Everyone knew that heading into the 2015 college football season, the Ohio State Buckeyes were loaded with firepower. Explosive, high-octane, ready to blow up at a moment’s notice from anywhere on the field — the defending national champios were always going to be a fireworks show in football pads.
Now, with the report by Pete Thamel of Sports Illustrated that Braxton Miller will move from quarterback to wide receiver, Ohio State has put itself in an even better position to become The Greatest Show On Field Turf. This is a point which does not require much in the way of explanation or imagination.
Ohio State can have Miller throw trick-play passes. The Buckeyes can put two skilled runner-throwers on the field at the same time. Offensive coordinator Ed Warinner — who has improbably managed to avoid becoming a head coach at an FBS program, but will probably be snagged before too long, following Tom Herman (now at Houston) — will be the director of a football funhouse beyond his wildest dreams. The amount of choices Warinner has at his disposal — personnel groupings, formations, gadget plays, lines of attack — is mind-boggling. The Buckeyes are going to be able to do so many things from so many different angles. It gives one pause.
The other particularly valuable aspect of this move by Miller is that it unclutters the quarterback position before August camp. This gives a little bit of added head-space to aspiring starters J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones. The two young men don’t have to wonder about a three-player battle for the position. They can head into camp more assured that they’ll receive ample playing time under center, with Miller presumably out of the mix. They can expect to be used in the Ohio State offense for an appreciable percentage of snaps. They can also expect that if one player struggles for any prolonged period of time, the other will have a chance to immediately step in and save the day.
Meyer can sell Barrett and Jones on the importance of being prepared, using that approach to make sure 2015 becomes a season in which Ohio State is vigilant, not fat and happy after winning one national title.
Again, this doesn’t need an elaborate explanation. Anyone familiar with college football in general and Ohio State in particular can see why this move by Braxton Miller makes a lot of sense.
The question becomes, “What are Ohio State’s opponents, especially those in the Big Ten, going to do about it?”
A recommendation, in three simple words: grow a pair.
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When facing a juggernaut opponent in any sport, a common tension point is this: “Should I (as a solo athlete or the coach of a team) opt for a slow death, playing a low-risk game and hoping to delay the inevitable, banking on the off chance that the opponent will have a bad day at the office? Or, should I go in the other direction? Should I risk a quick death but bring much more of an upside into the equation by gambling at every (reasonable) moment of opportunity?”
Perhaps in the 1970s, when football was dominated by running backs and the advent of spread aerial attacks had not yet come to pass (pun very much intended), it was more reasonable to opt for the conservative approach. Today, given that college football is supremely friendly to offenses, it seems hard(er) to justify the play-it-safe option.
Keep in mind that while time of possession is certainly something to aim for against Ohio State, it’s not as though “TOP” mattered much against Chip Kelly’s (and now Mark Helfrich’s) Oregon teams. They’d score in a flash and would win handily even while being at minus-16 in time of possession. They’d score so quickly and regularly that ball control didn’t really amount to much.
So it is with these flammable Buckeyes — caution is the last thing opposing teams and coaches should exhibit when facing Ohio State.
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Scenario: There’s 6:19 left in the first quarter, and Ohio State has had to work out the cobwebs, struggling to a 3-0 lead. Opponent X, on its first series of downs in a possession, encounters a fourth and one on its own 36.
Do you give Ohio State the ball at its own 25 with a 39-yard net punt, knowing that the Buckeyes aren’t likely to be stuffed all day, or do you go for it, knowing that by the end of 60 minutes, you’re probably going to have at least 27 (if not 38 or 45) points on the board?
Keep in mind one of the timeless truths underlying coaching decisions: For all the debates one can engage in as far as strategy is concerned, coaching decisions also possess value to the extent that they motivate players.
Replacing a struggling quarterback can inspire an offensive line to play better. Using more blitzes, while risky in an X-and-O context, can have the benefit of getting defensive players to play with more energy. Similarly, going for it on fourth and short in one’s own territory in the first quarter can be valuable not just because an offense can keep the ball away from Ohio State for two or three more minutes; it can be valuable because it sends a message to every player on the team that “We’re here to win, darnit!” Young athletes notice when a coach displays a few cojones and brass ones. That kind of decision can inspire a whole sideline and create increased effort over the course of 60 minutes.
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It will be immensely fascinating and enjoyable to see Ohio State play offense this fall.
It will be equally fascinating to see how opponents try to handle the Buckeyes; how enjoyable it will be for them remains to be seen.
The main point of emphasis: If teams are going to get drubbed by Ohio State this season, will they go down swinging and take their cuts, or will they look at three fastballs on the outside corner and not lift the bat off their shoulders?
