Latest / Buckeyes TomOrrow Morning / Ross Fulton Analysis: The 4 Biggest Questions For The Ohio State Offense

Transcript

Ross Fulton Analysis: The 4 Biggest Questions For The Ohio State Offense · Buckeyes TomOrrow Morning

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Welcome to Buck guys tomorrow morning for Tuesday, January sixth.
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: I'm your host, Tom Moore. The ball state game in
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: two hundred and forty two days, the gaming against Michigan
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: in three hundred and twenty six days. On today's show,
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: we're welcoming in our ex's and o's guru, Ross Fulton.
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: And when Ross's on the show, We're sponsored by Jeff
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: Rubies of Columbus, probably offering nationally acclaimed USDA prim Stakes,
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: seafood and sushi and peckable service, live erentertainment, and an
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: attention to detail that is simply unmatched. Just go to
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: Jeff ruby dot com slash Columbus to check out the
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: menu and make a reservation today. All right, so I
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: can I can already hear people Win saying getting ready
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: to put on their eclipse glasses or whatever to try
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: and watch the Ohio State offense against Miami. Great news.
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: We're going to do that. But we're going to do
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: that tomorrow. We're going to give you a data to
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: sort of get warmed up. We're taking on some sort
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: of bigger picture of things right now. Wanted sort to
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: take a look at some of the questions on the
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: offensive side of the ball heading into the off season
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: with Ross and Ross, I think when you're starting with
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: the offensive offense side of the ball, obviously, I feel
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: like it all starts with a conversation about the offensive coordinator.
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: Brian Hartline has officially headed out to South Florida, just
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: got a commitment from CJ. Hicks to go play for
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: him with the South Florida Bowls. So then with Heartline gone,
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: now what for the Ohio State offense? Because they have
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: you could potentially fill this fill that role with an
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: internal hire. To me, it feels like maybe they should
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: be looking somewhere externally, but I'm not. I didn't have
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: any specific names in mind. So do you have any
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: overall thoughts on what you know you would prefer to
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: see them do in terms of filling that offensive coordinator position,
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: and do you have any specific names in mind.
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: I think they have to get someonet external and I
• 1:37
  Speaker 2: mean my preference I would be or I guess thought
• 1:41
  Speaker 2: is that they that they should be looking for a
• 1:44
  Speaker 2: NFL offensive coordinator. I think that's how he is running
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: the offense overall, in the sense of, like you know,
• 1:54
  Speaker 2: they're huddling, they're using the play clock they're trying to
• 1:57
  Speaker 2: get into advantageous looks. It's a style passing game and
• 2:03
  Speaker 2: run game.
• 2:03
  Speaker 3: For that matter.
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: You don't have a really a run thread at quarterback
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: with Julian's saying, and so I think they need he
• 2:11
  Speaker 2: needs someone to bring sort of like both that adult
• 2:15
  Speaker 2: in the room, so to speak, so that he's not
• 2:17
  Speaker 2: stretched too thin. That can bring some organization and I
• 2:21
  Speaker 2: think add some variety help the run game, add some
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: variety into the past game.
• 2:31
  Speaker 3: You know, we can talk about this a little bit.
• 2:33
  Speaker 3: With Miami.
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: I think things have gotten a little stale in terms
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: of like they're either running col routes or trying to
• 2:39
  Speaker 2: push the ball vertically, like conceptually, things that can you know,
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: Mary plays together. I just think, you know, not it
• 2:48
  Speaker 2: would fit well within what Day wants to do in
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: his system, but sort of bring a fresh perspective in
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: like you know, I think like originally he intended to
• 2:58
  Speaker 2: do with Bill O'Brien in terms of names, like I
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: mean nothing, this is just me spitballing, nothing specific, but
• 3:05
  Speaker 2: like you know, a Brian Dave Oll type, but Tommy
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: Reese type. I mean, I think obviously there's lots of
• 3:12
  Speaker 2: turnover happening this week in the NFL, and so you know,
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: some of that depends on like who wants to go
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: coach in college. I mean, I think Day can offer
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: that offensive coordinator that he does not have to go
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: recruit on the road now, which I think would be appealing,
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: particularly to NFL guys, so that, you know, takes away
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: one of the disadvantages of college. But I you know,
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: I'm sure there'll be other names bandied about as NFL
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: turnover continues, but that would certainly be the way I
• 3:42
  Speaker 2: would look. I don't I don't think they can go internal.
