The 11W Football Mailbag is the only stop you need for answers to your most pressing questions about Ohio State's next matchup. Have a question? Ask it, and if we can, we'll answer it.
Will you be in Blacksburg with a front row media seat or watching from afar? Also, dogs or cats? — Seattle Linga and YTownBuckI
Tim, Birm and myself will all be looking live at Lane Stadium come Monday night. We had to jump through some hoops to get our hands on credentials, but we'll be there in the flesh barring any catastrophic event.
Also: Dogs. I don't understand the infatuation with cats. Don't tell DJ.
What's the most overhyped story going into the Virginia Tech game: #QBgeddon, Braxton Miller's position switch, or Bud Foster's genius? — PotatoDigger
Overhyped can be somewhat of an overused term when it comes to most anything, but to answer your question I would have to say the Ohio State quarterback battle. It certainly deserves more attention than the other two storylines you mentioned, but Urban Meyer can't really make a wrong decision, can he?
Both J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones did well in Ohio State's offense last season, for different reasons as a result of different skill sets. Miller's position switch is interesting because we've never seen him play as a wide receiver or H-back, but what he did as a quarterback for two-plus years is pretty telling to how he can be with the ball in space: Electric.
Bud Foster deserves all the credit he gets. He came in with an excellent game plan last season to beat Ohio State, and a lot of Monday's game is going to come down to whether or not he can do it again.
Which is the bigger loss for the VT game, Joey Bosa or all the wide receivers? Johnnie Dixon, James Clark, Terry McLaurin - who gets the start, and who has the biggest impact? Is the wide receiver loss overblown? — Buckeye06, Ahhh Saturday, Minnbuck
I decided to combine all three of these questions into one response since they all pertain to wide receivers.
First, I think the bigger loss for Ohio State is easily Joey Bosa. He's an All-American and one of two returning starters on the defensive line. Losing him hurts incredibly, especially because of how much Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Brewer killed the Buckeyes on third down last year. Ohio State will miss Bosa's pass-rushing.
Of the three you mentioned, I don't think any will get the nod as starter opposite Michael Thomas. I think instead it'll go to Parris Campbell, which I thought would be the case even before Birm's insight on the matter came Friday.
Meyer raved about Campbell's blocking Wednesday after practice, adding the first thing wide receivers have to do in order to get playing time is block on the edge. He might not make a huge impact as far as receiving goes, but it seems he'll do plenty to help Ezekiel Elliott run the ball.
What specific run plays are best to use against the Bear front? — HattanBuck85
I will refer to the esteemed Kyle Jones on this one, as well as Ross Fulton's look at how Ohio State adjusted to the front after dropping its home opener to Virginia Tech.
tl;dr: In order to run the tight zone plays that Meyer and Ed Warinner love and that Elliott is so good at, they'll counter with pulling a tackle instead of a guard to counter Virginia Tech's double eagle defensive front. As long as Ohio State's interior offensive linemen can take care of their blocks, the pulling tackle should be able to take care of the middle linebacker and the left open defensive end is up to the quarterback to carry about his fake.
For more deets, read Jones' story I linked to above.
Any news on if Torrance Gibson will make a push for playing time at wide receiver? How many snaps does Gibson have to look forward to against Virginia Tech, and if he plays will he get the ball? Will his chances increase, decrease, or stay the same throughout the year? — OSU407, BrutusAndBeers
Gibson is a terrific athlete, we all know that. Meyer said he's "just scratching the surface" of being a wide receiver, too. Gibson told me at Ohio State Media Day he's played it before in high school a bit "just to mess around a little bit."
That said, his ankle injury set him back tremendously. I think there's a chance to he gets on the field Monday night, but doubt he passes over guys like Dixon, McLaurin, Campbell, Clark and K.J. Hill. The injury just makes it difficult for Week 1. As long as he stays healthy, I think he'll get some more time later on in the year. After all, he switched from quarterback with the intentions of helping the team in 2015.
Do you think Braxton will be used primarily as a decoy or will he get a good amount of touches? What do you anticipate the offensive game plan will consist of? — MrWiley7, ScarletNGrey01
Again, I decided to combine these questions because they were mostly centered around how Meyer and Warinner plan to use Miller within the game plan.
To answer it, I don't know. No one really does, because we haven't seen him play a game yet at wide receiver. That being said, my hunch is Miller gets a bunch of touches Monday night. The offense will run through Elliott and the offensive line, but you can't forget about a guy that talented when calling plays.
Expect him to get the ball on jet sweeps or touch passes, quick passes from the slot or even on the option. Oh, and he'll be returning punts, too.
Whats the deal with Enter Sandman? Why is it their shtick? — Toad1204
I was hoping someone would ask this question, so thanks for doing so, Toad.
Lane Stadium got a facelift prior to the 2000 season, including a big ole brand new scoreboard with a massive video screen. It fell upon the university's marketing team to come up with a banger for the team's field entrance, and it whittled down the pump up songs to "Enter Sandman," Alan Parsons Project's "Sirius" and "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses.
Since Sirius is bequeathed to the best introduction in all of sports with the NBA's Chicago Bulls — if you don't agree with me on that, I'm not sure if we can be friends — and Virginia doesn't really have a tropical feel, they settled on Enter Sandman.
Here are more details as to how it's grown over time, complete with the fans jumping up and down when the song starts playing pregame because that's what the band did initially in 2000.
