Tim Beck is not oblivious to the notion he and his unit must perform better for Ohio State to make its way back to the Big Ten Championship game and avoid another stunning late-season loss like the one against Michigan State in 2015.
"You ask yourself, ‘did I prepare our guys well enough to go out and beat those guys?’ Probably not," Beck said this spring. "Obviously, we didn’t beat them. I always start pointing the finger on me."
An ongoing battle between Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett didn't help things either, as the Buckeyes tried to figure out the best way to handle things at quarterback. Barrett eventually won the job but regressed from his all-world season in 2014 when he threw for 34 touchdowns and ran for 11 more.
Jones is in NFL and Barrett is the unquestioned starter, tailed by Joe Burrow and true freshman Dwayne Haskins. Stephen Collier is also in the mix but underwent knee surgery in May and is "most likely" out for the season as he rehabs. Due to his injury, we'll keep him off this list.
The pecking order is a little more cutthroat this offseason at quarterback, but Beck said he feels much more confident in his second year at Ohio State. A better handle on the offense plus Ed Warinner in the press box alongside him should yield better results from the offense in 2016, but the players in Beck's meeting room must also play better.
"Our group has to continue to throw," Beck said. "That's on the receiving and quarterback group. Coaches aren't allowed to be involved in that."
Coaches can work with players two hours per week during the offseason, but the rest of their development is on their own. With that in mind, Beck laid out individualized plans for each quarterback.
"There are things I have discussed with them — 'Hey, I want you to improve on three things. Here's the three things by the end of the summer I want you to be really good at,’" Beck said.
Things are different for each guy, but here is a rundown of the three things each passer might have on his list to work on this summer from Beck.
J.T. Barrett
1. Getting the ball out faster: Barrett's throwing motion is solid and concise, but Ohio State's offense thrived best in 2014 when he got into it quicker and put it on the money to Michael Thomas, Evan Spencer, Jalin Marshall, Devin Smith and others.
"I have a quick throwing motion, but getting to that faster so everything ties together," Barrett said this spring. "My feet, getting them in order, staying stronger base, all those stronger things playing quarterback that I want to focus on."
Barrett said he did that during spring drills, but more reps this summer at getting the ball out of his hands likely stayed on his list.
2. More depth in the pocket: Standing a shade under 6-foot-2, Barrett constantly has his height working against him as he peers over his offensive line and makes his reads. To combat that, he can get deeper in the pocket and more importantly, stay there.
At times last season, Barrett had his passes or arm deflected near the line of scrimmage. Plenty of that has to do with Ohio State's offensive line holding up against the pass rush, but Barrett needs to be more confident in that so he stays at a distance that allows him to go through his reads.
"It was just all around, working on him getting more depth, staying deep in the pocket," Beck said of Barrett. "He needs to continue to develop that part of his game."
3. Accuracy and timing: This can be said about any quarterback, but Barrett struggled throwing the ball down the field last season because he either held it too long or underthrew it. He said he planned to continue adding upper body strength so as to improve his deep ball, but getting it out on time is just as important.
Barrett can better this part of his game in the film room too, seeing what he missed last season when he admittedly added pressure to himself in relief of Cardale Jones. At times, open receivers ran across the field opposite of where Barrett either forced a pass or elected to run.
Barrett returning to 2014 form instantaneously isn't going to happen unless he hones a few parts of his game that got sloppy last season. Tom Herman also did a magnificent job both in preparation and Barrett's growth as a redshirt freshman, so the onus is on Beck to push the right buttons for the quarterback to approach his potential in 2016.
Joe Burrow
1. Continue to grasp the offense: Burrow exited spring practice as Ohio State's No. 2 quarterback, mainly because he took a step in his development and because Dwayne Haskins didn't enroll until June. Urban Meyer is very high on Haskins, but Burrow gets a slight edge because he is in his second season with the program.
Beck liked what he saw from the redshirt freshman this spring in terms of his progression, but getting a better handle on the entirety of Ohio State's playbook is essential in the event Barrett cannot play.
Backup quarterbacks forced into action change the mindset and game plan of any offense, but the best teams have a guy ready to do similar things if they get called into action. When camp starts, that weight sits on Burrow's shoulders.
2. Building strength for downfield throws: Beck called this the "biggest thing" Burrow must add to his game for the future of his career both at Ohio State and beyond. Meyer's offense needs a guy who can throw the ball down the field off a play fake in order to take the top off a defense. Burrow isn't quite there yet, and that's OK.
"He's got to get his legs into his throws. And he's got to get stronger," Beck said of Burrow. "That will help with the velocity of the ball."
Burrow likely became a person of interest for Ohio State strength coach Mickey Marotti this summer. While everyone endures the early morning workouts, Burrow needed to add muscle to his frame much like Barrett did a few years ago.
3. Hone technique and fundamentals: Burrow tossed the ball all over the field at The Plains High School in Athens, doing so with ridiculous accuracy. He completed 26-of-45 passes for 446 yards and six touchdowns in the Division III state championship game, giving him 63 scores on the season against just two interceptions.
Still, Burrow's motion at times gets a little sidearmed, something Beck wants to see change.
"He also had the most to improve on, fundamentally, his technique and just also the understanding of our offense," Beck said.
Ohio State's quarterbacks coach said Burrow made the most strides from the beginning of spring practice until the spring game. Doing that again this summer is the next step in his progression.
Dwayne Haskins
1. Soak up as much of the Ohio State offense as humanly possible: Haskins is at an obvious disadvantage than either Barrett or Burrow because he hasn't even been in college for two months. While Marotti and the strength staff put the team through workouts, Haskins needs to be in the ear of Barrett to glean as much information about Ohio State's offense as he can.
Haskins often focused on just one or two receivers in his progression during high school. While he is an incredibly accurate passer, he must learn to see all other avenues and possibilities within what the Buckeyes do on offense. The only way that happens is with film study, lots of listening and by asking questions.
2. Conditioning: Haskins checked in at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, excellent size for any Division I quarterback. His frame is solid but he needs to trim any baby fat present and turn it into useful strength so as to withstand hits.
Plus, Haskins isn't much of a runner to begin with. Meyer wants pass-first quarterbacks who can run instead of running quarterbacks that throw, which is certainly Haskins. But Ohio State's quarterback needs to show its ability to extend a play with his legs and head back to the huddle without so much as a breath. Enter Marotti.
3. Establish rapport with new teammates: Anytime a new quarterback arrives in a program or pro football franchise, he needs to put in the work and get used to throwing the ball to his new wide receivers. Already a gifted passer with a big arm, Haskins needs to work with the wide range of young guys at receiver at Ohio State.
The only way he becomes comfortable with them is through time and reps. Haskins has a chance to see the field in 2016 if he beats out Burrow for the backup job to Barrett, but is behind because he is the youngest player in the quarterback room. Showing he can work with any receiver will help his cause.