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: I mean, the staff continues to sort of, you know,
• 3:48
  Speaker 2: guys that have been sort of brought up through the
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: system are there.
• 3:51
  Speaker 3: But like it's kind of like two.
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: Years ago after the lost Cotton Bowl lost Missouri that
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: it's like, as A said, I'd like need some fresh blood.
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: I need some outside sort of adult in the room
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: structure in place.
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: All right now onto the quarterback position. And obviously they're
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: not looking to replace Julian Saying by any means. And
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: I feel like I need to preface all of this
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: conversation with just a reminder that he was just a
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: red shirt freshman this past season. I think everyone kind
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: of got to the middle of the season and went,
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: this guy is the greatest quarterback in the history of
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: college football, and then you sort of got a reminder
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: towards the end of the season, well, he is still
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: just a red shirt freshman, and there is still potentially
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: a lot of growth ahead for him. And we're going
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: to talk about some of the specifics of where he
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: was good and where he was less good and maybe
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: some missed opportunities in that Cotton Bowl. Will do that
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: and probably in tomorrow's show, but I wanted to kind
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: of get your overall thoughts on Julian saying and where
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: maybe things sort of bogged down the last couple of
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: games with him. To me, I was looking at that
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: and thinking, boy, it feels like an awful lot of
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: this is he's not comfortable in the pocket, he's getting
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: chased around, there's some breakdowns on the offensive line. Maybe
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: his eyes are going down the guys instead of being downfield.
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: They're kind of looking at the pass rush. Was that
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: what you were seeing or where where were the issues there?
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: And are those issues that are relatively easy to sort
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: out over an offseason with another spring and summer in
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: fall of development.
• 5:20
  Speaker 2: I mean, I think I think that's part of the issue.
• 5:24
  Speaker 2: You know, I think those things compound each other. Again,
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: I think that the the offense as was run this
• 5:33
  Speaker 2: year was very dependent on good offensive line protection and
• 5:40
  Speaker 2: good quarterback play. Like it's putting a lot on the
• 5:44
  Speaker 2: protection schemes because it's a lot of trying to push
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: the football vertically down the field. And somewhat ironically, I
• 5:53
  Speaker 2: guess you would say that I would not say that
• 5:56
  Speaker 2: that is necessarily where Julian Sand's strengths lie.
• 5:59
  Speaker 3: Right now.
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: We saw in the second half against Miami they got
• 6:04
  Speaker 2: the offense going when they more consistently gave him timing routes,
• 6:08
  Speaker 2: like spacing routes, you know, curl hook routes, get the
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: football out and then you could see his like once
• 6:16
  Speaker 2: he was thrown in rhythm, then he started to be
• 6:18
  Speaker 2: able to throw it more effectively downfield as well than
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: he you know, the back shoulder throw to Jeremi Smith
• 6:23
  Speaker 2: he finally hit when a few other go routes earlier
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: in the game were like, you know, not even close
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: to giving the receiver a chance. So and you know,
• 6:31
  Speaker 2: I thought the RPO game was you know, this gets
• 6:33
  Speaker 2: back to the offensive coordinator thing was like not well
• 6:36
  Speaker 2: thought through against Miami, Like that was probably the most
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: noticeable on the pick six those relief but like second
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: play of the game, like you know, the cornerback jumps
• 6:45
  Speaker 2: it and Cardinal Tait was like sort of I couldn't
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: quite figure if he was actually running a route, like
• 6:49
  Speaker 2: what was going on there, Like it wasn't well designed
• 6:53
  Speaker 2: to attack the Miami's cover three. But those are the
• 6:57
  Speaker 2: throws that saying's good at. So I guess I would say, like,
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: you know, I think need to get him in a
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: position where he's hitting those timing routes. He's using boot legs,
• 7:08
  Speaker 2: play action and then you can push the football vertically.