I thought the real issue last year against Virginia Tech was letting them convert 9 of 17 third downs and 4 red zone chances to touchdowns. Which position group or which individual defender needs to have a big game to ensure a Buckeye win? — CuseGirl
I don't think you can pinpoint any one position group or defender to ensure Ohio State winning the game, but Virginia Tech's ability to convert third downs and complete backbreaking plays for touchdowns was a huge factor last year.
If I had to pick one position group, it'd be the linebackers, because of how well Brewer got outside the pocket last year and found his tight ends, fullbacks and running backs in the passing game. The same goes for Ohio State's secondary, especially the corners, who gave up some third down conversions in their own right last September.
What is the biggest storyline that nobody is talking about in this matchup? — OSU07ASU10
This is a really good question. I think special teams isn't getting enough attention. There's a whole bunch of talk about Foster's Bear front, the Ohio State quarterbacks, suspensions, Braxton Miller and Lane Stadium's atmosphere, but Frank Beamer's made a career out of having stout special teams.
The way I look at it, the Hokies capitalize on mistakes by their opponents and the "intangibles" of the game. Thus, they block a punt or a field goal and return it for a touchdown, or take an interception back for a score. Those type of plays can completely change the face of a game, and Ohio State lost them last year. The Buckeyes missed a pair of field goals early, and Barrett threw a pick-six that sealed it late.
Who gets the nod at PK: Das Boot or Get the Boot Off My Car? — NavyBuckeye91
When news spoke that Jack Willoughby was transferring to Ohio State for his final year of eligibility, immediately my wheels started turning.
Meyer motivates his team by bringing in top talent at every position and pushing each and every player in practice in order to get the best out of them and find who is best suited for each spot.
Sean Nuernberger was by no means bad last year, but he wasn't really all that special. He finished the year 13-of-20 on field goals — without an attempt over 50 yards — as a freshman and didn't miss an extra point. Solid, but with how much Meyer and Ohio State expect greatness from each and every spot on the field, not good enough.
Bringing in Willoughby is interesting, because you're not going to accept a fifth-year senior transfer if you don't intend on playing him. Because of that, I think he'll get the nod to start Monday. Even with that in mind though, Meyer is probably going to lean towards going for it on fourth down anyway if Ohio State is in fringe field goal position.
Who takes the first snap at quarterback? — Bucknut1994
Naturally, this question is saved for last. As I stated before, Meyer doesn't really have a wrong answer between either Jones or Barrett. Personally, I think the only thing that causes issue is if he tries to use a platoon system, because neither guy likes that idea.
Barrett provides more of a threat in the running game and is better at running the read-option, plus he's more consistent. His statistics last year support that, which is why he's my pick to be the starter. The offense just moves better than it does with Jones, and I really think the loss of Devin Smith is going to hurt the big-armed slinger from Cleveland's chances.
Ohio State can win games with either guy calling the shots, but Barrett is the smarter choice.
BONUS: Fresh off Thursday night's debut, what are your thoughts on the Jim Harbaugh and Michigan? Is Jake Rudock his guy? Is the offensive line capable of mustering a run game? Should I consider reassessing Peppers as an every down demi-god? — Hovenaut
I couldn't not have a mailbag without talking Michigan, right?
Here is my scorching take on the Wolverines after watching one night of Jim Harbaugh's club: They'll get better. Harbaugh's a top coach, so he'll get his guys going and win some games. Utah isn't a slouch by any means and that environment was pretty rowdy out at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
The problem is at quarterback with Jake Rudock, but I'll preface this by saying that one of his interceptions wasn't his fault. His freshman receiver ran the wrong route. The pick-six that sealed the game? Yeah, that was bad.
You'd like to think they'll be able to run the ball eventually, but I saw numerous times where at least one offensive lineman was getting blown off the ball and pushed into the backfield. Not good.
Jabrill Peppers played better in the second half and I think he'll be a pretty good player by the end of the season. He's got talent, and I think Harbaugh knows how to use him. All of this is subject to change though, and Harbaugh's first season wasn't expected to be anything TOO special as far as wins and losses go, but Michigan will improve by the end of the year.
BONUS: In this crazy world of 'spinning the win' what is your take on Ohio State 'escaping' Minnesota last year in brutal conditions vs TCU picking up 'a good win' Thursday? How much will this factor into playoff picture? And does that set the table for Buckeyes to have 'better' win against a like opponent? — KBonay
All really great questions. Yes, it does set the table for Ohio State to have a "better" win against a like opponent if for some reason it comes down to either the Buckeyes or TCU getting in the College Football Playoff. This is one of the rare times that situation presents itself, but of course it won't matter much if both teams run the table.
As far as "spinning the win" goes, I think Ohio State received plenty of credit for beating Minnesota in frigid conditions on the road last year. The proof was in the pudding when the Buckeyes made the playoff — Minnesota was a good team.
Goldy is a solid team again this year, too. I've been down on Mitch Leidner since I saw him in person, but he wasn't terrible Thursday night. Jerry Kill got his guys in a position to win the game, they just ran out of time in the end and ultimately couldn't stop Trevone Boykin consistently.
I think having a like opponent will factor into the playoff picture, but only if TCU or Ohio State slips up during the regular season and both are pushing for the fourth playoff spot again.
