If you want to view the situation on Ohio State's offensive line through a pessimistic lens, consider the scholarship players from the unit that did and did not play in the program's annual spring game. They tell the story line coach Greg Studrawa has to tell, one that involves the words "toughness" and "technique."
Played, at least in some capacity: Billy Price, Malcolm Pridgeon, Demetrius Knox, Brady Taylor, Isaiah Prince, Branden Bowen, Matthew Burrell, Kevin Feder, Michael Jordan, Josh Alabi, Jack Wohlabaugh, Gavin Cupp, Josh Myers
Did not play: Jamarco Jones
Telling? A bit, provided Jones did not sit out with an undisclosed injury. (Urban Meyer did not say anything about Jones and the left tackle was not made available to reporters after the game)
NFL franchises are built on quarterbacks, pass rushers and cornerstone left tackles. Fifth-year senior, captain and center Billy Price didn't play much when Scarlet topped Gray 38-31 nearly three weeks ago, being that he is in line to be a four-year starter in 2017. But Jones didn't even put his pads and helmet on, either due to an ailment or because the Buckeyes wanted to protect one of their most valuable players.
“We didn’t have a year that was acceptable for an Ohio State O-line so we’ve got to have a chip on our shoulder and get back to where we were before.”– Jamarco Jones
Players not dressing for the Spring Game isn't uncommon. Ezekiel Elliott, Braxton Miller, J.T. Barrett and many others in the past were held out for injuries. The Buckeyes return four starters on their offensive line ahead of the 2017 season, with right guard really the only opening available. Knox, Burrell and Pridgeon repped there this spring and five-star recruit Wyatt Davis is set to arrive next month.
Last year Studrawa's unit produced Ohio State's first national award winner since 2008 when Pat Elflein won the Rimington Trophy as the nation's best center. But the group as a whole struggled in pass protection, which Urban Meyer outlined as top priority — among other things — with new offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson before drills started in March.
“As an offense for spring we had three very clear targets that we wanted to accomplish,” Meyer said. “No. 1 was pass protection, No. 2 was accuracy with an emphasis on deep balls and No. 3 was the ability to finish plays.”
Clemson ate Studrawa's line alive in the Fiesta Bowl to the tune of three sacks of Barrett and 11 tackles for loss. Tiger defenders were in Barrett's face all night and when Jordan went down with an ankle injury, things got even worse when Studrawa tapped Knox as his replacement.
The additions of Wilson and quarterbacks coach Ryan Day to his coaching staff were needed modifications after two years of regression but Meyer did not make an adjustment to his offensive line room. Studrawa's first year at Ohio State was the 2016 season, so him going elsewhere did not appear on the table. Instead, it is on him to improve the personnel he has to work with, starting with Jones, Price and the other returning starters.
Studrawa must do that all while hoping to establish some sort of depth up front since the lasting image in the minds of people who watched the Fiesta Bowl is clear: Ohio State's offensive line was not anywhere near on the same level as what it faced against Clemson.
“[Expectations are] high and they’re going to always be high. We’re not going to lower our expectations for anybody,” Jones said this spring. “That was the thing last year: We didn’t have a year that was acceptable for an Ohio State O-line so we’ve got to have a chip on our shoulder and get back to where we were before.”
Ed Warinner coached the offensive line for the first four seasons Meyer was in Columbus. He churned out a bevy of draft picks, most recently Elflein last weekend. So if you look at things through that scope, they are going well up front for the Buckeyes.
But as always, Meyer wants more. Studrawa does too, though it should be noted he was not made available to reporters throughout spring practice to discuss the state of his unit.
“We all love Coach Stud and he preaches toughness and technique. Toughness and effort a lot of times overcomes bad technique and stuff like that,” Jones said. “You can make a mistake but as long as you’re giving effort and you’re tough out there he’s all for it and he can help you fix your technique.”
Technique was an issue for Prince in an up-and-down sophomore campaign in 2016, his first as a starter. Prince's teammates saw a jump from him this spring and he did not play awful against Clemson. Toughness, on the other hand, isn't necessarily something that can be viewed or measured on game tape. But it is something that an offensive lineman needs to improve.
“The biggest thing is being tough. The offensive line is about toughness and the grind and be fundamentally sound,” defensive line coach Larry Johnson said. “It's still the same stuff. You get to be a great offensive lineman if you have those skills. They have to have toolboxes like we have toolboxes.”
Johnson's unit goes against the offensive line every day in practice. He said proper steps were taken this spring by the group, but added he didn't always pay that close of attention, instead watching his group work out. After all, that is his job.
“Those are really good battles going on. We're growing and they're growing,” he said. “That's what you want to see in spring football.”
It is Studrawa's job to figure out who is the man at right guard and get the capable bodies in proper position to perform at a higher level than last year. An injury to Pridgeon and admitted misses in recruiting the last few cycles hindered that from becoming reality in 2016.
If what courses through the group this fall is better than a year ago and up to the expectations Jones spoke of, it starts with toughness and technique.
“It’s a lot of things but just battling really. You have a fight and every play is a dogfight in the trenches,” Jones said. “Just being able to battle down there it’s all about that.”