• 7:13
  Speaker 2: But you know, I think the obvious thing where he
• 7:15
  Speaker 2: needs to improve is like hitting steam routes. You know,
• 7:18
  Speaker 2: you wonder if the height situation like impacts that seeing
• 7:21
  Speaker 2: those like middle of the field throws, because you know,
• 7:24
  Speaker 2: we can clip four or five of them against Miami
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: where they were like sure fire touchdowns if you can
• 7:31
  Speaker 2: protect them and get to them and throw them. But
• 7:33
  Speaker 2: you know, I just thought like he needs to be
• 7:35
  Speaker 2: more a little bit like yes, the pressure increased and
• 7:38
  Speaker 2: like you got the combination of like the pressure with
• 7:41
  Speaker 2: coverage disguise that was throwing him off as the season
• 7:44
  Speaker 2: went on.
• 7:45
  Speaker 3: But the you know, I think he needed to.
• 7:48
  Speaker 2: Be like at times more decisive at times step up
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: the pocket, and like, you know, more willing to use
• 7:53
  Speaker 2: his legs. That like, you know, second and two with
• 7:57
  Speaker 2: fifteen seconds left to the end of the first half
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: against Miami is probably like the quintessential example of like
• 8:02
  Speaker 2: you scrambled and get the first down and that stops
• 8:04
  Speaker 2: the clock at college football, but like you just got
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: to be a little bit more decisive. But it just
• 8:09
  Speaker 2: you know, he is young, Like I know, people don't
• 8:11
  Speaker 2: like that, but like compare his number of starts to
• 8:15
  Speaker 2: everyone else left in the college football playoff and it's
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: pretty noticeable. So you know, you have some of those
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: growing plains. But he was he obviously was was pretty
• 8:24
  Speaker 2: good for a first time starter. You know, you may
• 8:27
  Speaker 2: maybe in hindsight, wish that he had Obviously Texas gave
• 8:30
  Speaker 2: him some of those looks, but it was the first
• 8:32
  Speaker 2: game of the season and like you wish maybe there
• 8:35
  Speaker 2: was a less consequential game where he got pushed a
• 8:39
  Speaker 2: little bit, But it sort of developed in a way
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: that like ironically it was the UCLA game where you
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: really started to like see pressure impact him. And at
• 8:49
  Speaker 2: the time you could kind of rate that off as
• 8:51
  Speaker 2: like not having Colonel Taitu and then Jeremiah Smith. But
• 8:54
  Speaker 2: teams obviously picked up on that and continued forward, and
• 8:58
  Speaker 2: you know, Indiana did it with their in simulated pressures.
• 9:01
  Speaker 2: Miami did it more with like zone blitzes and like
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: betting that he wouldn't be able to beat them, you know,
• 9:07
  Speaker 2: challenging him like that. But you know, those are all
• 9:09
  Speaker 2: things that he'll imprevon, you know, undataly for next year.
• 9:15
  Speaker 1: Another area where there's certainly questions about how Ohio it
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: can improve next year is on the offensive line, and
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: that's an area where we know Tager Shibola is in
• 9:24
  Speaker 1: the portal. So there's going to be at least one
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: of this year's starters who presumably is not going to
• 9:28
  Speaker 1: be back next year. Still a couple guys who theoretically
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: could go to the NFL. We'll see, how you know,
• 9:33
  Speaker 1: we'll see if anyone ends up jumping to the draft.
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: But you know, assuming keep everyone else other than Takera,
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: everyone else from this year who you know sort of
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: in that top seven ish, maybe you want to include
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: Ian Moore in that group top eight. Everyone else returns
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: this this upcoming season. Do they have enough in terms
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: of existing personnel to sort of in whatever order however
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: you want to shuffle those guys around, have a really
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: good top five and a couple other guys you can
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: believe in. Do they need to be looking at the
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: portal there? What's your sense of what they need to
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: be looking at on the offensive line this offseason?
