Could Ohio State Suspensions Actually be Good for the Program?
Everyone has heard or read by now about the scandal at Ohio State. Sports Illustrated did a feature on it, ESPN has been all over it, and it dominated Sports Center for at least a week straight. In the end, the effects on this year’s team were the loss of four players to suspension for the first five games, Heisman trophy candidate Terrelle Pryor bolting to the NFL in the supplemental draft (he will still be suspended 5 games in the NFL) and the loss of their longtime Head Coach Jim Tressel. Sound like a gigantic mess? It is. Are you writing Ohio State off? You shouldn’t. Interim Head Coach Luke Fickell is not making any excuses and is expecting immediate success. There are lots of questions. Who will be the starting quarterback? What running back is going to emerge from the crowded backfield to be the starter? What is Ohio State going to do with its mess at wide receiver? If the suspended players lose their jobs for good will they quit on their teammates? Two of these suspensions, including the one that Terrelle Pryor would have received directly contributed to these question marks. The first one starts at running back.
Dan Herron who rushed for 1,155 yards a season ago is forced to sit out the first five games of the season. Ohio State is loaded with young talent, including Jaamal Berry and Jordan Hall. Both of these players are extremely explosive runners and could provide Ohio State with instant offense. A sleeper to watch out for is redshirt freshman Rod Smith. Any of these players could earn the starting gig for Ohio State in the first five games that Dan Herron sits out. This makes OSU’s backfield very crowded, so when Herron returns there could be four running backs capable of being the feature back. Chances are Luke Fickell will use a running back by committee approach and utilize the best talents of each of the backs. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds and how Dan Herron deals with losing the starting job, if it comes to that. If he tries to earn it back and pushes himself as well as his teammates this backfield would be even scarier than it is right now. Ohio State has a long list of running backs that have been productive, so do not expect a drop off this year, even if it is multiple guys sharing the load. These running backs will be key, as the departure of Terrelle Pryor leaves Ohio State scrambling for a quarterback.
Deciding who wins the quarterback battle may be the biggest and most important choice in Luke Ficklell’s short career as a head coach. He has two prime choices, both with different styles. In fact, they are polar opposites. Joe Bauserman, a senior, is a pure pocket passer. He has the experience in the system, and the better arm than his opposition. Braxton Miller is the challenger. He is a true freshman. Miller is ultra talented, but young and inexperienced. He is a duel threat player and puts lots of stress on a defense; much like Terrelle Pryor was able to do. There is a lot of football to be played still, so Coach Ficklell has some time to make the choice. You never know, maybe he will use a quarterback by committee as well, with each quarterback getting a series or two at a time. That philosophy has never really seemed to work for the names that try them, but there has to be a first time for everything. You may also see a switch at halftime, or changing up the starting quarterback from week to week for those first few weeks as the coaching staff tries to evaluate each player. Finding the weapons for which quarterback ultimately wins the starting job is another challenge for the Buckeyes.
DeVier Posey was Ohio State’s biggest threat in the passing game last year. This year, he will be watching the first five games from the sidelines as he serves his suspension. Replacing him will probably be the most difficult thing for Ohio State. Corey Brown and Chris Fields, both sophomores will have to step up in a major way this year, particularly in the first five games. Both of them failed to be productive when given the opportunity last season. It is very possible that tight end, Jake Stoneburner becomes the main threat for Ohio State. He is a big target and can help move the chains on a consistent basis. The last thing that a team wants when breaking in a new quarterback is a faulty offensive line. Thankfully Ohio State has a great line, but losing tackle Mike Adams, who is a first round NFL talent, for five games is a huge blow. Even with Adams gone the line will still be a strength for this team as they push forward through these suspensions.
It is very possible that after five games Ohio State could be 5-0 and sitting on top of the Big Ten, along with a few other powerhouses. However the advantage that Ohio State would hold is battling through adversity. To Ohio State they have five games to build depth at key positions as many talented players battle for a starting position. Once they earn it, they will not want to lose it, and Ohio State could have many guys working as hard as they can to keep their spot on the depth chart. That can create havoc for other teams, as this team rallies around the players who stuck around and put in the work to earn yet another Big Ten Title. Do not count this team out; they will make a run for the Big Ten title. It may be a bumpy road and frustrating at times as they break in new players, but in the end the suspensions for the first five games may really help Ohio State. Their offense could be extremely dangerous, as they could trust four running backs, and a multitude of different wide outs to make the big plays needed to win on any given Saturday.
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