WFNY Podcast #20
August 13, 2009Family of Tyler Moeller releases statement
August 13, 2009
It’s always pointless fun and also kind of 100% accurate silly to look at a team before anything has really happened. Yes, there was a spring scrimmage. Yes, they’ve reported to camp. But honestly, not much has happened in the past 6 months.
Howevaaaa, I’m here to prognosticate. Why? Because well, I write the articles, and I can. Here I’ll take a look at the areas that in my eyes the Buckeyes have downgraded compared to last year’s team. Tomorrow I’ll take a look at where they’ve upgraded. And I guess mention where things have been a push. Ha-wheeeeeee!
To me, the most glaring downgrade the Buckeyes have taken this year is at cornerback. Malcolm Jenkins is gone, and he was pretty good if you weren’t aware. Also gone is Donald Washington. So, the Buckeyes have their nickel back from a year ago but that’s about it. Though there’s guys with potential (there always are guys with potential), there’s little experience.
Moving to linebacker, Marcus Freeman and James Laurinaitis are gone – quite the productive (overrated?) combination. Though there is a lot of depth in the ranks, few of the players aside from Ross Homan have played a ton. Add to that the loss of Tyler Moeller, and the ranks are a little thinner than one would like at LB. Luckily, LB has been a position of strength since JT has been vesting-up the Bucks.
Moving to the offensive side of the ball, the WR spots are rife with new names. Yes, one of the best names in the game is returning in Dane Sanzenbacher, but coupled with the mystery surrounding Ray Small, the losses of Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline are not good. There are others with some experience, but it’d be nice to have a sure set of hands (and uncuncussesd heads) lining up for Terrelle Pryor to throw to.
The last downgrade position I see is at RB. Yes, Bernard Beanard wasn’t the most durable of backs at times – but he was a heck of a back. If you look what we knew he could do compared to what we CURRENTLY KNOW Dan Herron and Brandon Saine can do it’s obviously a downgrade. There was a great article at Eleven Warriors yesterday touching on Boom and Zoom for you to check out. I’ll leave it at this – it’d be nice to know one of these gents could do what the Beanie do.
Though there are four obvious downgrade spots on the team, that means there are a few spots that are obvious upgrads, hooray! If you think I missed anything, let me know. Otherwise, feel free to praise my fantastic ability to call them as I see them.
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[Photo Credit: Me. That’s my stuff, and my arm. IT’S MINE!]
23 Comments
Nice of you to shave your arm for picture day
I’m sorry I couldn’t focus – I was too lost in your dreamy five o’clock shadow.
Who is this Bernard RB you speak of ? Your own personal nickname for Chris “Beanie” Wells?
I meant “Beanard” – it’s the formal, proper, full name for Beanie.
Is that a wristband tat? Does it come with the barbed wire bicep?
Is that a tattoo? (Please say it’s marker)
I think you’re assesment was pretty spot on. DB’s, LB’s WR’s, RB’s. I concur.
@ Jay – I wouldn’t say that DB’s in general are needed. In fact the safety spots are both returning from last year (see: upgrade piece tomorrow), but corner is definitely a spot that has downgraded.
And yes, it’s a tattoo. And no, I ain’t got no wire holdin’ these guns back.
Pretty cool. Definitely original. I’m thinking of getting two “M’s” on my butt cheeks so when I take a poop it says “Mom”.
Did I just write that? No really, I’m 30.
Denny, were you drinking before you wrote this piece? It just has that happy-go-lucky, I’ve-been-drinking-all-day-and-don’t-give-a-damn vibe to it… which I like.
@ Denny – I stand corrected. The safety position does looks solid, so my bad on that.
“And yes, it’s a tattoo. And no, I ain’t got no wire holdin’ these guns back.”
I nearly choked on my Vitamin Water! Good Stuff!!!
PIFML – I can’t decipher whether you’re being sarcastic or not. Because you did not type in all caps, I applaud your approval of my tattoo. It’s the stripes of Ohio State’s helmet. You can go back to hating it now.
@ Kevin – I may or may not have been sippin on some Jameson whilst writing. I’ve got to write the accompanying piece tonight, and will do so in a somber, booze-free state.
@ Jay – are you sure it wasn’t the Vitamin Water itself that made you choke? That stuff’s gross.
Not being sarcastic – I thought it was cool!
The other comment was a non-sequitir that was a result of Adult ADD. It’s a real and growing problem.
I disagree with this assessment…not all of it, just some..
they did not lose both starting DB’s…chekwa was a starter over washington at the opposite corner…hes very fast, and if he plays the run a bit better, I dont see there being a dramatic drop-off from last year to this year…yes Jenkins was great, but chekwa isnt horrible…he runs a 4.4 40, and hes got decent size at 6-1…and on the other side, Amos is pretty athletic as well, and has some game experience…one thing about the Bucks, they tend to rotate young guys in so that they can get a taste, but not get destroyed…
Also, Jermale Hines is a BEAST…watch for him this year…hes technically a DB, but they currently list him as a LB…I see him a Cie Grant type of guy…tough on opponents TE’s and a hammer against the run…
Rolle and Sabino are underrated and underestimated…I like the way both of them hit…Rolle is undersized, but has some pop…
also, you completely glossed over the next great WR at tOSU…Devier Posey…I think he’s got the stuff to be a great one at least…just my opinion, but I think youll see him with the ball more than Sanzenwhatshisname…also, they moved Stoneburner who is 6-5 to WR…redzone ahoy!
