The Ohio State University

The Ohio State University

Despite losses, Ohio State's D might be better
Associated Press | August 28, 2013
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- There was a time not so long ago when Ohio State's defense was one of the most feared, effective and efficient units in the country.

For this season's second-ranked Buckeyes to contend for a Big Ten, let alone a national title, coach Urban Meyer knows his defenders have to harken back to the not-so-distant past.

"One thing about Ohio State defense, for a decade they were about as good a defense as there was in America," Meyer said. "The last two years, it hasn't been that way. So I'm anxious to get it back there to the Ohio State level."

The defense was just good enough to get it through an undefeated season in 2012.

It provided the Big Ten defensive player of the year in lineman John Simon and always seemed to come up with a big play when needed.

No one thought it was a bad defense, but the numbers weren't very good: 360 yards and 23 points a game, including surrendering 512 yards to California, 481 to Indiana and 403 to UAB.

When they host Buffalo on Saturday, the Buckeyes are seeking improvement despite missing eight starters (including suspended starting cornerback Bradley Roby) on that side of the ball.

There's a lot to accomplish.

"Right now we still have a chip on our shoulder," said All-Big Ten linebacker Ryan Shazier, one of only three holdover starters. "Some people don't feel like we are worthy to be where we are right now (in the rankings). We're fighting for championships in November right now.

"We plan on being the best in the Big Ten."

The new first-teamers include four sophomores and several juniors who have little experience in a big-game spotlight. So there's a lot to prove -- even to the coach.

"The jury is certainly out," Meyer said. "I'm very comfortable with who they are as people and the way they practice. However, there's nothing to gauge it upon other than practice. So how (do) they operate in a game? I'm really excited.

"I'm very confident."

Acclaimed sophomores Adolphus Washington and Noah Spence get the call at the ends, with Michael Bennett at tackle and Joel Hale edging out Tommy Schutt at noseguard.

The linebackers alongside Shazier are Curtis Grant in the middle and Joshua Perry on the strong side.

"There's a lot of guys in that front seven that we have high expectations for," co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Luke Fickell said. "But until they do it in front of 107,000 people, we're still going to sit here a little anxious to see what they can do. We really have liked what we've seen so far, and the upside is incredible."

Meyer said he's concerned about the depth and quality at linebacker, a spot that he calls a concern on the cusp of the new season.

The secondary includes rock-solid safeties C.J. Barnett and Christian Bryant, with Armani Reeves and Doran Grant at the corners.

"Our intent would be to be better than last year," cornerbacks and special-teams coach Kerry Coombs said. "We've got a lot of young players who are going to play really, really hard."

Beyond just beating Buffalo, the defense has set some lofty goals in the opener.

"We probably want to just leave a great impression on the world," Barnett said. "We want to be one of the best defenses in the country, so hopefully we can make strides toward that goal in this game."

The names have changed, but the staff's second year with even the young players means the defense can do more things.

"I think we're going to be a faster defense and hopefully more aggressive as we grow in our scheme. And we'll have more pressure packages," Meyer said. "Last year we started the season as kind of a bend-but-don't-break defense where it seemed we were always on heels. That's not the kind of defense that anyone wants."

Every team is optimistic before the games begin. But the Buckeyes' defenders feel they are almost entitled to something better.

"Last year we had to work through some guys having doubts," Bennett said of the flux that came with a new staff. "But this year everyone's bought in, everyone's more excited and you can see that light at the end of the season that if we do everything right it's not just 12-0 it's ... big things can happen."

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Follow Rusty Miller on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/RustyMillerAP
Miller's star ready to shine brighter
Austin Ward
ESPN.com | August 30, 2013
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Sometimes, in rare circumstances, simply scratching the surface is enough.

Sometimes, an athlete so gifted with physical ability comes along who leans on his natural talents, even without developing all the skills needed at his position, and finishes fifth in the voting for the most prestigious award in his sport.

Somebody still trying to absorb all of the intricacies of his position navigates a learning process without losing a game, operating with something of a stripped-down playbook.

A shy, humble guy, not accustomed to raising his voice and assuming command in the huddle the way a quarterback is traditionally expected to, can still drag his offense to more points than any other team in the conference.

Add it all up and you have what Braxton Miller provided Ohio State last season and, based on the sophomore version on display a year ago, he certainly appears more than capable of delivering the same type of results this fall. 

But sometimes, in rare circumstances, simply scratching the surface isn't enough. Even nine months following the end of the season, with a grueling offseason behind them, the Buckeyes are still trying to figure out just how big the iceberg is underneath the tip they already chiseled off and how far their quarterback can take them.