• 10:09
  Speaker 2: Yeah, My probably unpopular opinion is that I don't think
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: if I'm gonna list like what Ohio State's portal needs are,
• 10:17
  Speaker 2: I would not put offensive line at the top of
• 10:19
  Speaker 2: the list for the reasons you listed. You know, I
• 10:22
  Speaker 2: think the biggest issue specifically is tackled because, uh, you know,
• 10:27
  Speaker 2: Austin Seerravelle played pretty well left tackle, but he's certainly
• 10:32
  Speaker 2: a guard. Philip Daniels may also be a guard. He
• 10:36
  Speaker 2: obviously struggled with speed rushes. He struggled with that against Miami.
• 10:41
  Speaker 3: You know.
• 10:41
  Speaker 2: But like these guys are young, right, Like that's the
• 10:44
  Speaker 2: other thing, the reason, like they can all be back.
• 10:45
  Speaker 2: Like I think this sort of got brushed aside last
• 10:49
  Speaker 2: year and just sort of but like in the playoff,
• 10:51
  Speaker 2: but I think a lot of that I didn't see
• 10:53
  Speaker 2: like a huge difference in offensive line play last year
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: in the playoff versus this year or these last few games.
• 11:01
  Speaker 2: It was a lot of it was like you had
• 11:03
  Speaker 2: two NFL running backs and you had Will Howard who
• 11:06
  Speaker 2: could was big and physical and could you know, make
• 11:09
  Speaker 2: plays with his legs that pick up some of that slack.
• 11:12
  Speaker 2: So I think the first question is, you know, I
• 11:16
  Speaker 2: think any plan without a portal offensive lineman has to
• 11:18
  Speaker 2: involve Ian Moore being a starter at tackle.
• 11:21
  Speaker 3: They have to feel comfortable with that.
• 11:23
  Speaker 2: I personally thought his second half against Miami was probably
• 11:28
  Speaker 2: the best offensive line play of the game, and which
• 11:31
  Speaker 2: sort of makes me question, like, you know, why, maybe
• 11:34
  Speaker 2: he should have been considered more. I'm still wondering sort
• 11:38
  Speaker 2: of how they use those three weeks between Indiana and Miami,
• 11:41
  Speaker 2: because they sort of just seemed to default to gave
• 11:44
  Speaker 2: Van Sickle playing guard, even though Josh Padilla, for instance,
• 11:48
  Speaker 2: had been ahead of Gave Van Sickle before he got
• 11:51
  Speaker 2: hurt at that position, and like when they brought Josh
• 11:54
  Speaker 2: Paden it was much better than what they got those
• 11:56
  Speaker 2: first few drives. But you know, I mean, Gabs fancyicle
• 12:00
  Speaker 2: is young as well. So I guess all this is
• 12:03
  Speaker 2: to say, I think they have the pieces there that
• 12:06
  Speaker 2: they could, you know, as you said, assuming people don't leave,
• 12:11
  Speaker 2: and like I mean, I have to say, like I
• 12:15
  Speaker 2: don't see like Carson Hintsman could leave, maybe he'd be
• 12:17
  Speaker 2: like a third day three pick, maybe he'd be on
• 12:19
  Speaker 2: Drafter free agent. I mean, I guess Luke Whipler did
• 12:21
  Speaker 2: that a few years ago, and you know, has been
• 12:24
  Speaker 2: a backup for a couple of years in the NFL,
• 12:25
  Speaker 2: And so I guess that's something. But I don't really
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: see those guys leaving. I think it's but it's really
• 12:31
  Speaker 2: a question of like finding the right mix of five
• 12:35
  Speaker 2: guys at the right spots, and you know, but I don't.
• 12:40
  Speaker 2: It also depends on the portal in terms of like
• 12:43
  Speaker 2: what what are your choices? Right, Like you don't want
• 12:45
  Speaker 2: to know the Ethan onion Witz situation obviously, like that
• 12:48
  Speaker 2: that was a huge miss and so you know, you
• 12:52
  Speaker 2: only money is still finite in the world, and you
• 12:54
  Speaker 2: have to the way your needs And so I just
• 12:56
  Speaker 2: think that there's other places where they have more urgency
• 13:00
  Speaker 2: to fill needs than offensive line.
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: All right, So you teed me up there We're just
• 13:06
  Speaker 1: gonna stay on the offensive side of the ball right now.
