Wake up people. There is real live American football (well sort of) being played in front of some fans in Ohio Stadium Saturday. It’s the annual Ohio State LifeSports spring game, and it’ll be the first time football has been played with some from the general public in attendance since the Buckeyes beat Penn State back on November 23, 2019.
Exhale, it’s been a quite challenging year plus.
But now, things are starting to head back to closer to normal, and that means we actually get to witness a spring game in the ‘Shoe, and it’s an important one. Some would have you believe that this is just a glorified scrimmage that doesn’t mean much, but with all the change and positions up for grabs, how kids do during a live, competitive environment matters — otherwise, why play the game.
So, with all that being said, here are five things to watch for while Team Brutus takes on Team Buckeye Saturday at Noon.
NEXT … Did someone say quarterbacks?
Where does the quarterback competition stand?
Head coach Ryan Day is saying all the right things, but there is some solid intel (subscription may be required) that points to C.J. Stroud as the leader to win the starting position. He’s a bit of a late bloomer, but has all the athletic gifts to fit into today’s game, plus he’s had a year to digest the playbook.
But it’s not a done deal, and if you believe what the head man says, it’s still an open competition with any of the three quarterbacks that are competition all with an opportunity to wrestle this thing away. Who will have the better day between Stroud, Jack Miller, and freshman Kyle McCord? Who gets the first crack at things when the offense goes against the defense?
It’s unlikely that Day will tip his hand on what he believes right now, but we should still be able to tell something in this first environment not behind closed doors.
NEXT … What about the freshmen running backs?
Are either of the two freshmen running backs making a push?
Black Stripe Alert: Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson loses black stripe https://t.co/UIiiGtXu2a
— Buckeyes Wire (@BuckeyesWire) April 10, 2021
We’ve heard really good things about five-star freshman TreVeyon Henderson. Heck, he shed his black stripe already, and that’s a rarity for a freshman running back in the spring. He possesses all the tools and wiggle to be a big-play threat, but he might have to bide his time behind the solidly built and straight-line extremely fast Master Teague.
Then there’s Evan Pryor who would have been much more publicized if he were at another school not named Ohio State that didn’t lure Henderson. He too was one of the top running backs in the 2021 class and has also been impressing in spring camp.
However, in the limited exposure the media has had with spring drills, those two haven’t been at the forefront of the reps. We don’t know what’s happened aside from those spot situations, but it’ll be very interesting to see what each brings to the table when they get their shot on Saturday.
NEXT … The secondary is the primary concern
What kind of changes in personnel and scheme might we see in the defensive backfield?
Why is Ohio State defensive backs coach Matt Barnes “blown away” by freshman Denzel Burke? That and more from what we learned about the Buckeyes’ secondary on Thursday. https://t.co/jYpSufuw4R pic.twitter.com/7jF9YaAbIY
— Nathan Baird (@nwbaird) April 2, 2021
It’s no secret that the back-end of the defense was perhaps the weakest spot on the team last year. It was so suspect that head coach Ryan Day vowed to make changes and get better in the offseason. We’ve heard rumblings of a change in scheme, and we’ve also seen some new guys get a look back there like Denzel Burke and Cameron Martinez.
We are extremely interested to see what kind of different looks and personnel we might see during the controlled scrimmage tomorrow. It’s unlikely that we’ll see drastic differences this far from the start of the season, but there will be something there to talk about. You can bank on that, even if subtle.
NEXT … A breakout on the defensive line
Will guys on the D-line look bigger, stronger, and faster
Ryan Day believes Taron Vincent might be in line for a breakout season, says Matthew Jones has "found a little bit of a rhythm" at center and wants to be flexible defensively. https://t.co/nxtBSCMCL7
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) April 5, 2021
Let’s talk about Zach Harrison for a moment. It looks like he’s been in the weight room a little and has been taking care of his body. We’ve also heard the coaches and players sing the praises of Taron Vincent and Tyreke Smith. All those guys came to Ohio State with high expectations, and while we’ve seen glimpses of it, the heights have not been reached yet. Some of it has been because of injury, some has been development.
You’re not going to see massive destruction of the quarterbacks on Saturday, but we should be able to see what those tuned up, healthy defensive lineman look like after a few months of hard work. Do they look leaner, stronger, and more explosive on the field? The Ohio State defense may depend on that part of the defense showing up big time in the fall. Oh, and what about freshman sensation Jack Sawyer? Is he as good as early advertisements say?
Remember, Chase Young’s breakout year was his junior year, the same year Harrison is about to embark upon. No pressure or anything.
NEXT … How do the linebackers look?
What’s going on with the linebackers?
Combined snaps played by Baron Browning, Pete Werner, Tuf Borland and Justin Hilliard: 1,423
Combined snaps by all of the returning linebackers: 251
Perhaps no part of Ohio State's defense will look and feel more different than the LBs. New wave of guys incoming. https://t.co/EqRbvnn0Pm
— Colin Hass-Hill (@chasshill) January 18, 2021
Ohio State lost its top four linebackers to graduation last year. There was a ton of experience between Tuf Borland, Justin Hilliard, Baron Browning, and Pete Werner. You don’t just plug and play with that much knowledge and hard work walking out the door (see defensive line note in the previous point).
But what the linebacking unit lacks in experience, it could almost make up for in athletic ability. Freshman Reid Carrico is making a name for himself, but others like Tommy Eichenberg, Teradja Mitchell, Dallas Gant, and Craig Young need to become household names.
So who looks the part, and which guys get first-team opportunities in the second half on Saturday remains to be seen.
We’ll have more on that and all of these questions after all the festivities on Saturday.
Ohio State football 2021 projected depth chart, pre-spring offense
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