If they don't know exactly how much more they can achieve, they certainly recognize how much deeper they are heading into this season. What does that mean for the program and its brightest star?

It's almost time to find out.

The routine is never entirely the same from year to year, but Tom Herman had even more incentive to freshen up his collection of drills heading into his second season as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Ohio State.

The message had been delivered quite clearly, both publicly and privately, that Miller had a long way to go in terms of his fundamentals, and coach Urban Meyer was holding his assistants as responsible as the players themselves for addressing the issue.

Miller helped start the process of fine-tuning his footwork, pocket presence and accuracy with a trip to visit quarterback guru George Whitfield Jr. shortly after the season ended. Back on campus, Herman was scouring videos from around the country and talking with coaching colleagues in search of tools to add to his practice repertoire that would help clean up the problems that slowed down the Buckeyes at times a year ago.

"It didn't matter if it was a high school guy, if it was put out yesterday, if it was a college guy, NFL guy -- if it was a drill that I thought could help us, I'd try to implement it," Herman said. "If the kids liked it or responded to it well, we kept doing it. If not, we would go back to the drawing board.

"I find myself just making a bunch of them up as we go, just trying to replicate as best you can what a quarterback has to go through, what he's not good at so we can make him better. Let's replicate the situation as best we can in a drill, which is hard for that position."

With a little bit of imagination, though, it can certainly be done.

Miller, fully invested in taking the next step as an athlete and the right ones as a passer, soon found himself avoiding brooms being swung at him by Whitfield on the West Coast, mimicking the arms of a pass-rusher. In Columbus, Herman was throwing bean bags at him to narrow his focus even more, challenging Miller and the rest of the Ohio State quarterbacks to keep their eyes downfield.

Some existing drills remained, including a particular favorite of Miller's that involved taking a three-step drop, flipping his hips open to avoid a make-believe rush, and working on getting his feet in better position while trying to throw on the move.

There were also new additions, such as quickly tapping his feet through a step ladder on the ground, keeping his head up the whole time, and settling himself to make a throw when the miniature obstacles had all been cleared.

"[Herman] just really tries to make it as realistic as what happens in the game," Miller said. "The drills that we do, I'm seeing things that would really happen that way in a game.

"Since that's what really happens, we have to keep working, improving at that so when it comes in a game, it will be natural."

As Miller developed new instincts physically, he also recognized that if he was going to put those mechanics to better use, he would need to develop the same sort of second-nature instincts mentally.

The first year in a new system was trying at times for everybody on the Ohio State offense. The offensive line had to learn different blocking schemes; receivers had to adapt to new concepts and rushers had to absorb the expansion of rushing plays out of the shotgun.

Miller, the focal point of the entire attack, must know it all, and at the same time, be able to decipher what defenses are trying to do to slow down the Buckeyes on every snap.

Walking off the practice field on a scorching August day during training camp, Miller was approached by freshman safety Vonn Bell and gave yet another strong indication that he's starting to see the X's, O's and minor details much more clearly than he ever has before.

"It's crazy, he walked up to me and said, 'Man, how did you know I was blitzing today?'" Miller recounted. "I was just like, it was his body posture.

"I'm getting better at things like that."

The improvement was perhaps inevitable given the additional year to soak up Meyer's and Herman's playbook. But perhaps more important than simply being able to recite all the play calls, and understand where to go with the football on a given down, Miller's improved understanding of the scheme has altered the player-coach dynamic.

Now, not only should Miller be able to execute an assignment better and maximize every snap, he also can figure out why something might not have worked and express it to Herman in a more collaborative way.

"For the most part, we speak the same language," Herman said. "We talk about things defensively, offensively, his fundamentals, how the route should be, how the defense is covering it ... all those things are second nature to him and he doesn't have to think about it. It makes the learning curve that much faster even.

"The more he learns, the more fluent he gets, now the more we can go do. It snowballs a little bit."

As coach and quarterback worked to find a common language, when it came to his teammates, Miller really just needed to find his voice.

Shy, humble and introspective, Miller largely deferred to more established veterans in the huddle a year ago, despite his prominent position and importance in leading the offense.

That approach didn't keep the offense from getting the job done, and Ohio State still has four senior offensive linemen capable of providing leadership on the field this fall. But they are no longer alone, and Miller is increasingly more willing to open his mouth and lead with his voice, instead of solely by example. 

"He was quiet, other people had to tell people what to do," senior receiver Philly Brown said. "Having it come from somebody else other than the quarterback, the guys really weren't too positive about that. Now you've got the leader of the offense telling people what to do, that's better."

