M-Borg vs. THE Flavortown U Thread, Orig. by Buckeye Paul, absconded w/by talent.

[iam416]

WM:

I hesitate to do this since you'll have to surf through OP/Hack nonsense to find it, but here are my best guesses:

OFFENSE

QB: JTB
RB: Weber [I think he had beaten Dunn out in the summer and would have played if he didn't get hurt]
OT: Jamarco Jones
OG: Billy Price (returning)
C: Elflein (returning)
OG: Demterius Knox OR Evan Lisle [I really like Knox...if he's healthy I think he'll win it]
OT: Isaiah Prince
TE: Marcus Baugh
WR: Noah Brown
WR: Parris Campbell (starter at the beginning of the season)
WR: Curtis Samuel (returning)
HB: Dontre Wilson (returning)

I like the OL. I think it's more talented than the mess Warriner had at the start of the 2014 season when they replaced 4 starters. I like Weber. He's not Elliot, but he should be very good. And Dunn is a really solid back. The big question mark is WR. I like Noah Brown. Campbell...he has speed, quickness, athletic ability...and questionable hands. I think Torrance Gibson could be huge next season. I also think KJ Hill could be good next season.

But, my bottom line with the offense is that JTB makes it pretty good. The OL should be really good by midseason. WR is a huge question mark. I tend to think they'll have problems there this season, but if I'm wrong the offense will be a juggernaut.

This is The Ozone's take: http://theozone.net/Ohio-State/Footb...art-on-Offense

[iam416]

DEFENSE:

WDE: Tyquan Lewis (returning)
DT: Michael Hill
DT: Donovan Munger
SDE: Sam Hubbard

DL Rotation: Jalyn Holmes (DE), Robert Landers (DT)...Jashon Cornell (DT??) and Bosa/Darius Slade/DreMont Jonest

WLB: Chris Worley/Jerome Baker [tend to lean Worley]
MLB: McMillan (returning)
SLB: Donte Booker

CB: Damon Webb
CB: Gareon Conley (returning)
SS: Malik Hooker/Cam Burrows
FS: Erick Smith
Nickel/Rotation: Eric Glover-Williams and Marshon Lattimore

The DL is basically the DL that played against ND. DE is not a problem. DT is a problem -- way thin. Personally, I think Cornell is going to slide down into and Adolphus Washington role. Washington was a DE recruit, too, that bulked up and moved inside. Landers has a great first step and will be a really good run defender, but he's short and can't rush the passer to save his life. Overall, DL is not my concern.

LB starts my concern. It's nice to have McMillan back -- he's a rock and a certain early entry for 2017. Booker got time to spell Perry last year, so he's close. I don't know about Worley or Baker. Darron Lee was a special player. Both those guys have great speed and athleticism, but that position requires great instincts, too. I actually think Baker may be faster than Lee, but I doubt he's the player Lee was.

Secondary could be dicey. They really like Webb. He would have played a lot this year, but there was some vague off-the-field issue that had to be cleared up before they'd let him play -- and that took weeks. Conley, I think, will take another step. Safety-wise, replacing Powell shouldn't be too hard. I think Hooker or EGW can provide a reasonable facsimile. Replacing Vonn Bell will suck. They really, really like Erick Smith, but he's coming off a bad injury. If he can't go -- man, I dunno. Finally, I really like Lattimore and think he'll be on the field a lot.

So, my take is that overall it should be a perfectly fine defense. However, at two very key positions -- at least wrt defending spread offenses -- there are huge questions marks: WLB and FS. I expect a small dropoff in corner play. In other words, Oklahoma in Week 3 in Norman is a fucking nightmare.

It'll also be interesting to see how Schiano fits into the system.

Here's The Ozone breakdown: http://theozone.net/Ohio-State/Footb...art-on-Defense

[THE_WIZARD_]

For the love of Lucifer...STFU.

[iam416]

Pretty interesting insight from a guy who probably knows -- the question was about some recruits labeling OSU as "different up there" (ok, Southern recruits!)

I'll try and put in a way that makes sense, but it's hard to quantify.

In some places, some cultures, there's an ideal that a young man or whatever, comes into the program, and he's loved and coddled from the moment he walks in the door and the hope is that he'll feel so much love that he'll respect the program and give his all for it.

