COLUMBUS, Ohio _ Noah Brown knows what people are saying behind his back. Some are saying it to his face, too.
Since he tied a school record with four touchdown catches at Oklahoma on Sept. 17, the sophomore receiver has virtually disappeared. He's scored only twice in the past nine games. In the past four, he's totaled six receptions for 76 yards and one touchdown.
Questions about where he's been have been impossible to avoid.
"I hear it all the time, but I don't pay too much attention to it," Brown said on Dec. 15. "I've got to do what I've got to do to help us win the game. Whether or not that involves making a catch, that's not my concern."
Brown's determination to excel as a blocker even when the ball isn't coming his way is laudable. But as No. 3 Ohio State takes on No. 2 Clemson in a College Football Playoff semifinal in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Eve, the Buckeyes need more consistency from their passing game.
Presumably one way to fix that would be to get more from Brown, a 6-foot-2, 218-pounder who seems built to be a target inside the 20.
"We have to target him a little bit more, he has to separate a little bit better, and we have to protect the quarterback," OSU coach Urban Meyer said. "It's not one thing or we would fix the one thing. Noah's about back full speed from his injury now. It was a tough injury."
That injury came during fall camp before the 2015 season, when Brown suffered a compact fracture of his left leg. Going into the 2016 season, Meyer said he wanted to see Brown become an all-Big Ten receiver. After his five catches for 72 yards and four scores against the Sooners, that seemed like a certainty. But Brown enters the playoffs with 30 catches for 385 yards (both second on the team) and is the Buckeyes' co-leader with seven receiving touchdowns.
"Noah is one of our top players. We love Noah. Once he had that big game, I think people took notice," OSU offensive coordinator Ed Warinner said. "Very seldom does he get straight no-help, man-to-man coverage.
"I think Noah is capable of having a big game at any time. It just depends on the defense and how they play and who it is they try to stop."
Brown still believes he can become quarterback J.T. Barrett's go-to guy.
"I definitely always want the ball in my hands, but football is a team sport so I realized that can't happen," he said. "But when my number is called I'm gonna make sure I do everything in my power to make the play."
Brown isn't the only one who could make an impact against Clemson. Junior H-back Curtis Samuel leads the Buckeyes in receiving (65-822-7) even though he's had nearly triple that many touches rushing.
In his last interview before Christmas break, Meyer mentioned throwing the ball better _ next year. He was responding to a question about Samuel, seemingly giving no thought to the possibility Samuel could leave for the NFL after this season.
"We have to change that. In the offseason we're going to become a good throwing team and spend some time on it," Meyer said. "We're good now efficiency-wise, but we're going to really start expanding that and work hard at it. I think Curtis is an exceptional receiver."
Asked to expand on the problem, Meyer said, "I thought we would be better throwing the ball. Whether it be protection, whether it be separation by wideouts, it's not one thing. It's just who we are. It's just a focus that we are going to work on, and we will get there."
Ohio State's average of 221.2 passing yards per game didn't make the top 50 on the NCAA list, while the University of Akron's 255.3 did (as of Dec. 22). Clemson is giving up an average of 188.2 passing yards, 19th in the nation (as of Dec. 22).
With OSU learning its opponent 27 days before the playoffs begin, Warinner believes the Buckeyes have time to improve "anything we want in this stretch." He and Meyer both stressed balance on offense.
"For us to be successful, we have to do what we do. We have to play great defense, play great on special teams and be balanced on offense and don't turn the ball over," Warinner said. "When we get our opportunities, we have to score. When you do that, you have a good chance to win."
Some observers believe junior quarterback Barrett might be so fearful of turnovers that he shies away from trying to fit the ball into a tight window, even with playmakers like Samuel and Brown. Barrett has completed 61.8 percent of his passes with 24 touchdowns and just five interceptions.
Asked if there's a way to take chances without being a gunslinger, Barrett said, "Is a gunslinger just loose with the football? That's my thing, I think I'm really good at making good decisions, make sure that we're not hurting the team as field position and not turning it over. There is a fine balance with that."
Barrett believes he's done a good job of seeing receivers get open, is working on his ball placement and has improved at reading defenses, which will be the supreme challenge against Clemson. The Tigers are likely to show more looks on defense than Barrett has ever seen.
Meyer believes the Buckeyes can shore up the protection, timing and consistency issues before New Year's Eve.
"We have (16) new starters that have a whole year under their belt, so we should be getting better," he said. "We're going to be working really hard because we have to be very productive on offense in this game."