Miller also has started opening up more about what's on his mind publicly, which was far from a strong suit a year ago when the media attention started swelling and the Heisman Trophy campaign got rolling.

The same humility and reserved nature was in effect when the cameras and recorders were on, and that style didn't produce many soundbites and made Miller's personality a bit of a secret.

But the coaching staff used Jon Gruden's Quarterback Camp series to show the passion players such as Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III have for the game on and off the field, and an Ohio State public relations director printed out transcripts of news conferences from decorated NFL veterans such as Tom Brady and Peyton Manning to help prepare him for the types of questions he might face as the crush of media attention continues to grow.

"Now he's got a little confidence to him," Meyer said. "That whole Gruden football camp, what a teaching tool ... seeing the way [those guys] handle everything at quarterback. I call it the most unique position in sport, and you are allowed to be a little introverted, but you have to be able to lead. He's doing that. I don't want to give him an 'A' yet, but he's doing 'A' work.

"He's really building in that respect. If he does it, that's a special player."

The Buckeyes already had that in Miller a season ago. Now they'll get to find out just what he has built himself into nine months later.

Buffalo seeks respect, Ohio State chasing No. 1
Associated Press | August 30, 2013
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State had a lot to play for last fall: Making people forget a year of NCAA investigations and innuendo, rebounding from the worst season in more than a century and living up to the expectations of a new coaching staff.

They more than succeeded with a stunning 12-0 turnaround.

Unlike those Buckeyes, however, the 2013 version is allowed to compete for a Big Ten championship and even a national title. A postseason ban is no longer in force for crimes and misdemeanors committed under the regime of deposed coach Jim Tressel.

The first step is Saturday's game against Buffalo, a rebuilding team hoping to make a good showing while the second-ranked Buckeyes are aiming to serve notice that they're a worthy contender to break the Southeastern Conference's seven-year stranglehold on No. 1.

"Coach (Urban) Meyer came in here and he went 12-0," safety C.J. Barnett said. "Last year we had a chip on our shoulder. We were kind of hunting, but now we're the hunted. We've got the target on our backs. It's tougher when everybody's gunning at you."

Here are five things to watch in the opener for both teams:

HYPE OR HOPE? Braxton Miller embarks on his Heisman Trophy campaign with a better handle on the offense and better mechanics when he steps into the pocket. His receivers are improved over last year. Plus, he has far more options in terms of playmakers.

Even Buffalo coach Jeff Quinn, if he could, would vote for Miller.

"Braxton, to me, is definitely a worthy candidate," he said.

Meyer says Miller will run less and throw more, which will keep him healthier and stronger for the stretch run.

MACK ATTACK: The Bulls' Khalil Mack is not just one of the best LBs in his conference, but in the country. He's so good that he's expected to be among the top couple of players at his position in next spring's NFL draft.

He's also so good that Ohio State's coaches are worried about him.

"He is an extremely, extremely talented player," Buckeyes co-offensive coordinator Tom Herman said. "He poses some matchup issues that we'll have to gameplan for."

MAC ATTACK: Ohio State is 28-1 against current members of the Mid-American Conference, the lone smudge on that record being a 12-6 setback to Akron in '94 -- 1894, that is.

It's unlikely that the Bulls have enough weapons to keep the Buckeyes at bay, but it's always important to note that the MAC has a history of pulling off shockers.

On Sept. 20, 2003, MAC schools knocked off No. 6 Kansas State, No. 9 Pittsburgh and No. 21 Alabama. That very same afternoon, Bowling Green had Ohio State on the ropes at Ohio Stadium but ended up falling 24-17 in the closest call for a Buckeyes team against an in-state rival since 1921.

YOUTH IS SERVED: Ohio State's offense is composed of grizzled veterans. But the defense? Not so much. Only two seniors will start on that side of the ball, Barnett and Christian Bryant at safety.

Most eyes will be on whether ends Noah Spence and Adolphus Washington can get to Bulls QB Joe Licata, and whether sophomore Joshua Perry and former five-star recruit Curtis Grant can carry the load at LB.

Also, the Buckeyes will have a freshman handling the punting: 21-year-old Aussie Cameron Johnston.

OLIVER! Buffalo RB Branden Oliver gained 821 yards last year despite missing five games and parts of four others.

If he has success, that's not a good omen for a rebuilt Ohio State defense with eight new starters.

If Oliver finds himself hemmed in a lot, then the Buckeyes will have taken a first step toward being taken seriously in the national-title picture.

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Follow Rusty Miller on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/RustyMillerAP