohio State tight end since Rickey Dudley in 1995 with 26 grabs for 466 yards and four scores. Though often called upon as a blocker, Heuerman did damage down the seam in some big games notably against Iowa, Michigan and Clemson. 

No slouch, Vannett recorded 55 grabs for 585 yards during his Buckeye career slotting him inside the top-10 of all-time Buckeye tight ends but he'll have to settle for a backup role on this squad. 

OL: TAYLOR DECKER, ANDREW NORWELL, COREY LINSLEY, PAT ELFLEIN AND JACK MEWHORT

I'm guessing the Slobs expected to be the last position group mentioned despite serving as the straw that stirs the drink so I figured I wouldn't disappoint. 

Starting at left tackle, I'm taking Taylor Decker over Jack Mewhort (but Mewort will still be a starter on this squad). I loved Mewhort's attitude up front but I'm giving Decker and his 42 starts – the final two seasons of which came at left tackle – the nod here. 

At left guard, I've got Andrew Norwell in the starting role backed up by Billy Price. Somehow, Norwell went undrafted after 39 straight starts for the Buckeyes generating back-to-back First-Team All-B1G honors. 

Locks and Blocks: Andrew Norwell was a beast at both blocking and growing flowing locks.

Manning the center spot is Corey Linsley. Also a two-year starter, Linsley showed great versatility for the Buckeyes earning All-B1G accolades in his final season before going off the snap the ball to Aaron Rodgers. Backing up Linsley is Jacoby Boren. 

Pat Eflein is my starter at right guard after coming off the pine to hold his own as a freshman against Michigan following Marcus Hall's double-barreled salute in 2013 backed up by all-conference performances the last two seasons. Hall serves in a backup role here. 

Rounding out the unit is the aforementioned Mewhort at right tackle. A three-year starter for the Buckeyes, Mewhort saw time at all four tackle and guard spots showing a versatility as valuable as his on-field mean streak. Backing up Mewhort is Reid Fragel over Darryl Baldwin. 

So there you have it, my Urban Meyer All-Star offense. I'd ask where I got it wrong but I'm sure you're already telling me. 

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