Their D-Line will be the strength, and their LB’s will play well, but not great…their D backfield is solid as well…
their O-line is a bit scary, and you dont really know what youre going to get out of the Zoom of Boom and Zoom…if healthy, hes got potential…in fact, I think I like him better than Herron…watching Berry in practice was very eye-opening…if he can keep his head on straight, he looks like a special kid…very quick, very agile…
That said, I dont think this team has a shot at a BCS game this year…I see 2 losses, maybe 3…and it will be to the teams you expect them to lose to…
if, and thats a giant if, TPry made giant strides (pun intended) in the offseason with regards to his passing abilities…this team *could* beat USC, but I still see them losing to PSU…
Chekwa started when Washington was suspended. He was used at nickel after Washington’s suspension early on. Not saying Chekwa is bad, but he’s a step down from Jenkins and Amos is a step down from Washington.
I agree that Rolle and Sabino can be good, and hopefully Spitler and Homan are – but they aren’t at the level of Freeman and Laurinaitis at this time last year.
Sanzenbacher can be solid slot receiver, a la Gonzo (though I doubt to that level). Posey could be good, but he’s not a step up from the guys that were around last year – not at this point.
I’m optimistic about the season and see at worst a 3 loss season, at best a 1 loss with a BCS win. But I think these are the downgrades when compared to last year’s roster. My upgrase piece will be up tomorrow.
Denny – I know Washington was to be the starterat #2 CB, but I remember going into last year where they said they wanted to use washington in the slot and let chekwa be the #2 guy…partially because he was faster than washington (anchored the Buckeyes’ Big Ten Champion 4×100 relay in outdoor track), and partly because washington was not going to be able to run with some of the quicker straight line speed #2 WRs…I dont remember them moving Washington back to the #2 CB when he got back, as I seem to remember him in more of the slot nickelback when he returned…but I could be wrong…they also have some pretty talented frosh in the mix too…it will be interesting to see where they go…and dont sleep on Russell…hes pretty solid too…much easier to help younger corners when you have very talented safeties watching over them…
I see them doing more of a shift of the funnelling of run plays back to the weak side again, as Homan has shown flashes of very good skills at the LB position…while I do agree they arent as good as we thought Freeman and Laurinaitis *would* be (they seemed to disappear at times in big games), I dont think they will have the same D strategy…I think they almost had a confusing D strategy…previously it was about gap coverages for the line, and trying to force to the weak side for that AJ Hawk guy to cleanup, but they were more centered in their gap coverages last year where they almost were daring the opponents to run up the middle…Freeman wasnt any special to me, and he benefitted by way of the little animal’s play…I think Jermale Hines will open some eyes, and I think they might go with a staggered 3 down linemen, 3 LB, 3 safety set…hear me out…it would essentially work out to a 4-3 anyways, but I really like Hines ability to create havoc in the backfield and around the line of scrimmage…I guess you can call it a 3-4. but Hines is going to be more of a Polamalu (dunno if thats how you spell it) type of safety…more of a roamer…
I think sanzenbacher will be a bust, he seems to be feeling the effects of those hits to the head…unless I am mistaken, he doesnt seem too fleet of foot…but then again, I havent really seen him in the open field…he usually catches the ball and gets smacked…
I think Posey will be better than Robo…Robo has better hands, but this kid has better speed and the open field elusiveness you look for…If ray small ever figures out that the doesnt have to be like Maurice Clarett, he could be dynamic too…but hes got the same issues Mo did…thinks the world owes him something and that he is entitled to more than he has done…
I would like to think a 1 loss season with a BCS win will be in the Bucks future…I just cant see them winning all of their B10 games…and, unless TPry puts on a clinic, USC will beat us in the ‘Shoe…
DK-
I dont know how you figure USC will beat OSU in the shoe. Im not predicting a win for the Bucks but I dont understand how someone could be predicting a loss either. To me, the QB is the most important position on the field, that being said tOSU has the projeceted best QB in the confrence and I would say top 10 in the country. USC on the other hand, had their starter injured and if they have to send FRESHMEN Matt Barkley in his 2nd career college game in front of 100,000+ in an insane enviornment, I would almost guarntee an OSU victory.
@ JK – the kid is the #1 QB recruit, so it’s not like he can’t play. Every year since Carson Palmer left it’s seemed like people have been saying “Matt Leinart who? John David Booty who? Mark Sanchez who?” and they all are gamers. Though I agree that bringing a freshman in the the Shoe won’t be optimal for SC, I also think you’re discounting the fact that they have proven to have very, very good QBs waiting in the wings.
DK is correct. Chekwa remained the starter at CB even after Washington returned from suspension. If I recall part of the reason for this was because Chekwa was faster and with three CB’s on the field, they felt more comfortable playing man-to-man coverage (did not work quite as well as expected…see final offensive play for Texas in the bowl game).
Chekwa is no slouch. I think we’ll be fine in the defensive backfield. Losing Moeller @ LB hurts the most I think and our LB corp could be the weakness of this defense. Hopefully improvement and experience on the DL will mitigate inexperience at the LB position.
Denny, if I remember correctly, all those USC QB’s in waiting had 2-3 years to learn the system to take over the spot. I’m sure Barkley will be great (someday)…….but he will probably struggle a bit in the Shoe against tOSU’s defense.
Wil – that’s true. Booty took over as a senior, Sanchez had a few games’ experience before he was the starter. It’s quite possible that the kid will look like a freshman Jimmy “Four Heisman” Clausen (though he’s got much more talent around him). I’m not saying he’ll be great, especially not right away. But he’s practicing with the first team right now and will be accustomed to his team at least.
UPDATE: ESPN radio said he (Matthew 3:16 Barkley) threw 3 picks in his 1st practice with and against the starters.