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: Don't worry. We have a long offseason. We'll get to
• 13:10
  Speaker 1: where they should where they need to be looking on
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: the defensive side of the ball on the portal. But
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: other than offensive line, where would you say that they
• 13:16
  Speaker 1: need to look at adding someone in the portal this offseason?
• 13:20
  Speaker 2: Ze wide receiver would be the top for offense for me, Like,
• 13:24
  Speaker 2: they need someone opposite Jeremi Smith.
• 13:27
  Speaker 3: You do not want teams rolling coverage.
• 13:29
  Speaker 2: And I think also, but I say Z like specifically,
• 13:32
  Speaker 2: like you don't want a poor man Jeremi Smith, Like
• 13:35
  Speaker 2: he's a quintessential X wide receiver, like big, strong, physical,
• 13:39
  Speaker 2: Like I mean, you can get by with two of
• 13:41
  Speaker 2: those guys obviously, but like I think you'd prefer to
• 13:44
  Speaker 2: have someone that's more of a compliment to him, as
• 13:46
  Speaker 2: like sort of a smaller, speed, speedier guy opposite they
• 13:51
  Speaker 2: can push the push the envelope vertically. And so I
• 13:54
  Speaker 2: put that probably at the top of my list as
• 13:58
  Speaker 2: we're speaking, like they already brought and you know, the
• 14:01
  Speaker 2: tight end from OU that will presumably sort of replace
• 14:05
  Speaker 2: will Kesmerck who also from OU. But and then I
• 14:09
  Speaker 2: would say probably like a veteran running back, Like I
• 14:12
  Speaker 2: don't think they're going to get someone to replace, you know,
• 14:16
  Speaker 2: Bo Jackson as the number one running back, like I
• 14:20
  Speaker 2: you know, I've like as with offensive line, as with
• 14:23
  Speaker 2: Julian saying, like, you know, some of the hiccups we
• 14:26
  Speaker 2: saw on offense this year were just because of like
• 14:28
  Speaker 2: the relative inexperience outside of the big two wide receivers
• 14:33
  Speaker 2: and so like you know, Bro Jackson certainly like left
• 14:36
  Speaker 2: yards on the field, like you know, again against Miami,
• 14:39
  Speaker 2: like pretty consistently. Miami's safeties were able to get him
• 14:42
  Speaker 2: down at the second level, but you know, he was
• 14:44
  Speaker 2: able to get there, and I'm sure he'll get bigger
• 14:46
  Speaker 2: and stronger. So, but the pass protection from the running
• 14:50
  Speaker 2: backs everyone focused on the offensive line like, was also
• 14:53
  Speaker 2: not good.
• 14:53
  Speaker 3: I thought cj.
• 14:54
  Speaker 2: Donaldson was played a very critical role against Miami to
• 14:58
  Speaker 2: get them back in that game.
• 14:59
  Speaker 3: And so I think you would hope to find someone
• 15:02
  Speaker 3: like that.
• 15:02
  Speaker 2: And so you know, I put those two things and
• 15:04
  Speaker 2: then as I said, like if there's an offensive tackle
• 15:06
  Speaker 2: out there, that works out all the better.
• 15:10
  Speaker 3: But you know, there's.
• 15:13
  Speaker 2: Plenty of needs on defense, I think, and so you
• 15:16
  Speaker 2: just have to allocate resources.
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: All right, Well, we'll get to the defense later. We'll
• 15:21
  Speaker 1: get to the offense and the film study from the
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: India or for the Miami game on tomorrow's show. We'll
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: have Ross back for that. And when Ross's back will
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: once again be sponsored by Jeff Rubis of Columbus, the
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: award winning Upscale steakhouse in downtown Columbus in one of
• 15:35
  Speaker 1: the top fifty to take houses in America by Food Network.
• 15:38
  Speaker 1: Just go to Jeff Ruby dot com slash Columbus to
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: check out the menu and make a reservation today. That
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: will do it for today. Thank you guys all for
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: joining us.
• 15:44
  Speaker 3: Have a great day. We'll talk to you tomorrow.