At Ohio State, it's the other way around. You have to come in and prove that you're worth paying attention to, that you're worth even learning the name of. You earn love and respect through what you give to the program and by the buy-in you show.

Maybe it's like that everywhere and I only see it at Ohio State because that's what I'm close to, but it is noticeably different and there are recruits who you can just tell aren't going to make it here and it's great when they learn that before they decide on the school.

I think it's one area that the Buckeyes' staff has really focused lately, making sure they are not going to bring in a guy that won't succeed and they're not going to blow smoke up a kid's butt in recruiting: if you're not the right fit personality-wise, a place like Ohio State (the school, the city, the football program) will eat you up.

This is consistent with having to earn "removal of the black stripe" and Gibson's story.

This is another example of comfort/relationships. It's the way OSU does things -- right, wrong or indifferent. You need to find kids that are comfortable with that approach. And then you need to convince those kids to come.

It's also interesting because I recall reading an Mgo entry by a guy who went on OVs with Hand, and he said OSU and M have very different cultures and that M's is far more a "friend" culture -- and he described that. His primary difference was setting -- Ohio State has an "urban environment" and M has a "suburban private school type environment." It's obviously a subjective observation, but one I find interesting nonetheless.

Learning about the different ways different programs do things is interesting, especially if you check your fandom at the door. If you don't then, umm, UFM's way RULZ!

[drok]

I think that's a great approach, and although it's too early to tell, I would guess that Harbaugh would have a similar approach. I also think it's opposite from Brady Hoke's approach.

[iam416]

Ha! I just edited to add some more thoughts from an Mgo entry on recruiting visits. I should be clear -- those visits with Hand were when Hoke was the HC. So, per this guy, Hoke's approach was pretty much opposite -- the "friend culture."

I tell ya, as a recruiting tool, though, it was effective. If the guy could coach a lick he'd have continued recruiting really well.

[iam416]

Anyway, good comment, drok! This discussion will get OP fire-bombed (most likely with Hernandez, but possibly Bianchi) as soon as he awakens from his opiate slumber and finds the manual dexterity to log in.

[hack]

Just dime-story psychology on my part but that does sound Hoke-like. And predictable results on the field.

[Hannibal]

I think that approach works if you are also a great mind and can teach kids stuff. Hoke, on the other hand, just went clap-clap-clap-shrug and expected the game to coach itself.

I get the impression that Pat Fitzgerald runs his program that way. Lots of "rah rah we love you" enthusiasm. I think that he pulls it off pretty well even though NfW is still NfW. There are lots of ways to motivate people. I for one always kind of thought that my drill sergeant coaches sucked ass and I responded a lot better to teachers and technique coaches.

[drok]

Hanni - that kind of sounds like what Beilein would be like. Great mind, friendly/family like. Teacher.

I think you can do a lot with that approach, but I feel like it's hard to get to the very top with that approach.

[SeattleLionsFan]

Ha! I just edited to add some more thoughts from an Mgo entry on recruiting visits. I should be clear -- those visits with Hand were when Hoke was the HC. So, per this guy, Hoke's approach was pretty much opposite -- the "friend culture."

I tell ya, as a recruiting tool, though, it was effective. If the guy could coach a lick he'd have continued recruiting really well.

Well, it's not as if the two concepts are unrelated. When guys know they have to work and earn their place in the glory, they are more likely to do it. Hoke's boys always seemed like they felt entitled to greatness, perhaps because they were told by the coaching staff that they were great.

At least that's how I see it from a way outside POV

[iam416]

I'm not sure Hoke ever made them earn the "friendship" or whatever. But I have no idea.

Anyway, sometimes I forget just how f'n good Braxton Miller was for OSU before he blew out his throwing arm. In a post that absolutely interests only me, he reflects on his time in Columbus: http://www.theplayerstribune.com/dea...raxton-miller/

I'm going to miss him. I hope he hooks on with an NFL team.

[iam416]

Ohio State finishes 4th in the AP. I think they'd rail Stanford, but, meh, whatever.

[WingsFan]

Was hoping M would break top 10 ended up 12. Never been 'wait till next year guy' , but things look up in AA.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Yeah behind Stanford is a joke but whatever